We are in the last few weeks of winter. The temperature has dipped and it is the perfect time to do all things wintery. — like trying seasonal delicacies or taking day trips. Picnics with friends and family or a cup of hot chocolate while watching the sunset is another beautiful experience this season. Before the temperature rises again, embrace the beauty of winter. For this edition of Reels of the Week, My Kolkata lists some winter activities that should be on your bucket list.
Try date palm juice
The winter brings along some delicacies that are too good to miss along with the chills — like the date palm juice or khejurer rosh. This juice comes from the sap of the date tree and has to be extracted early in the morning. It is a popular drink in the villages of Bengal and has to be consumed as soon as it is served. This is the juice that is also boiled and made into gur. Check out @sharafatrony’s reel and we bet you will want to try it this winter.
Relish nolen gurer moa
Talking about winter delicacies, who can forget the humble Moa? To relish the best of this sweet from Bengal, you can plan a trip to Joynagar, where it is famously made. The Joynagarer Moa is made with Kanachur Khoi (popped rice) mixed with gur or sugar, cashews and raisins. These are then made into small balls. Soft and melt-in-the-mouth, these are available only during winter. The one made with nolen gur is something everyone loves. To know more about Moa, check out @kolkatadelites’s reel. You can also read more about it on My Kolkata.
Spend a day at the Maidan
Mornings and late afternoons at the Maidan in Kolkata are bustling during the winter months. Youngsters gather to play cricket, football and other sports or simply hang around over a cup of lemon tea. Friends bask in the comforting sunlight and spend time under the trees. The mornings are engulfed in fog while the late afternoons are slow and soothing. @rawohit_ captures the mood of the Maidan, and it will make you want to spend a day there before the heat is back.
(@rawohit_)Go on a picnic with your friends
The picnic craze is back and Instagram is making it look all aesthetic. If you have been scrolling through reels lately, you’ll see Instagrammers are getting together for picnics at some beautiful open spaces. These picnics are not loud, but slow ones. These picnics are about simple happy food, books, card games and the company of good friends. @nitya.core_ and friends had a similar picnic and it makes us want to go on one soon!
Visit Khirai
Another beauty of winter are its blooms and blossoms. This is the time of the year when several flowers bloom. If you are someone who loves flowers, then Khirai near Kangsabati River will feel like heaven. It is Bengal’s own Valley of Flowers, where marigolds to chrysanthemums burst with colour. Only three hours from Kolkata, this makes for a perfect day trip. See the beauty of the place in a reel by @boy_of_bengal_09 and read more about it on My Kolkata.