Makara Sankranti and the tradition of "yellu-bella beerodu"

As the New Year rolls in, we gear up to welcome our first festival across the country; Makara Sankranti (Pongal in Tamilnadu. Til-Gud in Maharashtra, and Lohri in the North) 

Makara Sankranti celebrates the end of winter and the beginning of longer, warmer days. It coincides with the harvest season, making it a festival of gratitude to the sun, to Mother Nature and to farmers whose hard work sustains us. Though Sankranti has always been a festival of simplicities, it is abundant with gratitude and meaning. It is celebrated with freshly washed verandahs adorned with colourful rangolis, simple but yummy home-cooked meals and the age-old tradition of “yellu-bella beerodu” - a tradition where families exchange plates of a simple mixture of sesame seeds mixed with jaggery, peanuts, and some sugar. Humble ingredients of the harvest but one that symbolized something richer than their taste. 

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“Yellu-bella thindu, olle mathanaadu” 

(“eat sesame and jaggery and speak good words”)

Advice wrapped in a mixture. The bitterness of the sesame, balanced with the sweetness of jaggery to remind us that life is a balanced act of ups and downs. Just like how the taste of the sweet jaggery covers the bitter sesame, we must remain kind and hopeful even during the most unkind and harsh moments life throws at us. 

The act of "Yellu-bella beerodu" goes beyond food; it is an act of sharing. Plates of this simple snack travel from home to home, bringing neighbors together to exchange not just food, but conversations, stories, and blessings. It was a tradition that quietly built communities.

Today, in a fast-paced world filled with screens, schedules, and Zoom meetings, these moments of connection have grown rare. We often live side by side, yet worlds apart—missing the simple joy of pausing to speak and share.

At Bombaat Ruchi, we may not be able to slow the world down, but we hope to gently nudge it in the right direction.

With our Bombaat Sankranti Package, you can order an authentic South Indian ready-to-cook meal, thoughtfully paired with a box of traditional yellu-bella. Gift it to a loved one or a neighbor, and take a small but meaningful step toward reviving community and connection.

A new twist to an age-old tradition; rooted in warmth, sharing, and growing a community.

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