Khurkhul

 Hey to you all reading this!!! It has been seven months since I haven't published any blog post. I was stuck at home for these past months, didn't hang out for long. Yes, I sometimes go to my friends' house and hang out with them for a tea or a coffee party. It's CORONA TIME and there are several restrictions and certain SOPs are needed to be followed while moving out at public places. We are needed to take utmost care of ourselves while going out. A mask and a sanitizer are the prerequisite things if we are to move out anywhere from the house. So, I was sitting down and thinking if I have anything to write here for my readers. Then, I just remembered this place, "KHURKHUL" which I had gone for a picnic with my friends. 

Khurkhul is a village in Imphal West district in Manipur. I t is about 20 kms from the heart of Imphal city. The picnic spot we went to has both a place with a number of trees growing and a stream of water. This is the perfect picnic spot for a group of friends who love places with trees and water places. As we reached there, all of us tried to get ready with the vegetables. The menu was chicken, eromba (An ethnic cuisine of Manipur, prepared with dried and fermented fish and locally available vegetables), and salad (A dish containing pieces of food in a mixture, especially with raw vegetables).

We tried to prepare the food on time. All of us became chefs on that day. The curry was not prepared by a single person, it was the hands of all of us. 

Do you know Perook or the Indian pennywort. Its scientific name is Centella asiatica.  It is a medicinal plant. It grows in temperate and tropical swampy areas mostly. I have mentioned the Indian pennywort here because I met a group of girls plucking its leaves at the place. As I grew up in a crowded place in Imphal, I have always wanted to live in a village. I am fascinated to see children play with nature. 

Nature is a tool to get children to experience not just the wider world, but themselves.

It is roads which will take us to our destination. Here, I am reminded with Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken" with my favourite lines,

 " Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

I have also mentioned in my earlier posts about my love of water places. This picnic spot too is also a favourite place of mine. All the girls were enjoying and playing in the water.

This was a very enjoyable picnic party with both my seniors and juniors. The spot was an enchanting one with fresh air and clean water. I would love to visit the place again if I am given a chance and learn more about the place.