OLFACTORY ABRACADABRA

Nostalgic memories are like the waves of the sea, full of mystery- 

Just when we think they have receded from us, they arrive unexpectedly,

Surprising us with their force to drench us and linger on in reality…

There are strong smells that can make us faint and there are faint smells that can make us smell strong dangers…But, smells of all kinds contribute to BIG nostalgic memories…

The subtle smell of our collection of sea-shells transports me to the Juhu Beach, Mumbai. Every evening, my Mom used to take me and my brother there for a walk. In the weekends, both Mom & Papa would take us. Building sand-castles, spraying and playing with the water from the Arabian Sea, taking Tonga-rides, having treats on the Beach like yummy BhelPuri, tangy PaaniPuri, tasty VadaPav, spicy PavBhaji, lip-smacking KalaKhatta/Orange Gola…all these had distinct flavors & characteristic smells associated. In Odisha, we got to savour Jhaal Mudi! Also the antics of Olive Ridley Ridley turtles at Rushikulya and Gahirmatha. I got to relish the Bay of Bengal’s smells in the Puri Beach & the Gopalpur Beach. In the latter, my aunt has her holiday-home. We got treated to fresh Sea-food- prawns & fish- fried-right-in-front-of-our-eyes…!

The smell of the mouth-freshener reminds me of the smell of Betel Leaves & Supaari. Most men-folk and some women in my family had Paan.  In my childhood I ran errands to hand over the right Paan, each with varying proportions of ingredients, to the intended recipients!

Smelling the rich Coffee aroma, I instantly get transported to the Coffee-Plantation of Coorg that we visited! A short while ago, miles of verdant green enveloped my senses when I opened the bottle where I have stored spices- Cardamom, Cinnamon, Black Pepper. The spices still retain their magic fragrance!

As I offer prayers to the Tulsi (Basil) plant everyday, I am awe-struck by its soothing, humble and healing fragrance that makes me feel so grateful. My Grandma always applied soil from the Tulsi plant’s tub on our foreheads whenever we were leaving home. She believed it would protect us. 

Ever grateful to SunGod for providing Sunlight- the best natural disinfectant and for making my ‘home smelling heavenly & ready to welcome with a smile’! That was the best compliment, courtesy my father-in-law, that I have got as a Home Manager!

Special dishes- My Granny & my Mom lovingly prepared and served amazing dishes. Granny’s speciality- Biryaani, Fish, Crab Curry, Jackfruit Curry…the list can go on! Returning from school, I could guess Mom’s menu the moment I entered- Noodles, Rolls, Fried Rice, Stuffed Parathas, Dosa, Idly, Vada with Sambar & Chutney, Puri & Curry… Sometimes Odia* sweets like Chandrakanti*, Kakara* & Muduka Pitha*, Poda Pitha*…As the official food-taster of our home, I always got to sample the smells & tastes of Mom’s creations first! 

I got a foul smell when I opened my refrigerator yesterday. I wondered, “Why is it so Smelly?” Actually, it had been slightly Smelly for the past 4-5 days, but I had been busy with work (Read- Composing my posts for IndiBlogger!) and had postponed attending to it, treating my other jobs in my To-Do-List as priority. But now, I had no option but to investigate the cause of the stench. Having spent a considerable amount of my life in Chemistry Labs, I could smell that it was akin to Hydrogen Sulphide (H₂S)! Yuck! I wanted to scream- “Spare me! Can’t you see? I am so busy!!!”

Time to play Sherlock Holmes! After I had speedily emptied out everything from my Fridge, I realized that a little amount of over-spoilt curd was the culprit! “Ah! Got you! Off you go!” I victoriously disposed of it in the kitchen sink. However, this entire process had made my home very Smelly!

My kid, who has recently been taught the concept of Diffusion in Science, walked in then with Ambi Pur! She sprayed Ambi Pur Lavendar Vanilla & Comfort.

Ambi Pur's fragrance filled our home with positive energy no sooner than we said- ABRACADABRA! 
It was Smelly to Smiley instantly!

Test the metamorphosis for yourself! Just choose and spray any from the large variety of Ambi Pur fragrances- Lavendar Vanilla & Comfort, Sweet Citrus & Zest, Spring & Renewal, Meadows & Rain… 

Do visit- www.facebook.com/AmbiPurIndia to learn more.

You can get all the details about Ambi Pur products and even order them right from the comfort of your home by clicking HERE. 

This is a post for the Smelly to Smiley contest of Ambi Pur and IndiBlogger.

I have also shared some more nostalgic memories here- A SMELLIONAIRE'S TREASURE TROVE

Note- The Fridge incident is a true-life-account. It has really happened yesterday.
(I have NOT “made up a story”!)

P.S- All the photographs are self-clicked, except the Ambi Pur pictures that I have taken from Google Images & IndiBlogger.

-*Some Terms:
Odia* – Belonging to the State of Odisha

Chandrakanti*- A deep fried sweet made from Green Gram, Sugar etc. 
Kakara* & Muduka Pitha*- A deep fried sweet dish made of Wheat flour/Semolina and stuffed with a mixture of- Coconut, Jaggery/Sugar, Black Pepper & Dry-fruits etc. 

Poda Pitha*- A baked dish prepared using Urad Dal, Rice, Ghee, Chhena, Sugar, Coconut etc.

Please do post your comments below & I 'll have a SMILEY face!