Shiv's First Trip To Badbar in April 1976 and Surma powder

During the wheat harvesting season, it was customary to go to Badbar. After two years stint in Trishuli Hydel Project Nepal, we were excited to go back to Badbar at the time of threshing of wheat in the year of 1976.

Threshing is the process of loosening the edible part of cereal grain (or other crop) from the scaly, inedible Chaff that surrounds it. It is the step in grain preparation after harvesting and before winnowing, which separates the loosened chaff from the grain. Threshing does not remove the bran from the grain.

Threshing may be done by beating the grain using a flail on a threshing floor. Another traditional method of threshing is to make donkeys or oxen walk in circles on the grain on a hard surface. A modern version of this in some areas is to spread the grain on the surface of a country road so the grain may be threshed by the wheels of passing vehicles.

Hand threshing was laborious, with a bushel of wheat taking about an hour. In the late 18th century before threshing was mechanized, it took about one-quarter of agricultural labor. Industrialization of threshing began in 1784 with the invention of the threshing machine by Scotsman Andrew Meikle. Today, in developed areas, it is now mostly done by machine, usually by a combine harvester, which harvests, threshes, and winnows the grain while it is still in the field.

Shiv enjoying the cold waters in hot summer of April.

Harvinder likes to touch cold waters from the well, while Shiv is ready to jump in the game under the watchful eyes of grandpa. Golden wheat crop is ready to be harvested. Dad is carrying freshly picked green onions and some other raw vegetables hidden in his signature bag he was always found carrying or hanging on his bi-cycle handle. He had laid down a rule learnt from his ancestres that when you go on a round of fields, you should not return empty handed even if you have to carry a piece of dirt. Harvinder strictly follows this rule to its spirit even today. She picks up something from our kitchen garden and remembers him.

The Thresher 'Toka' being trollyed to the field 

In a country like India where 80 % of population mainly poor still lived in villages, It was not possible to engage a costly industrialized machines like harvesting combines. And instead small wheat threshers were a very popular way in Punjab.

The wheat thresher machine has small size and light weight, highly movable which is very suitable for small farmer  use, this kind of small wheat threshing machine can be driven by electricity or diesel engine. This mini wheat thresher machine can not only thresh wheat, but also can thresh soybean, rice, rape seed,and sorghum,what is more, if you change a main working shaft(roller) the wheat threshing machine can also shell corn, absolutely which can called a malfunction in the machine there is one air fan which can blow the wheat brans and crumb in processing wheat.and the air flow can be adjusted thus can separating clean from the grain. it is combined working with separate winnowing so that the grain, wheat bran, wheat straw would be separated and cleared at one time. 

A very proud moment in today times, when this local threshing machines started working in our fields. What a relief to the farmers as they were always worried by the unwanted rains when the whole lots of crop would get drenched and would need further sunshine to dry the whole crop again. 

The thresher is also known as 'Toka' in local language. My Dad Vas Dev Singh is seen here carrying a year old Shiv in his arm proudly before the start of the threshing operation. This marks the start of the Threshing process with signal by the owner. Hence Dad holds Shiv in his lap to inaugurate the process. The crew of threshing team is all set to harvest our parcel of land under the guidance of my Dad's partner. 

The harvested crop is then transported to the grain market for selling the same. My Dad major works starts here when he adds up all the expenses during the last six months and matches with those of Grain Dealer.  My Dad would want me to be present when the accounts are being finalized and teach me all the intricacy of his business.

Me, Harvinder and Shiv were generously rewarded with cash money along with our grandma. While all my sisters would get their annual quota of Wheat for their families. They still continue to get the same along with some pulses, grams and Banaspati rice etc shipped from Badbar. The sisters get together at one place and distribute their ration among themselves and feel very proud and contented. The value of ration is not much though, but they get emotionally attached and remember their parents. This carries on year after year.

Couple of decades later, full serviced harvesting combines took over. The whole village could be serviced in a matter of weeks, such is the charming power of  those machines.

Harvesting Combine in action. 

The Combine works like magic, the golden wheat gets gathered in a Trolley for transporting the same to the grain markets. The combine harvester, that harvests grains has three separate operations comprising harvesting—Reaping, Threshing, and Winnowing—into a single process, was introduced in India in 1980s.

Harvinder on a heap of wheat crop ready to be threshed.

The first crops share are donated in Mastuana Sahib Gurdwara, a famous Gurdwara 5 miles towards Sangrur.  Here in this historic picture from L To R Dad Vas Dev Singh,  Grandma Karam Devi, Shiv, Harvinder, Nanaki Bai my Dad's cousin sister and her son Partap Singh are seen in the premises of Gurdwara. 

My Dad Vas Dev Singh and uncle Partap Singh were very fast and close childhood friends. Both of them remained parteners in the farming business through out.

Another view in the Mastuana Sahib Gurdwara

My grandmother Karam Devi was overwhelmingly excited to have Shiv also with us on the trip. As Dad, Harvinder and me had gone to our fields on an early morning round of the crops inspection. It was a glorious opportunity for my grandma to baby-sit Shiv. She took over Shiv in her charge and gave him a through oil bath after a hard message which she was expert at. Finally she dried him with a towel and  applied a super dose of Surma powder into his eyes. Naughty Shiv was looking so different with his half cheeks and temple spaces smeared with Surma but looking pretty though. As we came back, Harvinder quickly washed Shiv's eyes and removed the Surma powder immediately. That was perhaps the first and last time when Surma Powder was applied into Shiv's eyes.

But We always waited for this time of next year to visit Badbar and have fun while camping in the village to get our cash rewards.