Me - dam - Me -Phi- , A festival of Tai-Ahoms to worship their ancestors .

Mei Dam Me Phi - An inalienable part of Ahoms worshiping their ancestors . Me- means offerings, Dam- means Ancestors,  -  Phi -means Gods . In Ahom kingdom period, Ahom kings used to perform this worship after the victory in wars and to ward off any imminent danger .

Knowing Tai Ahom-

Tai-Ahom people worshiping their ancestors on the occasion of Me Dam Me Phi  ( Photo courtesy: Internet ) 

Ahoms are descendants of ethnic Tai tribe and Ahom Kings were descendants of the first king , Sukhapa , who came to Assam from Mong-Mao .
Mong - Mao was a small kingdom of Tai Tribe from Yunan province which is Myanmar today. Ahom Kingdom was in power for almost 600 years
 
Tai-Ahom language Me-Dam-Me-Phi literally means offering oblations and taking care of ancestors . According to documented history, its antiquity dates back to some two thousand years back, when Lengdon ( Lord of heaven), first progenitor of Tai-Ahom, sent down his two grandsons Khun lung and Khun Lai to Earth to find a state . He advised them to celebrate this festival annually by making offerings to him to uninterrupted political hold over the masses .


During the days of Ahom Kings , it was celebrated at Charaideo , the religious center of Ahom kings with burial mounds ( Maidams) standing there as a witness. Celebration used to last for several days . At present Mei-Dam-Me-Phi is being celebrated on 31st of Jan every year .

In Delhi , Association of Tai-Ahom of NCR  celebrates this festival at
Community Centre and Recreation Hall, Sector B , Pocket , Vasant Kunj , New Delhi.
You can join the puja and witness the beautiful festival Ahoms of Assam to remember their ancestors . 

My visit to Sandy's Bar and Kitchen ..

Ambiance of Sandy's Bar and Kitchen 



Right behind the Weston Hotel, Sandy's stand tall with two floor area and a cute little herb garden. Walls at the ground floor are adorned with the photograph clicked by Sandeep Verma , depicting his journey across the globe.  Stairs leading to basement which doubles up a bartending school during the day and live Jazz band performance stage on weekends . 

For past few years the trend of food pairing with best concoctions are "in" and I found Sandy's as one of the best place to tickle your palate with some fusion food with teasing Cocktails .

The Bar School which turns into a stage of live perfomance of Jazz and a hanging mike if you like to sing .

About Sandeep Verma , the brain behind Sandy's Bar and Kitchen .. 
Sandeep Verma aka Sandy is running a freelance bartending company since 1996, which today is India's leading institute of Bar Operations and Management . Sandy Verma is the Director and certifying authority has done certified courses in wines from Wine and Spirit Education trust , London and studied wines from Bordeaux , France and Whiskology from various whisky appreciations in Scotland and Ireland.

About Food and Drinks 
Menu is well curated with Pan Asian and European cuisine with a fusion with fresh herbs . Each dish is well paired with Sandy's special concoctions . If I ever go to Sandy's , "Last Tango" will  always be  there in my mind . The taste of  Bell pepper infused Tequila , mixed with slit green chillies , passion fruit , muddled with basil and shaken with Orange and Lime juice  is still tingling in my taste buds . Tango was well balanced with Chicken Caesar salad served with Romaine lettuce .

Chicken Caesar Salad

Who would not like to taste a drink which was invented and named by Ian Flanning in 1953 , James Bond ? "Vesper" , a concoction of dry Martini, Gordon Vodka , Lillet Blanc , was well paired with Bratwurst, ( Grilled Pork sausages served with fig  chutney).

If you are a "Old Fashioned " person , you must try at Sandy's B&K with juicy and flavorful braised Lamb shanks , cooked uncovered in its broth . Also traditional Bloody Mary drink has been fusioned with smoked celery sticks and Sandy serve it as "Bloody Bitch" . A distinct flavour of Hungarian Goulash blends very well with  smoky flavour of celery in Bloody Bitch . Apart from the concoctions mentioned above , Sandy has many more such mix to serve which he personally pair with delectable dishes .  

The best quality of a Bartender or a Mixologist is to involve his or her guests and make the atmosphere  happy .  It was fun to make Expresso Martini with Hazelnut foam with Sandeep , which was served with New Age Tiramisu.  
While talking to Sandy , he said " Our beverages , our training programs , our designs have distinct personalities . They are choosen because they are different . They are created  because we took the time and our passion to offer you some fun remedial potions ". I totally agree with Sandeep Verma and keeping "Last Tango" and James Bond drink "Vesper" in my mind  , planning to go again in some weekend for some Jazz, Sandy's fun chat and the food .

Last Tango

Old Fashioned

To reach
Sandy's Bar and Kitchen
388 SCO, Sector 29
Near IFCO Chowk , Metro Station
Gurgaon , Haryana
Digits- 9811006904
9811551188