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Kojagori Laxmi Puja 2015

Durga Puja was just two days away when Deepika asked me when is Laxmi Puja. I told her it will be either on Monday 26th October or Tuesday 27th October depending on the appearance of Full Moon. She asked me to confirm the date with the Pandit Ji as she had to apply for leave for that particular day. We have a tradition dating back to my great grandfathers’ time (or even before) that we do Kojagori Laxmi Puja on the fifth day of Dussehra depending on the Full Moon or Purnima. There are no idol but a straw pot with rice, vermilion, small mirror and bangles placed inside and covered with Red Cloth. I have witnessed this Puja since my childhood and loved it because, on this day we had a large gathering of relatives and friends and the food or the Bhog is delicious. My parents, both Mom and Dad used to cook the Bhog and my sisters helped them in decorating the Puja Mandap.  I was just a spectator then little knowing that later on I will have to do the chores myself.

As per custom, no celebrations including puja happen if someone in the family passes away. So when my mother departed this world, we did not celebrate any festivals for one year. The following year I told Deepika that let’s stop this Laxmi Puja thing at our home since my elder brothers are doing it at their home, we can surely skip it. She simply said that as long as she is alive, the tradition will continue.

I am, from being a believer to agnostic has now become an atheist. I believe in humans and animals but not God or Ghosts. But then I do not interfere with anyone’s beliefs. In fact I arrange for the materials for the Kojagori Laxmi Puja, decorate the Puja Mandap (Long back I had taken pictures when my mother used to do it, so, now just follow it), I also make the Sinni or Prasad for the Satyanarayan Puja as it is traditionally done by the male member in our family. But that’s about it, after all that I am just a spectator.

This year we had an option of doing it either on Monday or Tuesday and we opted for the latter based on convenience factor. On the Puja day, we got up early and proceeded with our individual assigned task, Deepika along with the maid Savita got down to making the Bhog Prasad. As usual, I was assigned the job of setting up the Puja Mandap; to my credit, most of the setting up I did without referring to past pictures. Once the setting up was done, I settled down to making the Sinni Prasad, the basic ingredients being wheat flour, milk, sugar and banana. Many people have their own proportion of the ingredients but I follow my mothers’ recipe. My father used to mash the bananas with hand (even I did it in the initial years) but then realised, it may be because technology was not available back then; so now I have a hand blender exclusively for this purpose, it has not only made it easy and faster for me but the final product is superior too. After making the Sinni, I went to fetch Pandit Ji from the Mandir.

The Satyanarayan Puja started in earnest with Deepika and two of my sisters and brother-in-law in attendance. Just for information, Laxmi Puja is preceded by Satyanarayan Puja in our home (or is it universally??), why? I don’t know neither do I care. As the Puja progressed, many friends and relations joined in, like a good host I welcomed them all with cold drinks and juices. One unexpected guest was my niece. Unexpected because she has become extremely busy, working practically 18-20 hours every day and making her online media portal very successful. Even her parents hardly see her most days in the week. She came along with her boyfriend and co-owner, a very nice young man but very shy in front of me, maybe she has told him stories about me and my temper which are not very pleasant, perhaps.

It took almost two hours to complete the twin Puja of Satyanarayan and Kojagori Laxmi, then it was time to enjoy the Bhog Prasad. As per custom, the Bhog is given to all including the guards and drivers in the neighbourhood. I checked with the guests if their drivers are around and if they could call them up to accept the Prasad. My niece said her driver Irfan is downstairs but not sure if he would take the Prasad owing to his religious beliefs. I must say, I have never considered food by their religion; I enjoy this Satwik Vegetarian Bhog as much as I enjoy my Biryani at the Pir Baba Masjid and the Plum cakes that my friend sends me every year at Christmas. I consider food as personal choice same as the ritualistic religion. I told her to call Irfan and if he has any inhibition, then not to force him. Irfan came up and not only accepted the plate full of Bhog but devoured it without any hesitation making my belief stronger that food has no religion.

Later, once all the guests had departed and I was enjoying my daily peg of Nectar of Life, my thoughts returned to Irfan. I have noticed that some of my friends and relatives while referring to people of other faith cannot hide a subtle snide, though, if confronted, they will deny. In reality, we have forgotten that we are human beings first and practically have similar needs for food, clothing and shelter. We have in course of time erected walls of religion around us that prevent the light and air of wisdom to reach us to enlighten our souls. We have stopped appreciating fellow humans for what they are and instead judge them on the basis of their beliefs. I refuse to believe that any teachings can actually call for blood of the non-followers. On that day, Irfan with his limited education but huge humanity in accepting the Bhog Prasad made the twin Puja of Satyanarayan and Kojagori Laxmi truly meaningful for me and my family.

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Anondomela

Recently, someone asked my wife, Deepika who is a non-Bengali, to name one thing each that she dislikes and likes in Bongs. She took time to answer what she likes and came up with a standard answer that Bongs are multi-cultured in a way that they like to read, watch theatre and are generally very knowledgeable. However, she was very quick to point out her dislike for Bong’s obsession with food. She said, “When I got married, the only thing I remember was that the first thing in the morning when I wake up was that my mother-in-law was already in the kitchen preparing elaborate breakfast for everyone. And then the lunch, followed by evening snacks and dinner. The whole house was centred on food!!!” She hasn’t changed but I have. Most days we have one sabji, one Dal and chapattis. Only on weekends, do we make food that has some similarity with a Bong household!

The conversations made me think are we, the Bongs really obsessed with food? The answer is a simple YES. And we are proud of it. I remember in my childhood, my mother used to make at least two sabjis (one dry & gravy), Dal and one non-veg item for both lunch and dinner. The same is true in most middle class Bong homes even today. Our indulgence with food is legendary. I have read that Rabindranath Tagore, although was a small eater, would insist on being served with a lavish spread so that he can choose what to eat at that particular meal. We Bongs are also very adventurous with food and would like to sample out a variety of regional cuisine. If we like something, we would cook it at home and make it our very own.

Having said thus, Durga Puja, the greatest festival of Bongs is also a culinary festival. We splurge and gorge food like there is no tomorrow. We may afterwards take a handful of digestive medicines but that never deter us to enjoy the moment with our food. The Culinary Festival begins with Anondomela (Anandamela) usually on the Panchami (fifth) or Shasti (sixth) day of the Navratri. In my childhood days, this was reserved for the Mashimas of the locality to showcase their culinary expertise and make some earning in the process. However, these days with the commercialisation at its peak, when the Puja Committees are spending thousands of rupees to build and decorate the pandals and protimas (idols) to show their superiority over others, the Anondomela too is no longer the exclusive bastion of the Mashimas but has given way to all and sundry. It is no longer a FOOD ONLY mela but brings in sellers of handicrafts, junk-jewelleries etc too.

I along with a friend of mine have just started a catering business in the niche market of children. But are yet to be operational in real sense, therefore we wanted to get the feel of the food business and what a better avenue than Anondomela where lots of children are expected (at least that’s how it was in my childhood. I have not been to any such melas for a long time!!). So, we with manoeuvring, we managed to get our first stall at Durgabari, Kailash Colony. We decided on homemade Mutton Shammi Kebabs and Sheekh Kebabs and had externally sourced Roomali Rotis as accompaniment. Both our families were very excited about this and Deepika volunteered to make Pudina (mint) chutney while Sangeeta made very yum Shammis. I mixed the ingredients for the Sheekh kebab and had it cooked in a neighbourhood tandoor (cooking furnace).

On the appointed day, we were all ready with a Microwave Oven to heat up the kebabs and decorated the stall table with flowers and posters enticing the people to come and savour our delicacies. We noticed that everyone else has done it exactly the same way. We felt nervous, what happens if no one comes to us? What will we do with so many kebabs?

But our apprehension was short lived, because, Bongs do not disappoint you, if you are serving them food! Slowly, the crowd built up at the venue and all they have in mind was food. And the splurging and gorging of food started with utmost dedication and zeal. Our stall was next to the drinking water point and that meant most of the people would venture in to that spot eventually and kebabs are truly a weakness with Bongs. We finished our stock of kebabs almost half hour before the closing time and were elated beyond words. We have surely made money but the elation was that we had managed finish our stock completely. With keen eye, one can observe this happiness in all cooks when their offered food is cleaned of the plate by the recipient/ diner.

Later that evening, we calculated our earnings and spending to realise that we have made a decent profit. We were excited and wanted to explore other venues where the mela was being held the next day. One such open option was K-Block, C R Park; where it was first-cum-first occupy the table. We decided to put up our stall but it was a daunting task as we had to buy the material and prepare the kebabs that very morning. We decided to take outside professional help as they would be able to make the kebabs much faster than us. We would provide the ingredients and supervise the process but use the professional kitchen to finish the cooking. The cooks did not disappoint us made the kebabs well in time for us to put up the stall at K-Block Anondomela.

We were told to reach the venue latest by 3 pm to register and occupy the table. We reached on time and not only occupied the table but had it decorated but there was no sign of any organising committee member who would do the registration. They came around 5:30 and thereafter it took a full hour to officially open the business. Unlike, the Durgabari, where all the stalls were allotted to only amateur cooks and too well in advance, here it was free-for-all with some C R Park street vendors also selling their dishes. There were handicraft and junk-jewellery stalls too and they must have been feeling the heat with all the aromas emanating from the food counters!

Anyways, very soon, we realised that our chosen counter is actually quite a distance away from the centre of food actions. It was almost 20/25 minutes after the opening that we made our first sale. May be because of our previous day experience we had overestimated our chances with a much bigger Puja venue at K-Block that we had increased our quantity of kebabs and Roomalis but looking at the pace of the sale at our counter started to feel little panicky. We also realised that the timings of the places were quite different, the Durgabari mela started around 7:30 pm which meant a lot of the people had our kebabs+roomali as dinner while at K-Block, it started at 6:30 which for Bongs was still a snack time and they preferred to have fish fries and cutlets rather than a full meal of kebabs and Roomalis roti.  At K-Block, the organisers had refused to provide any power points for our microwave oven to heat up the kebabs. Though the kebabs were kept in insulated containers but how long can it keep the kebabs hot?

We managed to sell our Shammi kebabs completely and about 60% of the Sheekh kebabs and Roomalis. We also posted a very slender profit for our efforts. In the process, we learned some valuable insights –

  1. Being amateur, you cannot compete with seasoned street vendors.
  2. Must keep in mind the time of the day and offer dishes accordingly.
  3. Keep the bite sizes small as well as the price.
  4. Must have dishes for both Vegetarians as well as Non-Vegetarians.
  5. Must have plan-B ready at all times.

Money making was not our objective for putting up the food counters but gaining experience in commercial aspect of the food business. We divided the left-over Sheekh kebabs amongst us which would serve us for at least 2-3 meals!!

My son Ayush was not expected to come for the Durga Puja due to his university festival that was taking place at the same time but he surprised us with flash appearance for precisely 30 minutes and gladly took the Sheekh Kebabs and Roomalis for his college friends.

Next year, perhaps, wiser with experience, will do it again, may even take up a Food Stall for the entire duration of the Puja days.

“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.” ― George Bernard Shaw

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What the Fuss?

The year was 1990, the four of us, myself, Deepika Sethi, Jolly Jain and Robin Sethi were sitting in a restaurant in Connaught Place after office. We ordered for beer asked the ladies what they will have. To that Jolly asked, “What is there in the menu?” Just for fun sake Robin said, “Jolly try this root beer, it’s quite good.” Jolly agreed and I asked Deepika if she too would have it, but she refused with her impeccable logic that the drink has ‘beer’ in it, therefore, untouchable for her. She settled for a sweet lime soda. For the main course, Robin and I had ordered Biryani while Deepika and Jolly ordered some vegetarian dishes as both are born vegetarians. While we were cribbing about the workload at the office and long hours, the food arrived and we concentrated in our respective food. Suddenly Jolly said, “Aranjit, can you put the mutton pieces on one side, the Biryani is smelling too tempting, I want to try out the rice part.” I was taken aback for a moment but readily did as requested. Jolly took a spoonful of Biryani rice and said “Its yummy yaar, wish I could eat this without guilt.”

Years have passed since that evening, Deepika and I had tied the knot and till this day she remains a vegetarian but not as staunch as her mother (my mom-in-law) who refused to eat cakes because it may contain egg (even in the eggless variety). Jolly too remains a vegetarian, buys eggless cakes for a festive occasion and laughs when reminded of that evening. Robin and I are hard core non-vegetarians and are omnivorous and so are our children. My son loves non-veg food as much as he loves Paneer preparations and Dal Makhni. In our home, there is an unwritten rule that 5 days in a week, we are Ovo-lacto-vegetarians i.e. egg and dairy is allowed but no meat and fish.

Four months after our marriage, my father passed away and on the sixth month we decided to establish our own home and separated out from the joint family. My mother decided to live with us and we unknowingly rented out a floor in a (so-called) vegetarian colony Soami Nagar next to Pancsheel Park in south Delhi. When we moved in the house, the landlord came to see us and said, “You are Bengali and I know you have non-vegetarian food, just ensure that you pack the bones etc separately and throw it in the garbage dump outside the colony. Also, if you can avoid making fish at home, that will be great.” I assured him that with two vegetarians among the three inhabitants, there will be no non-vegetarian cooking at home except on special occasions and further that I being a non-fish eating Bong, there will be no fish cooking at all. We stayed in that colony of vegetarians for over three years and never had any issues with any of our neighbours with regard to the food habits.

I am told that there are different kinds of vegetarians like –

  • Ovo Vegetarian – includes eggs but not dairy products
  • Lacto Vegetarian – includes dairy products but not eggs
  • Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian – includes animal/ dairy products such as egg, milk, honey
  • Vegans – excludes all animal flesh and products such as milk, honey, eggs besides any other item that is remotely associated with animals
  • Extreme Vegans – includes only fresh and uncooked fruits, nuts, seeds and vegetables
  • Fruitarians – includes only fruit, nuts and seeds. Any other plant matters that can be gathered without harming the plants
  • Satviks – Also known as followers of yogic diet, include dairy (not eggs) and honey, but excludes anything from the onion or leek family, red lentils, mushrooms, blue cheeses, fermented foods or sauces, alcoholic drinks and often also excludes coffee, black or green tea, chocolate, nutmeg or any other type of stimulant such as excess sharp spices.
  • Buddhist vegetarianism – Different Buddhist traditions have differing teachings on diet, which may also vary for ordained monks and nuns compared to others. Many exclude not only all animal products but also vegetables in the alliums family (which have the characteristic aroma of onion and garlic): onion, garlic, scallions, leeks, chives, or shallots.
  • Jain vegetarianism – includes dairy but excludes eggs and honey, as well as root vegetables.

I remember my sister telling me that in her in-laws house, they make mutton curry without onions and garlic because these vegetables are considered amish by her father-in-law who was a renowned Pandit Ji. The chicken never entered the household, even today. The children relish it but have it outside at restaurants. Then someone in my office narrated an incidence of a colleague once commenting that he refrains from having non-vegetarian food on Tuesdays because the restaurants might use the same ladle (Karchhi) that he uses to pick up food with onion in it!!! To that, my comment was “What the Fuss?”

I fail to understand that how come vegetables and lentils are classified as non-vegetarian items? I am fortunate that in my extended family on both sides are filled with vegetarians, but none is fuss-pots with regard to the foods they have as long as it does not have meat/ egg in it. My wife does not take egg normally but is open to having it if the situation demands it.

I am of the view that food habit of people is determined by nature like so many other things. People living in the coastal areas are habituated in having fish as their staple food while people living in the land locked areas tend to depend on vegetables and other form of livestock. In other words, one cannot force the other to follow a certain food habit. The intolerance shown recently by few state governments of India in declaring Meat Ban during a festival of Jain community is totally uncalled for as was the social media flooding with gory pictures of slaughtered animals just before the Eid festival. In my locality, there is a particular eatery run by a Sardarji and serving mouth watering non-vegetarian fare is closed down voluntarily during the Navratras, twice a year. Then there are a few restaurants which serve complete vegetarian dishes that are without onions and garlic during the nine-day period. Same is true of all the famous restaurants at Pandara Road. All these actions are completely voluntary, no one forces them.

To all those (vegetarians) who claim to be animal lovers and tell us (omnivorous) to convert to vegetarian because one should not kill life forms, kindly remember that it has been proven that Plants too have life and you are killing them for your food. So please stop patronizing and let the Mother Nature decide how she wants to exist. Mother Nature has a unique system of balancing out the excesses that we humans inflict on her, be it the tsunami, avalanches, drought or sudden growth of vegetation in the otherwise arid region. Let us follow the concept of food-chain and not disrupt it in the name of religion, which I feel does more harm than any good to people. The dinosaurs have become extinct because they had no further utility for Nature and shall we humans too will vanish from the earth one day. Till then, let us enjoy our food in the ways we like it, you have your paneer delicacy and let me savour the biriyani. Amen!!

For a long time, I have been thinking of visiting Kolkata. It has been over 13 long years that I have spent any time there. Last real visit was way back in 2002 for my cousin’s marriage. In between, in 2011 I was there for a few hours reaching at around 11 pm & leaving at 4 am, spending the time in a non-descriptive hotel room trying catch up some sleep.

I am in the process of trying out my hand at a venture that is close to my heart along with a friend of mine. We were discussing the modalities when we thought perhaps we could look at some franchise options as well. This led to the discussion of the food scene in Kolkata and that to the eventual visit to the City of Joy. My only pre-condition was that we travel by train as I have not travelled long distance by train for more than a decade. We decided to take the Rajdhani Express while going and Duronto for the return journey.

THE JOURNEY

My wife had very benevolently sent the car along with the driver for the drop at the New Delhi Railway Station and I took this opportunity to pick up my friend Santanu Basu from C R Park on way to the station. Initially we had thought of booking the First Class but the price tag was way too high, we might as well have taken the flight!

Once upon a time Rajdhani Express was the train for the elite, not any more. There are proletariat even in the 2-Tier coaches and that is the sign of prosperity. Once boarded, we realised we have managed to book ourselves in the side berths but together. I remembered the amount of pampering that Rajdhani Express used to shower on its commuters but soon my bubble of expectations burst into tethers. The evening tea was accompanied by 2 Marie Biscuits, one oily Kachauri and a sandwich whose filling was questionable. This was followed by a soapy soup with 2 bread sticks and a non-veg dinner consisting of absolutely dry chapattis (perhaps left-over from Tihar Jail), rice, unknown yellow dal and an apology of chicken curry. The only saving grace was the nectar of life that we carried with ourselves. Once we had that, everything became very palatable.

There are 4 toilets in a coach and 3 of them were Indian style. I wonder why we call it Indian Style when the very concept was British creations. May be because they have since changed the style of how one shit and we Indians continue to shit the old way!!! Anyways, both of us wanted to use the western system and looking at the co-passengers hoped that there will be not many claimants for it when the time comes in the morning. One visit to that ‘temple’ before retiring for the night was shocking, most of the taps in there was leaking, vain attempts have been made to stop the leakages with sealants but the floor remained wet. There were cigarette butts lying on the floor when smoking is strictly prohibited on the train. The seat was down and wet with use by the previous occupier. But who cares? I CARE DUDE. This attitude change is quintessential in ushering in Swatchh Bharat. No government or Prime Minister can do it if we don’t change ourselves.

DAY ONE

We reached Howrah on time, YES ON TIME. This punctuality is surprising to many of us because we have got habituated with trains running late for innumerable hours. My cousin brother, Apu had come to pick me up lest I get lost in the city of joy. Once we hit the road, I realised, that was a very real possibility, and even the old part of the city has changed a lot, with many roads becoming one-way. Once we neared his house at Kasba area, it became evident to me that I would have definitely missed the turn to his house. My landmark is the Siemens building which was not just the tallest but visible from a distance but now I could not figure out the building with so many similarly sized or taller buildings that had mushroomed all along the road.

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While driving, my cousin Apu casually asked me if I would like to visit my other cousin at Burdwan. I had no illusion about the local EMU trains that one usually takes from Howrah to Burdwan, so I told him about my apprehension. He told me we would go by road, there’s a new highway that connects the town of Burdwan with Kolkata and suggested that we go post lunch.

We left around 2 pm for Burdwan and on our way dropped my Boro Kakima at Belghoria where they have another house and she spends a few days there just relive the past. We took the second Hooghly Bridge to cross the Ganga River and soon hit the Durgapur Expressway. This road and the Taj (Agra) Expressway are living proof that we, the Indians can do it and maintain it as well.  I do not mind paying the Toll if the roads are good and well maintained. The only dampener was the traffic, the trucks invariably was on all three lanes of the road forcing you to go jig-jag. Why can’t they move in a disciplined way on the left side of the road? The other noticeable thing was that there were no signs of any Speed Limit and no highway patrol (which is very much present at Taj Expressway all through from Greater Noida till Agra).

We reached a point when Apu slowed down and stopped the car on the side. He then showed me the expansive abandoned factory of Tata Nano at Shingur, Hooghly District, West Bengal. It is huge and definitely had immense potential not just from the car manufacturing but from the number of ancillary units that would have been a necessity to feed the main factory (a case in point is Gurgaon that prospered way before the IT and ITES made it their preferred work place, all because of Maruti factory that prompted the ancillary units to open shop nearby the mother factory). The political blindness or is it ego of one person that led to the ouster of Tata Nano is not a loss to the manufacturer but for the people of West Bengal.

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From top left: Abandoned Tata Nano Factory Gate, the expansive structures of factory and factory shades in ruins.

I was immensely surprised when my Pishtoto Dada & Boudi recognised me instantly for I had a head full of hair when I last met them more than 13 years ago and now I have shaven head. My Pishi’s abode has changed drastically. My brother has sold off the back portion and built-up a new 2.5 storey at the front portion with all modern amenities. As is customary with all Bong households, they cannot simply offer you a glass of water, it has to be with a Mishit and you cannot refuse even if you’re high on sugar! We spent an hour chit-chatting and remembering the bygone days when the house used to be filled with people at all times. Now there are only three persons residing, my dada, Boudi and nephew. I could not meet my nephew whom I have last seen in his pre-teen years and quite a brat he was then. Now he is a Doctor of medicine and an eligible bachelor. I promised them to come back for his marriage with or without family and bade them goodbyes.

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As we reached Kolkata, Apu asked me, “Would you like a drink before we go home?” With a sheepish grin, I affirmed. Then he asked me whether I have any reservation in going to a SHURIKHANA, which literally means hooch joint. I thought what the heck, I have read about it in books so let me see this too. He took us to AAEI (Automobile Association of Eastern India) Club which definitely is not Shurikhana by any stretch of imagination. It was quite similar to the Press Club in Delhi and some Beer joints of Mumbai with a hall filled with tables in rows, nothing fancy but then the visitors to such a place is not looking for ambience. They are more concerned with what is being served and at what price. We ordered for Blender’s Pride, favourite with both of us and for snacks we had Green Peas Chicken with egg, very innovatively prepared dish and Fish Fingers. The atmosphere was very lively but non-intrusive. When the bill was presented, it was shockingly low and I can tell you that it was less than half of what a standard Delhi Club charges and one/third of any Delhi pubs.

DAY TWO

I had decided to explore the city on my own and asked Apu to drop me at Rashbehari Avenue. My first call was at Naktala Road to meet one of my Masi & Mesho. Their son, on whose wedding, I had last gone to Kolkata is now based at Kathmandu as a Country Manager for a Pharma MNC. I took a taxi from Kalighat Metro station for Naktala Road. The driver said he knows where Naktala Road is but doesn’t know my final destination point. I told him not to worry, because Google Map with its GPRS is Zindabad! For the first time in my life, I used the Google Map service and instantly became its fan. It was a smooth ride barring the noise and dust pollution, no traffic jams. The Google Map guided me to my destination and I paid off the cab which is perhaps equivalent to an Auto-fare in Delhi. How do they manage it with much higher fuel prices than Delhi?

My next stop was perhaps my mission to go to Kolkata, to find the whereabouts of a long lost childhood friend. I had managed to establish contact with his brother on Face Book and we had exchanged our mobile numbers. They stay a short distance from where I was but my mesho insisted on dropping me at the appointed place. I realised, he wanted to get out of the house in any case. I met my friend Mukul near Aurobindo Institute and from there we walked to his house at Moore Avenue to meet Uncle and Aunty whom I was meeting after 35 years!!! They have become very old both having heart strokes in recent times.

I had a brief chat with uncle who is practically bed ridden and extremely frustrated as he was unable to continue with his writing that is his passion as well as profession. Aunty asked me to have lunch but I was full up to my neck courtesy my Masi and before that my Boudi. I enquired about my friend Atish Bhattacharya who stays separately at Dumdum Cantt., but strangely none of them knew his mobile or landline numbers. It sounded odd as, if there is any emergency (the parents being old with known illness), how will they contact him? I was told that he (Atish) visits them on his way back home from his office in the city, usually on weekends but they are not aware if he would visit them that day (Friday). I was very disappointed to say the least for I had lot of hopes of reaching out to my best buddy after 11 years.

I had planned to meet another friend of mine Shreya but she was down with viral and said that she will call me up and fix a meeting later in the day. I decided to do the most important thing that Deepika had asked me to do very specifically, buy some sarees. It was easier said than done as I had no clue about the right shops. If it was Delhi, then I know where all I can go and pick them up. I took the Metro from Tallygaunge Station, now renamed as Mahanayak Uttam Kumar (after the matinee idol of Bengal) and got down at Kalighat Station, where I started my solo journey.

I decided to do the walking as I was feeling little uneasy with all the stuff that I had guzzled since morning. My first shop was Melody, a music shop from where I picked up a few CDs of Rabindrasangeet. Then reconfirming the direction to which I had to proceed started my trek through Rashbehari Avenue, a road that I had traversed many a times earlier because Dabur’s (where I used work) Kolkata office is situated here. The geography of the place has changed considerably with hawkers occupying half the footpath with permanent shades. Funnily, I could not locate my ex-office that I used to frequent once upon a time.

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I went to a shop that displayed some really stunning designs of sarees but somehow did not felt like buying, some kind of negativity emanated from the shopkeeper and his staff. I came out and immediately saw this place called Adi Dhakeshwari Bastralaya and it was spread over 4 floors of an entire building. I remembered the shop but it was much smaller when I had made purchases on earlier occasions. I went in and was directed to the second floor based on my requirement. The array of choices that was offered took me over an hour to decide my picks but during the course the sales guy educated me on fabric quality as well as how to differentiate between hand-embroidered and machine embroidered varieties. I made my purchases and came out to the sultry heat of the city.

I had already walked almost 2 km in the humid heat of the afternoon and badly wanted to get back to home. I couldn’t locate any taxi and decided to walk a bit more with a hope of finding one and in the process had almost reached Dhakuria overbridge when out of the blue a taxi came and slowed down even before I could hail it. Once again I used, by now the most trusted Google Maps to reach my destination, P Mazumdar Road, Kasba.

In the evening, I met with my Pishtoto Didi and Jamai Babu after a decade perhaps. Pleasantly, she accepted my plea of being diabetic and did not try to stuff me with mishti once again. Instead she offered us homemade pasta which was delicious. Dipakda, my Jamai Babu took snaps as memory of my visit. Our next stop was to the abode of my niece Shuva (this didi’s daughter) who is of my age and therefore more of a friend than any kind of relation. She had all the ingredients ready in case I would ask for a banquette but we settled for kebabs and Bacardi with Coke. There I realised that I am a natural dog-lover and the dogs too feel comfortable in my company. She has a pug called BUCHI (because of its blunt nose, very unfair) and Buchi immediately became my friend although she had never seen me before. I could not meet Shuva’s family though as her daughter had moved to USA for higher studies and husband was at Shantiniketan where he is the professor at Vishwa Bharati University.

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DAY THREE

It was Saturday morning and I was talking to Apu and Mukul (boudi) about having Kolkata street foods at Park Street or Esplanade for breakfast. Mukul, my bhabi was dead against the very concept fearing a stomach upset that I may get. Her point was that it was too risky in the current weather conditions. I had to agree with her and settled for her home cooked porota & aloor sobji.

Very unexpectedly but to my pleasant surprise, my friend Shreya Guhathakurta called up to fix up the time to meet. We agreed to meet at the South City Mall at 12:30 pm for a cup of coffee. I had a very tight schedule for a Saturday, besides meeting Shreya I had lunch appointment with my sister Bukudi followed by a visit to another Masi who stays nearby and later show my culinary skills by making pasta with chicken.

I had met Shreya only in Delhi when she had come here during the Durga Puja for her performance of Rabindrasangeet. Amongst the contemporary Rabindrasangeet exponents, she stands very tall not just with her melodious voice and rendition but her diction and understanding of the subtle nuances of the lyrics too. The meeting and chatting with Shreya lasted more than I had anticipated but it was great fun.

I normally travel very light but in this occasion, I realised that I needed a hand baggage to fit in my overflowing things. So after meeting Shreya, I did my shopping and then rushed for my lunch appointment with my sister Bukudi. She had made elaborate arrangements which unfortunately I forgot to click as I was feeling hungry and immediately attacked the food. The food included some bong specialities like mochar ghonto, chingrir kaalia and mishti doi.  Post lunch we had our good old adda that went on and on till my other sister with whom I had my evening appointment called up. My Chhoto Masi is a replica of my mother though they were born many years apart. My Mesho, by a twist of tale in the relations dating back to my grandfather’s time, also happens to be my kaka (chacha) but that’s another story to be told at a more appropriate time. It was a decided with my sister Jhumki (Mastuto bon) that we will meet for evening tea; there was no tea but a plateful of luchi with prawn curry and chicken (from Bhojo Hori Manna). All my protests fell on their deaf ears and I had to finish the offerings. I told Apu that dinner will now be served only after 10/10:30 pm giving myself time to recover from the food attack.

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Coming back, I had ENO cola flavour and after sometime started to feel better and ready to showcase my culinary skills. It is difficult to cook in an unknown kitchen without your habitual utensils, but I managed to overcome the obstacles and dished out the pasta right from preparation to the final dish in 90 minutes flat. To me, the pasta got little overcooked but the guests were way too happy and engrossed in it to complain. My day was made, especially after Apu, very graciously opened up his Single Malt collection.

FINAL DAY

Apu and my sister Bukudi have been debating on how I should reach Shealdah to catch Duronto Express in the evening. The easiest was to catch a local train from Ballygaunge to Shealdah, deposit my suitcase at the cloakroom and carry on to Hridaypur (on the Bongaon line) to meet my maternal uncles and aunties. However, Bukudi was adamant that not only Apu drops me at the Shealdah station but see that I am safely on my way to my Mama’s place. My opinions were immaterial to them but I do not easily forget and now I await either of them to visit me in Delhi!!!

Apu went a step further and drove down all the way to Hridaypur to drop me. Thankfully, there was congestion at the railway crossing at Hridaypur (the house is on the other side) due to some drain cleaning activity and my Babu Mama came over to take charge of me from Apu. All of them forget that not only I have grown up now but my left-over hairs have turned grey too. Anyways, since I was carrying my suitcase in addition to my back-pack, Babu Mama hailed a “VAN” to take us the short distance. Now this VAN has nothing to do with motorised version. It is basically a cycle rickshaw with a flat surface where normally a bench used to be. The idea is to carry luggage as well as humans together as the erstwhile rickshaws had limited space to accommodate both.

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The house remains the same from the outside with cosmetic changes from my last visit. Many memories came flooding to me; I could see my Dadu sitting on the veranda in his easy chair… I could hear my Boro Mama saying, “Look who has come!”

I was welcomed inside by my Chhoto Mami and after the customary pranams of all the elders, I settled down. Once again the food attack happened thereafter, as said earlier Bongs cannot offer you plain water, it has to be accompanied by a plateful of mishti (sweets) and refusals to consume are usually frowned upon.  I met my Boro Mami after 13 years; she hasn’t changed much as I remembered. Also my cousin Rupai, she has put on weight over the years but remains the warm person that I remembered. We talked of the good old times when my Boro Mama with whole family used to come over to Delhi every summer vacation and we used have really good time together.

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Chhoto Mami called us to have lunch and went over to the dining table. The food spread was something that I will not forget for years to come. I have never had so many dishes in one go. There was Fish, Chicken, Prawns, Paneer, besides veggies and not to forget the homemade mango chutney that reminded me of my Dida (nani). The food was delicious and I forgot all my restrictions and cleaned up my plate like a starving man. The intake of such sumptuous food made me very sleepy but I had to catch my train in the evening so decided to take a stroll in the Bagaan (garden) along with Babu Mama. The garden is essentially of fruits like mango, coconut and jackfruit. There used to be trees of guava and a fruit called Jalpai, which looked like the inside of litchi and full of juices. We walked around the block and came back home to take some rest before I embarked on the last leg of journey back to Kolkata.  I spoke to my other cousin Sanjna who lives in Dubai over Skype. It was good to connect with her after many years. I couldn’t meet her brother Pushkal who had gone for a short trip with his friends to a place near Asansole.

After tea, I bade goodbye’s to all boarded the local EMU train for my journey back to Shealdah and then to Delhi. It was uneventful except when a bunch of eunuchs boarded the train and demanded money from the people at random. I kept a straight aloof face and thought how to react, I had no illusion that I will not pay come what may, luckily a station came along they hurriedly got down. I reached Shealdah and searched for Santanu Basu who had also reached about the same time. The Duronto Express was on time and we started our journey back to my most favourite city, New Delhi.

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Moksha

I exist therefore S/HE exists.

Recently my better half Deepika had a big launch of a program for which she had put in lots-n-lots of hard work. Still she was very apprehensive about the success of the launch and kept asking me, “What do you say, will it go well with leadership team?” As if I am the “know all” Almighty! However, just to calm her down, every time I would say, “Don’t worry everything will be alright and the program will be a success.” Honestly, I had absolutely no idea about the program efficacy as her job profile of a Human Resources Trainer was beyond the realm of my understanding. She went to Bangalore to launch the program which was webcast to involve huge number of employees at all corners of the world. I got a SMS in the evening of the launch day wherein she said “My launch went well. Relieved.” I was happy too as if it was the other way round, I would have a tough time! She came back later that night and first thing she said was “Tomorrow I have to go to Sai Temple and the Pahariwala Temple at Moti Bagh.” I asked “Why?” Because she is not a very religious person and her temple visits are very infrequent. Deepika said “Because I made a promise to visit these places if my program launch was successful.”

Last month, we had a get together (night-out) of classmates (friends) at Hotel Rajhans, Surajkund. We were meeting some of the friends after a gap of 8-9 years. The usual merriment started as soon as we checked in to our rooms. It was raining heavily since morning so no outdoor activity was possible. Amongst various topics that were discussed at random was the existence of God & Ghosts. I said “Both are imagination of fertile human minds.” My dear childhood friend (we were together since class 4) Bishu (Biswanath) retorted sharply “What are you talking about, Krishn is very real and so is Shiva and Rama. Don’t you know what Bhagwan Krishn said in the Bhagwat Geeta?” I was little taken aback by his reaction but just to poke him a little more “How can you believe in those stories in this 21st century? Grow-up, the Ramayan & Mahabharat are just stories given the epic status. The generations of Brahmins who wanted to rule the lesser mortals who were ignorant, and the Kshatriyas & Vaishyas helped in propagating these fabled tales, because it suited them too.”  Surprisingly I found there were many takers of my theory though some of them admitted that they do invoke the Blessings of the Almighty of their choice at times of extreme stress or crisis. The flip side of that discussion is, Biswanath is not talking to me since that day!

I gave the above two instances to highlight my point I EXIST THEREFORE SHE/ HE EXISTS. Let me clarify that I am not an Atheist but more of an Agnostic. I do not believe in the rituals of any religion or cult. I do not visit (for the purpose of praying) to any temple, church, mosque, gurdwara etc. because I strongly believe that God/ Almighty simply cannot reside in those places. In fact, I do not pray at all. However, I believe She/ He is everywhere, probably sitting right next to me and appreciating my efforts!

If one looks at the earliest civilization of the known world, people used to worship the Nature in its many forms viz. sky, air, water, fire, earth etc. The reason is simple, these were the elements that affected them, in their everyday life. Look at Greek or Roman civilization, you will find that they worshiped Gods of elements & issues that were closest to their heart, be it the nature or war or sea or music or love. Similarly, the earliest gods of Hindu mythology were Nature too, Indra, Varun, Pawan, Surya, Agni, Prithvi are some example. As the civilization grew, the number of Gods grew too. If you read the mythological stories about the Hindu God & Goddesses, you will perhaps realize that those are the pure and simple imaginations of a very fertile brain and as the years passed on they became even more fantastic and colorful. In every century, the stories got rewritten as per the demands of that time. The heroes & heroines got painted in more glory and eventually made a Deity.

I remember a story I read in Bangla in my adolescent years, it was titled Birth of a God. The story was about how a man creates a fable of god by using a stone and putting vermilion on it and placing it under a tree. In no time, the place becomes a place of worship and the man himself becomes the priest thereby earning his livelihood. I have seen many such instances in real life living in Delhi and these guys, to earn credibility, often times prefix PRACHIN to the name of the chosen god to depict the place viz. Prachin Hanuman Mandir or Prachin Bhairav Mandir etc.

Then came a period, when people got frustrated with the existing gods and looked towards cult figures which were later transformed into Gods or Demigods. I may get lynched for saying this but this cult figure becoming god perhaps started from time of Buddha followed by Mahavir, Jesus Christ, Mohammed and Guru Nanak et al. What is surprising is that none of these persons in their lifetime called upon their followers to transform him into God. What they preached was a simple basic way of life to live at that time. The main theme of the sermons of these great men can be surmised as –

  1. Love all creatures
  2. Protect the weak
  3. Provide shelter to the homeless
  4. Educate the uneducated
  5. Do not be adulterous
  6. Give alms to the needy
  7. Take care of the elderly and sick persons
  8. Be peace loving at all times

However, as time passed, some of the more opportunistic followers became leaders of each of these cults and decided on a course of action for the rest of them. The primary aim was to rule over the rest. Just like the Brahmins of Hinduism which with the help of successive Kshatriya Kings and ably supported by the Vaishyas (the business class) created a permanent caste system (that was earlier based on the professions) and established their fiefdom, the Priests, the Moulavis and the Monks created their own fiefdom by fear psychosis that if one do not follow their dictate, immense curse will befall on them. In the process the general mass of people has become GOD FEARING instead of GOD LOVING. In all religion, one thing was common, the downtrodden mass of people were neither encouraged nor were facilities provided to them to get educated. Again the reason was quite simple, an educated person will question the authority of the very establishment of these religion/ cults whereas the uneducated will blindly follow the faith, however illogical and unreasonable it may be.

In the modern days, you have some people being called as God Man or God Woman. These people do not project themselves as God but as a source of reaching out to God. In the process, they gather large number of followers and even larger wealth. The general public gets swayed by the sweet talk of these guys when they promise a heaven on this mortal world. These guys play with the fear, anxiety and stress of the people and create a Halo around self. They know that religion is the biggest and most potent intoxicant than alcohol and drugs put together. You can get out of the latter but there’s no way out of the former. They make you a slave of the faith sans any logic and reasoning.

In this world, only one relation provides unconditional love and that is the love of the Parents to the Child. More often it is a one-way traffic that is from parents to child and NOT vice-a-versa. You will see the mother and father lavishing their love on the most rascal son of theirs but seldom the other way round. I consider the Almighty to be my Father/ Mother and I am pretty certain that even if I am doing something sinful, He/ She will continue to love and shower me with His/ Her blessings. The Fear has no place in the Child-Parent relationship.

What will please the Almighty? There are few things, I feel, if we do, it will immensely please the Almighty and He/ She will shower you with His/ Her blessings for all times to come.

  1. Instead of feeding the idols in the temple, feed the hungry that lines up outside the temple.
  2. Instead of spending millions of money on different ceremonies, donate some part of it at least to the charity that takes care of the poor, sick and elderly.
  3. Take care of this earth; this is the only place in the whole universe that you can call your home.
  4. Educate the masses and only then you, as humanity can progress.
  5. Consider your parents as God and take care of them at old age when they need you the most.
  6. Be a friend to your child and guide him/ her to the path of righteousness.
  7. Never be afraid to say or hear the truth.
  8. Be tolerant but never doubt your faith in humanity.
  9. Remember, we may not know but all creatures in this world have their utility for the Mother Nature.
  10. Always be thankful that you are alive and enjoying the fruits of life.

You have one life, live it as virtuously as you can. There is no guarantee that there is a next life or even if it is there for arguments sake, you will not remember this life then. It will be a new beginning. Be Spiritual not Ritualistic. Remember all roads lead to One Moksha.

Posted on by Aranyascope

The Last Evidence

She sat in the Starbucks cafe, sipping her coffee and staring out of the window. The blood stained knife lay next to her handbag, covered with her blue silk scarf…

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Priya and Kingshuk are happily married upwardly mobile couple, or it seemed so to the outside world.

Priya Tripathi had met Kingshuk Dutt at a function organised by the media giants StarPlus. After 4 months of courtship, mainly of hanging out every evening at some café or bar or plain n simple dhaba, Kingshuk had gathered the courage to propose to her. Priya’s ‘Yes’ was not immediate because of their diverse background although both are born and brought up in the cosmopolitan Delhi. Priya belongs to a Brahmin family from UP while Kingshuk is a Kayasth from undivided Bengal. Financially too Priya’s family were well to do while Kingshuk was practically an orphan, staying with his sister and brother-in-law after the demise of his parents in a short span of six months. However, both are working in good reputed organisations, Priya in an Advertising Agency as Account Supervisor and Kingshuk as Assistant Marketing Manager in a FMCG, and their career is moving up smoothly.

Kingshuk had already broken the news to his sister, Rina and she was happy and apprehensive both at the same time. Happy because her little bro is finally settling down at the ripe age of 30 years and apprehensive because of Priya’s background which so different from theirs. Rina broached the subject to her husband Aditya after dinner in the privacy of their bedroom. Aditya said laughing loudly, “Is it 100% this time or 50% like all his previous 50 girlfriends?” Rina admonished her husband for making fun of his brother’s failed romantic escapades in the past and said, “No this time it seems both are serious about it but Priya has to convince her family.” Aditya said, “Let’s keep our fingers crossed for the time being. I will speak to Babai in the morning.”

Priya had expected a strong opposition from her male family members, father and brother but surprisingly, the objection came from her mother whom she had confided in the first place. Parvati Tripathi, her mother, even dared her to mention it her father. But Priya as a headstrong but darling of her father broached the topic to her father while jogging with him in the Lodi Gardens. Her father did not react immediately but gave her a puzzled smile while continuing to jog.

Later, over breakfast he asked his wife, “Are you aware of Priya’s decision?” Priya’s brother, Rajeev was also at the table but not aware of the latest development in the family. “Yes, she told me last night and I have already admonished her and said forget about it.” Parvati Tripathi replied sternly. Umashankar Tripathi looked at her wife and said, “I didn’t ask for your decision, Priya is 25 years old and can take her own decision.” Rajeev looked at his parents and Priya with a dumb expression hoping someone will throw some light. Finally, Umashankar told his son, “Priya has decided to tie the knot with a boy of her own choice and he is a Bengali chap by the name of Kingshuk Dutt. Do you have any comments; if so then say it now as I would like to meet this guy before I go for my overseas tour.” Though, Rajiv was his mother’s boy and always supported her in any family issues, this time, he decided to keep quiet and give silent nod to the matter.

Kingshuk was interviewed by not just Umashankar and Parvati but Priya’s uncle or Chachaji, her father’s younger brother also. At the end of one and half hours of grilling, even Parvati had to accept that Kingshuk would be a good Damaad (son-in-law). It was decided that Umashankar and family would meet Aditya and Rina Bose and decide upon the auspicious date for the wedding ceremony.

The wedding took place at the Chhatarpur Farm House of Priya’s Chachaji on a November evening. It was a joint reception and guests from both side were present, distinctly different sets of people, on the one side were typical crowd from small town and the other side were cosmopolitan suave crowd clearly friends from the profession of both Priya and Kingshuk. There were food for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians but kept at opposite ends so that there are no clashes. Notwithstanding the Bengali custom of DOLI being taken the following evening as the Sun sets, Priya and Kingshuk left with Rina and Aditya to start their conjugal life at the latter’s house in C R Park. The honeymoon was planned to coincide with Christmas holidays and they went to Goa.

Priya and Kingshuk settled down to a routine lifestyle, both their offices were at Cyber Hub, Gurgaon and they commuted together in Priya’s newly acquired BMW X1. The married life was breezing past and before one could realise, it was time for first anniversary celebrations. Using the membership of Aditya at the Jahapanna Club at Alaknanda, Priya and Kingshuk arranged the party where friends and colleagues of both joined for the merriment. There was Sanjay Sinha from Priya’s office. He has recently joined as Account Director of the agency. Kingshuk had met him once or twice, while picking up Priya from her office, but somehow never really liked him. He could not pin point the reason for his dislike but perhaps it was Sanjay’s exuberance and handsome features which attracted most women to him that put Kingshuk off completely. But, on this day as a host, he kept a permanent smile on his face and allowed Sanjay to not just flirt with Priya and other girls from the office but even with his sister Rina.

Four years have passed and there have been a number of changes in the life of Priya and Kingshuk. First, they have shifted to a rented accommodation in Gurgaon amid protest from Rina. Secondly, Kingshuk is now Marketing Head of a product category and his responsibility has increased manifolds requiring him to spend many a late evenings in office. Priya too has increased responsibilities now with more clients to handle. As a result they no longer commute together as the timings do not match any more, especially in the evenings. Third and most importantly, the communications between them has reduced substantially, may be because they hardly see each other on most of the days of the week. Only weekends seems to bring out the conversations but then that too, turns into arguments quite often. Moreover, Kingshuk now has to travel all over the country, at least a week every month. But to the outsiders and they include their near-and-dear ones as well, everything seemed to be perfect. In fact, Priya and Kingshuk had booked their own flat, a penthouse at the Golf Course Road and expected to shift there in 18 months time.

It was late February Saturday evening, Kingshuk was out on extensive tour as there as only a month left to achieve yearly targets, when Priya decided to call over friends for a impromptu party at home. They were colleagues from office who have become friends primarily as more and more time is now being spent with them. Sanjay Sinha was there too, he has become very close to Priya nowadays as they seem to spend more time together in the office. The party was in full swing with music dancing and general chitter-chatter with sub groups sitting all around the apartment. Priya and Sanjay were on the balcony both having their drinks and smoking. The people inside could not hear their conversation as the glass door was closed but some of them were giving them curious glances now and then. It was obvious that something was brewing between the two. The bell rang and someone opened the door to receive the food ordered from the Karim’s. The smell of hot Mughlai delicacies stopped the dancing and Simran, Priya’s junior knocked on the glass door of the balcony and said, “Priya, Sanjay, the food is here, let’s eat till they are hot.” Priya and Sanjay took a last puff from their cigarettes and came inside. The Mughlai food was exceptionally good and finished in no time. It was almost 11:30 and most of them decided to call it a day; some had to go quite a distance to Noida, another suburbia of Delhi. The ones left were Sanjay, Simran, Ashutosh and his wife, Uma and her husband, all from Gurgaon only.

Around midnight, there was the sound of key turning in the main door of the apartment but the people inside were so engrossed with each other that nobody heard the footsteps when Kingshuk entered. He had meant to give a surprise to Priya but in turn was surprised himself. Priya was sitting very cosily with Sanjay and others too were in a very relaxed posture all across the hall. Kingshuk wanted to say something but just gestured a Hi to all and went inside to the bedroom and closed the door. He sat down on the bed with his head on his palms. He needed to revisit his relationship with Priya who is now very distant from him. They hardly make love anymore and if either is in mood, the other will give some excuse to avoid it. Kingshuk realised it was more than half hour when Priya entered the room and said, “You were supposed to come next week, how come you are so early?” There was no happiness in her voice but a tinge of irritation. Kingshuk looked up at her and said sarcastically, “I know you are not happy let alone welcome me for I have spoiled your evening with your boyfriend.” “If you are talking about Sanjay, then let me tell you, he is just a good friend and we were not alone, there were others too. I was feeling low so I had called them over for an impromptu get-together.” Priya retorted. Kingshuk was too tired to answer her back; he got up and went to the bathroom to change his clothes.

In the morning, Priya in a reconciliatory tone said, “Jaanu, since you’re back in town, let’s go and meet Rina didi and Jiju. We haven’t met them for a long time.” Kingshuk too was thinking of visiting his sister as he needed some kind of balm to calm his nerves, so agreed instantly. He called up his sister and informed her about their impending visit.

Months have passed after that Saturday and on the surface, Priya and Kingshuk seemed to have sorted out their relationship. Kingshuk had not only achieved his targets but have actually exceeded them and is certain to become Deputy General Manager which promises a quantum increase in salary and perks. He was in a happy, contended mood when Priya suggested they take a short break as there was practically no work pressure at this time of the year. They decided to drive down to Mukteshwar in Uttarakhand where Kingshuk’s friend Aditya Amar runs a nice resort by the name Cottage Nirvana.

The coveted holiday began in the wee hours when most people were sleeping on a Wednesday as they drove towards Mukteshwar in Priya’s BMW X1. Nobody saw them leaving even the colony guard who was taking a quick nap inside the booth. Kingshuk was an avid photographer and would stop at places to take a shot of the scenic beauties once they had hit the mountain trail. After crossing Bhimtaal where they had stopped for lunch, they reached a spot near Ramgarh, the scenic beauty with Trishul range at the backdrop was fascinating. Kingshuk couldn’t wait to find a spot to stop the car and take some pictures. Priya too was waiting for the car to stop and Kingshuk to take snap shots in the secluded road. There was hardly any traffic at this time of year as school & colleges are yet to shut for the summer break.

Kingshuk started taking snaps and got so engrossed in the scenic beauty of the place that neither did he realised that he was standing almost on the edge of the land nor the fact that Priya was standing right behind him. He felt a sharp pain at the back as Priya pushed the sharp knife into his back and thereafter everything went black as he tumbled down the ravine. Priya was holding the blood stained knife, there was an eerie smile on her face. She looked down but could not see Kingshuk. She was about to throw the knife in the ravine when a convoy of cars from both direction showed up. She covered the knife with her blue silk scarf and came back to the car tossing the knife inside at the passenger side, hoping to get rid of it later, sat on the driver’s seat and took a U-turn towards Delhi, towards her Sanjay.

She was sitting in the Starbucks cafe, sipping her coffee and staring out of the window. The blood stained knife lay next to her handbag, covered with her blue silk scarf. She had called Sanjay once she reached outskirts of Delhi and he has agreed to meet her there. She ran through the events of the past few years and was sure that there was no love left between her and Kingshuk, at least from her side. A new beginning is awaiting her as she thought about her well laid plan; the passport with US H1B visa for 10 years along with the Lufthansa tickets are in the purse as was the offer letter from JWT, New York where she will be joining the following Month. She had called her aunt Malini at New York confirming her impending visit. Her divorce papers are also ready and currently lying on the dining table. She thought all this was not necessary if only Kingshuk had agreed to the divorce when she had asked him once after that Saturday incidence. The divorce documents will give her the alibi that she had no knowledge of Kingshuk’s whereabouts or of any mishap that he may have encountered that day.

Her reverie broke as she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She turned back and saw Sanjay standing behind and she hugged him tightly. Sanjay kissed her lightly on the lips and they sat down. She pushed the blood soaked knife wrapped in her blue scarf towards Sanjay and said, “This needs to be disposed urgently.” Sanjay touched the scarf and immediately withdrew his hands and said, “What is this? Why are you still carrying it with you? You should have thrown it somewhere on the route.” “Yes I tried to throw it thrice but couldn’t do so as every time I stopped to find a good spot to dispose it, some one or the other would show up.” Priya said exasperated. Sanjay took the scarf holding the knife and placed it in his bag. “Now, what is your plan?” asked Sanjay. “Well I will have to kill some time before heading for the airport by eleven, scheduled departure is 0240 hours. My bags are in the car, but you will have to get rid of Kingshuk’s suitcase,” replied Priya. Then with a twinkle in her eyes, said “We can use this intervening time to know each other more intimately.” Sanjay laughed shaking his head and said, “Why are we wasting time here, let’s go then.” It was decided that they will take their individual car and Priya would hand over the suitcase of Kingshuk on way to Sanjay who will dispose it off along with the knife.

Priya and Sanjay reached Indira Gandhi International Airport Terminal 3 around 11 pm and parked her car in the premium car park. It had been decided that Sanjay will take a cab for returning to the city as they wanted the car to remain undetected for a few days. He had already disposed off the knife and burned the blood stained blue scarf in the wilderness of Gurgaon-Faridabad Road. Sanjay suggested that the best way to dispose of the suitcase will be to lose it inside the airport. The suitcase was a small stroller which Priya can easily leave it in the washroom or even at the Lufthansa counter itself, in the crowd no one will notice, perhaps. They approached gate together and Priya showed her passport and the ticket to the CISF personnel. He looked at the passport with a keen eye and looked at Priya even more closely. He then raised his hands to call somebody and soon a posse of Police surrounded Priya and Sanjay. “Your game is over Ms. Priya Dutt and Mr. Sanjay Sinha” boomed the voice of Inspector Inderjit Sharma.  Priya and Sanjay looked at each other, they had almost made it, and the only incriminating evidence on them was the strolley of Kingshuk, the presence of which they cannot explain. Sanjay was the first to recover and he protested, “What game are you talking about, Inspector? She is a friend and I have come to see her off.” Inspector Inderjit Sharma is a seasoned player, he told them very calmly “I am okay if you guys want to create a scene here in the public but I suggest a more civilised way would be that we go to my office and talk about it there.”

Lady Sub-Inspector Shanta Chauhan broke the news to Priya. Kingshuk, by fluke had survived both the knife injury as well as the fall and was rescued by some villagers. He was taken to a local hospital where upon getting conscious he had asked for Aditya Amar from Cottage Nirvana and Aditya had called the police. The police took the statement from Kingshuk at the hospital including the mobile number of Priya which was passed on to Delhi Police and they immediately put it on tracking. The police knew it when she reached IGI T3 and had put an alert on all the gates.  The sub-inspector told Priya that she is being taken into custody for attempted murder and Sanjay Sinha for being an accomplice in the crime.

Priya sighed and thought if only she could have got rid of Kingshuk’s strolley, the last incriminating evidence; she could have denied all the charges.

Over a decade now, we have been taking vacation twice a year, once during summer breaks and once during the Christmas holidays and practically in all these holidays Basu Family has been our companion. The friendship with Basu’s goes beyond two decades and we have been taking these vacations together for over a decade now, primarily because our chemistry matches to the letter T and both family feel comfortable in each others company.

So last December when we decided to take such a holiday, it was obvious that both families would go together, but where to go? That was the question that we kept pondering for over a week. The choice of destinations ran from Dudhwa National Park to backwaters of Kerala to one of the Islands in Malayasia to Dubai but nothing seemed to work. Then suddenly everything fell in place.

It was a Sunday, Deepika & I was returning home after a South Indian breakfast at Karnataka Sangam, RK Puram, when Santanu Basu called up and asked our views on Chitwan National Park as a destination. Honestly, we had no idea but said that we will get back. I called up my son Ayush at his hostel and asked him to check out. Since everybody was so keen for a break, he called back in precisely ten minutes and confirmed its worth going.

Thereafter, everything went in whirlwind speed, right from booking the air tickets to hotel reservations at Kathmandu and Chitwan. We decided stay overnight at Kathmandu that will give me an opportunity to meet my cousin who is based there for last almost 15 years. Also, because we would be reaching Kathmandu in the evening and there was no point in continuing the journey to Chitwan which was about 6-8 hours.

All set for the flight at T3, IGI, New Delhi
All set for the flight at T3, IGI, New Delhi
They are the most excited lot ... Ayush & Shenjit
They are the most excited lot … Ayush & Shenjit

Chitwan National Park is situated in south central Nepal in the sub tropical lowlands of the inner terai of Chitwan, Makawanpur, Parsa and Nawalparasi districts. The altitude ranges from 110m to 850m above sea level. The park is bounded by the Rapti and Narayani River in the north, Parsa Wildlife Reserve in the east and Madi settlements and India border in the south. Three major rivers Narayani, Rapti and Reu, with their floodplains and several lakes and pools are the major water sources of the park.

Chitwan was a big game area for the royal families, Rana rulers and their guests. The Chitwan National Park has an area of 932 sq km. In recognition of its unique biological resources of outstanding universal value, UNESCO designated it as a World Heritage Site in 1984. The park and the local people jointly initiate community development activities and manage natural resources in the buffer zone.

The park has a range of climatic seasons each offering unique experience. October through February with average temperature of 25o C offers an enjoyable climate. From March to June temperatures can reach as high as 43o C. The hot humid days give way to the monsoon season that typically lasts from late June until September when rivers become flooded and most of the roads are virtually impassable.

The Chitwan is characterized by tropical and subtropical forests. Roughly 70 percent of park vegetative cover is Sal (Shorea robusta) forest, a moist deciduous vegetation type of the terai region. The remaining vegetation types include grassland, riverine forest consisting of Khair (Acacia catechu), Sissoo (Dalbergia sisoo) and Simal (Bombax ceiba). The grasslands are mainly located in the floodplains of the rivers and form a diverse and complex community with over 50 different types of grasses including the elephant grass renowned for its immense height that can go up to 8 meter high.

The park is especially renowned for its protection of One Horned Rhinoceros, Royal Bengal Tiger and Gharial Crocodile. The park harbors not only the world’s largest terrestrial mammal (wild elephant) but also the world’s smallest terrestrial mammal (pygmy shrew). It is also home to 22 globally endangered species like Bengal Florican, Slender-billed Vulture, White-rumped Vulture and Red-headed Vulture.

Elephant safari provides an opportunity to get a closer view of the endangered One-horned Rhinoceros. One may also get a glimpse of the elusive Bengal tiger too if lucky enough. The Elephant Breeding Centre at Khorsor, Sauraha gives you information on domesticated elephant and the baby elephants born there.

A short walk (1 km.) from the park HQ at Kasara will take you to the Gharial Breeding Centre, which is also home to the Marsh Mugger and a number of turtles.

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At the Boudha, Kathmandu, Nepal
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My cousin, Kaushik & his lovely wife Moushumi
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The Group at Hotel Tibet International, Kathmandu
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Breakfast Halt at Hotel Mirch Masala on way to Chitwan
(c) Aranjit Bhattacharya Photography
Dining Hall, Green Park, Chitwan
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A Duck family at the local village, Chitwan
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Sun Set At River Rapti, Chitwan
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Fish Hunting…
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River Crossing
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Night view of the resort Green Park
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Red Headed Vulture…
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Rowing with the Gharial on river Rapti
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Dancing Baby Elephant at the Breeding Centre, Sauraha
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Dancing Baby Elephant at the Breeding Centre, Sauraha
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Mother & Daughter at the Breeding Centre, Sauraha
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Elephant ride to see the One Horned Rhino
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Finally, up close, the One Horned Rhino duo…
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After Dinner chit-chat….
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The Hornbill… very elusive n shy…
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Spotted Deers…

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Time to say Bye to Kathmandu, at Tribhuvan International Airport
Posted on by Aranyascope

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib

I am born and brought up in Delhi. I have seen most of the historical places in the city. One such place is Bangla Sahib Gurudwara that has always intrigued me because of its name. How can a Sikh place of worship have a name BANGLA which is my mother tongue? So I did some research, unfortunately, most of the sites were in Gurmukhi, a language that I cannot read (even my Punjabi wife cannot read). So I met with an uncle at Karol Bagh, a place which has large population of Sikhs and where I grew up. Uncle was more than happy to tell me the history of the place….

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is a prominent Sikh Gurudwara, or Sikh house of worship, in Delhi, India and known for its association with the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan. It has a pool inside its complex, known as the Sarovar. It was first built as a small temple by Sikh General, Sardar Bhagel Singh in 1783, who supervised the construction of nine Sikh shrines in Delhi in the same year, during the reign of Mughal Emperor, Shah Alam II. It is situated near Connaught Place, New Delhi on Baba Kharak Singh Marg and it is instantly recognisable by its stunning golden dome and tall flagpole usually called Nishan Sahib.

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib was originally a bungalow belonging to Raja Jai Singh, ruler of Amber, Rajasthan, in the seventeenth century, and was known as Jaisinghpura Palace. The surrounding area was called Jaisingh Pura, a historic neighbourhood, later demolished to make way for the Connaught Place, the shopping district.

The eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan resided here during his stay in Delhi in 1664. During that time, there was a smallpox and cholera epidemic, and Guru Har Krishan helped the suffering by giving aid and fresh water from the well at this house. Soon he too contracted the illness and eventually died on March 30, 1664. A small tank was later constructed by Raja Jai Singh over the well; its water is now revered as having healing properties and is taken by Sikhs throughout the world back to their homes. The Gurudwara and its Sarovar are now a place of great reverence for Sikhs, and a place for special congregation on birth anniversary of Guru Har Krishan.

The grounds include the temple, a kitchen, a large (holy) pond, a school and an art gallery. As with all Sikh Gurudwara, the concept of langar is practiced, and all people, regardless of race or religion may eat in the Gurudwara kitchen (langar hall). The Langar (food) is prepared by gursikhs who work there and also by volunteers who like to help out. At the Gurudwara, visitors are requested to cover their hair and not to wear shoes. Assistance to foreigners and visitors with Guides, head scarves, and shoe-minding service can be found inside the compound and are available free of charge. Anyone can volunteer to help keep the shoes in the shoe-minding room, and cleaning the precincts of the Gurudwara.

The complex also houses a senior school, a museum, a library and a hospital. Air Conditioning has been done inside the Gurudwara and also for the Langar Hall. A new Yatri Niwas or Guest House, and multi-level parking space have been constructed as well as a toilet complex.

So at the end I realised that this magnificent place of interest has nothing to do with my mother tongue Bangla, it is in fact Bunglow Saheb that colloquially becomes Bangla Sahib Gurudwara.

Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal!!!

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Posted on by Aranyascope

Hotel Skylark

Among many other things, FOOD or CUISINE is something, every community in this country claims to be expert. There’s a sort of competition goes on as to which one is the superior if not the best. But there is one thing on which Bongs win hands down and that’s the GHOST STORIES. I haven’t come across many good stories of ghosts or paranormal activities even in English literature. Below is a true encounter with a spirit told to me by my brother some years back that has been etched in my memory.

My job as Account Director with the advertising agency takes to various places in Punjab & Himachal Pradesh for client meetings. On one such visit to Amritsar to make the campaign presentation to the management team of Vardhman Group, we, me and my colleague Swarup got late in leaving for Delhi and decided to take a halt at Jullundhar. We knew the place well and had stayed there at Hotel Skylark, many an occasion.

It was getting dark when we left the suburbs of Amritsar; the destination was 2-3 hours journey if everything goes well. Joseph, the trusted driver was at the wheels of Ambassador Car and driving at a sedate pace of 60km per hour. Both of Swarup and I had dozed off in the comfort of the back seat. Suddenly, the car started losing speed and came to a sputtering halt. I woke up first and asked Joseph what has happened? Joseph muttered something inaudible and got out to open the bonnet to check the problem. After some time he came around and said, “It seems there’s kachda (dirt) in the carburetor. I will clean it but it may take some time.” We had nothing to say, I cannot even drive, let alone repair a car.

What seemed to be eternity was actually 30-35 minutes that took Joseph to clean the carburetor of the Ambassador and the car engine came to life. We were relieved as the car once again rolled on. But more adventure was on store for us that evening.

We were on the highway and again moving at a steady speed when suddenly, the car started swerving at an angle on the road. Joseph was a good driver and immediately brought the car to a halt on the side of the road and put the blinkers on. This time, one of the rear tyres has got punctured. Outside was dark as there were no street lights on the highway. I asked Joseph, “How far is Jullundhar from here?” He said it is approximately one hour from the point where we were stranded. Then with help of the Eveready Torch that I always carry with me on these tours, Joseph started to change the tyre.

It took another fifteen minutes for us get going again. There were no further incidents till our destination, Hotel Skylark, Model Town Road, Civil Line, Jullundhar. The hotel Manager Prakash Verma knew me well and welcomed us with warm smiles. We told him that we are in only for the night halt and shall leave in the morning after breakfast. Also that we would be taking one room only, no point spending unnecessary money for one night. Prakash said, “Fine Sir, I will allot you the number 410 which is at the corner and bigger room too. I will provide you one extra bedding so that Joseph can also be accommodated” I had no issues him sleeping in the room as it was matter of one night only. I am very finicky about cleanliness and it has become a practice that I ensure the hotel room is cleaned in front of me wherever I go and most hotels comply too. Skylark was no different and Prakash knew about this, so he called the housekeeping staff to get the room cleaned as we entered the room. The room was really spacious with two separate beds and ample space for the third bedding on the floor. The housekeeping staff came with fresh bed sheets & towels, vacuum cleaner and after about 10 minutes the room was made habitable for me.

We ordered food in the room only along with soda and ice. Swarup was carrying a bottle of Peterscott whiskey with him. Joseph had gone down to have his dinner and must have his own brand of liquor with him, I guessed. When we finished our drinks and dinner, it was almost 11pm and decided to call it a day. I brushed my teeth, a regular good habit and lied down in my bed which was directly opposite to the dressing table. We have kept the bathroom light on and faint ray of light emanated from below the door. Swarup was already snoring, I said “Lucky Man”, under my breath. It took me some time to finally sleep, may be 5-10 minutes.

I have a very light sleep and will wake up with slightest sound or movement in the room. As it happened, I woke up with the sound of shuffling of the feet. I thought, Swarup or Joseph has got up to go to the bathroom but to my surprise saw both of them sleeping soundly. Then eyes settled on the dressing table and I became very still unable to move. There, a lady, I can see only the back, is sitting on the dressing table stool and combing her hair. From where did she come? I clearly remember having locked the room after putting the food tray outside and once Joseph had come in the room. I was mesmerized with the event happening in the room and was praying that either of Swarup or Joseph should wake up too. I considered myself a brave soul and logical too but even in this winter month of January, I started to perspire unable to move any of my body parts. Meanwhile the lady in question was at her job of combing her hair and making a bun using some hair clips and black ribbon. I do not know how it went on and then she got up went in the bathroom, without opening the door, just vanished inside the closed bathroom door. By now, I was sure that it’s all my dream, shouldn’t have taken that third peg.

With great will power and strength, I got up from the bed and tip-toed to the bathroom to catch the intruder. I opened the bathroom door and there was nobody inside, I moved the shower curtains and there too was no one to be seen. I came back to my bed now absolutely sure that it was hallucination at its best courtesy the third peg of whiskey. I turned on my side and slept.

In the morning, it was Swarup, who woke me up around 6:15 am. He had already brushed and ordered tea from the room service. Joseph had also got up and gone down. Swarup said, “Boss, is this black ribbon yours? It was lying on the washbasin counter in the bathroom.” Whatever little sleep was there inside me vanished immediately. I switched on all the lights in the room and went to the dressing table. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw a few strands of female hair and couple of hair clips lying there!!!

It cannot be true. My logical mind was shouting at the top of voice to me. The room was cleaned in front of me and there was nothing of the sort anywhere in the room so where did all these things come? I had no answer, then or even today.

I took the ribbon, hair clips & the hair strands and for a moment thought of bringing them back with me as a proof. But then thought proof of what? Nobody is going to believe this they experience it personally. I threw them in the dustbin and washed up.

Thereafter, I had been to Jullundhar many times, stayed at Hotel Skylark but never in Room # 410.

Posted on by Aranyascope · 1 Comment

Reservation… My Foot

Circa 1980….

A batch of 70+ graduation aspirants has just crossed the barrier of CBSE 12th Board Exams. The results are out, as expected, the science stream has done extremely well compared to the commerce and arts. The high rankers in the science stream got in to premier engineering institute, and the rest (most of them) in the north campus colleges of the Delhi University. There was one exception. This was my Langotia Yaar (childhood friend) who had pinned his hope of getting into Delhi College of Engineering (now Delhi Technical University) having missed the IIT deadline. He could have joined any of the Regional Engineering Colleges (now NIT) but did not want to go out of Delhi for personal reasons.

His hopes of getting into DCE came crashing when he was told his PCM marks were short by 0.25%. His marks were 89.5% and the cut off for General Category was 89.75%. The irony came to light when another classmate with just 55% got into DCE based on his Caste Certificate.

He was heartbroken so were we, the last benchers who had managed to get into lesser colleges with our second division marks. After much persuasion from family and friends he went to a distant country to do his engineering and passed out with flying colours. Gained valuable international exposure and is well settled in life today.

So what happened to the other classmate who went DCE flaunting his Caste Certificate? The details are sketchy as to when he dropped out but Drop Out definitely, but after a year or even before are still not known. He eventually did his graduation in Bachelor of Arts (General), got into Govt. service, again flaunting his CC. He is still in govt. job, risen a few steps up the ladder, but that’s it. Will retire in a few years, having done nothing notable for himself or the society.

I mentioned the above to highlight the anomalies of the Reservation Policy being followed in India. It is there for over 60 years and nothing much has changed. Even the proponent of the reservation, Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar also did not propose it to be for infinite number of years. Initially, it was expected to last for a decade or two, but courtesy our Vote Bank Politics, the Reservation Policy has become an integral part of our life. The caste politics has created a number of monsters and have been a hindrance to the growth of the country.

I am not against reservation but DEAD AGAINST RESERVATION BASED ON CASTE. The reservation should be SOLELY based on ECONOMIC condition till the SCHOOL level. Thereafter, MERIT should be the only criteria for getting into institutes.

Recently, Roorkee IIT, threw out over 100 students because of extreme low academic performance. But then the latest news says these students have been taken back due to pressure from the political groups that are thriving on reservation. Just imagine these are the ones that will get into govt organisation based on their CC and many would be responsible for making high-rise buildings, bridges etc. Without acquiring any real knowledge, they pose a much greater danger to the society than the terrorists!!! It is same in the field of medicine too, where some just managed to scrape through and become healers in govt. hospitals. No wonder, that so many patients die due to negligence; actually it is not negligence but ignorance of the subject that kill these hapless patients.

No other country in the world has this kind of reservation policy. The govt of the day must take corrective actions on reservation policy immediately if INDIA is to rise as Developed Nation. The country cannot afford to promote mediocrity any more…