Roja, Eid and other things in Hyderabadi Tehjeeb!

The year was 1994. One fine morning at about 11 am we, the entire family, landed at Nampally Railway station from Tirupati. We wanted to catch train the next day for Aurangabad, which leaves from Secunderabad. So I decided to stay at a well-known hotel at Secunderabad which is my favourite since ages.

When we crossed Tank Bund and started passing through Rashtrapati Road (for me its King’s Avenue), I noticed that all the shops were closed. I was surprised. So asked the rikshaw driver, who was a young lad in his 20’s as to what is the matter. He replied ‘kal Eid hain’.

I was surprised, because I too am is a pucca Aurangabadi at heart and I knew that there was no Eid nearby. So asked him ‘kaisi Eid hazrat?’ He said ‘aaj roja hain aur kal Eid hain’. He was cool while answering.

I realised that there must be something. I started thinking.  And then, I suddenly realised that the next day was ‘Mahashivratri’ and hence on that day there was fasting! To conform, I asked him ‘Miyaan, kal Mahashivratri ki Eid hain na?’ He replied, in his typical Hyderabadi accent, ‘ji hauw’!

That’s called Hyderabadi Tehjeeb! I was very fortunate that I grew up at Aurangabad in the same Tehjeeb. Aamen!   

Ahiritola

Ahiritola, a small hamlet of North Calcutta. In fact, I accidently landed on the jetty of Ahiritola when randomly roaming around various launch routes of Hoogli. I wanted to go to Sovabazar and by asking someone standing nearby, jumped inside a launch at Howrah. The launch eventually took me to Ahiritola instead of Sovabazar.

The moment I landed on the jetty, I developed a strange feeling as if I am visiting the REAL Calcutta. The “mahual” the old buildings and homes and the structures in general, gave me some strange feeling! I found it a suburb full of typical old Begali culture. Even the faces nay the whole personalities of the men and women appeared typical Bengali. Needless to mention, I clicked many photographs there. When I narrated my experience of Ahiritola to my friends in the late evening, they told me that, that is the real old Calcutta and the city started developing from that area on! So, I was not wrong!

And now, yesterday, I read that the icon of Bengali personality in my mind, Mahanayak Uttam Kumar, was born on 3^rd September 1926, in Ahiritola at the home of his maternal uncle when his own ancestral home was in Bhowanipore!

Teachers..then and now!

After long time, I stayed for one full week at my ancestral home at my native village Narvel for the marriage of my nephew. The marriage was solemnized at a nearby village called Jhodga; because the bride hails from that village.

After reaching Jhodga, while I was chatting with some gentlemen from the bride's family, few elderly men approached me and expressed their desire to have a word me. I was little surprised as to what they have to talk to me. They said, we came to see you and to have few words with you because you are the grandson of our beloved teacher! I was shocked! They were referring to my grand father!

They told me the stories which were entirely unknown to me! They said that my grand father was the Head Master of their school at Jhodga and they all are students of my grand father. Now these 'students', on asking by me, turned out to be in their 80's and 70's! They said, there were three teachers coming from my village to teach in their school, though at different period of times. Earliest was my grand father, Shri. Maruti Kolte, then my father's uncle Shri. Shankar Kolte and thereafter Shri. Madhukar Kolte, who hailed from my village. All of them used to walk down to Jhodga from my village. The distance, through the pathways through fields is about 8 km. By today's regular tar road, it's about 10-11 kms.

I said, I feel greatly honored that they made it a point to come and meet me. They said, in fact, they feel honored that the bride, who is like a grand daughter to them, is getting married in the family of their beloved teacher! I was shaken! 

The most touching part of the conversation was that, one of the 'students' said, your grand father used to walk down from your village to the school, but was always in time. Today, we have teachers who come from other villages on motor cycle, but never in time!