Unlimiting myself...pic ~ Jayeeta

 

Gems covered in moss!

There are so many instances/moments in one's lifetime, which seem interesting perhaps at that point of time, but loses its shine, amidst the exuberance of youth, eventually...It so happens that some sort of a triggering factor, brings that memory back to the surface after ages and it is then that one starts evaluating the real value of that long forgotten particular incident...

Way back in 1992, just after my marriage. I was traveling alone by train to Satna, going there to meet my husband, who was in midst of his MD course in APS University, Rewa. I was booked into a first class compartment, with another elderly lady, and her companion, who assured my worried parents repeatedly, that I would be looked after and taken care of.

When the train left the station, and I cared to observe my companion, I noticed that she was a lady endowed with exceptional beauty, grace and poise. Throughout the 20 hours journey, true to her word, she cared for me as my mother would have. Feeding me with food that she had brought from home, slicing apples, peeling oranges for me, putting my blanket in place, when it slipped off during the night.
I got to understand that she was knowledgeable in music, from the way, she was drawing references to music, on and off during our conversations.

When the train had crossed Allahabad, and my destination was drawing close, her companion, taking the advantage of her temporary absence, asked me, if I knew, who she was. When I admitted total ignorance, she told me that I was traveling with the wife of Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan Sahaab of Maihar, of the famed Maihar gharana, and that she did not wish to be recognized. As far as I can recall, she had said that her name was Padmavati Devi.

Unfortunately, at that age, I failed to recognize the significance of that incident, as I was more eager about seeing my husband, after a few months time, and the only thing that I retained in my memory was her motherly care. However, I respected her wish of not being recognized as a celebrity/personality and disembarked at Satna, after touching her feet, with real reverence. It was at this point of time that she asked me to visit her in Maihar, which was quite close to Rewa.

I visited Maihar in a few months time, subsequently, to pray at the temple of Ma Sharada, and the thought of visiting her, did cross my mind. However, my hesitation, about whether she would recognize me at all, won over and I did not venture. Slowly with the passage of time, this particular memory, went into oblivion.

A few days back, during the course of my music lesson, My mentor, Abhirup Guhathakurta, was mentioning something about Baba Alauddin Khan, and I related this incident to him and to the rest of our group. He told me that I am blessed, and that I should pen down this incident as one of the noteworthy incidents in my life. This post is a result of his advice.

Madarihat-Totopara

Barodabri is a small locality within Madarihaat subdivision of Jalpaiguri in North Bengal. Madarihaat is the gateway to the Jaldapara Wild Life Reserve, home to about 50 one-horned rhinos, and this is the place, where the West Bengal forest department has built a forest bungalow.I visited this area around the first week of August, But I think that the best time to visit this place, is late September till February, as on other times as the rains hinder the wildlife sightings, and the reserve is closed from 15th June to 14th September.

The village School

There are a sprinkling of forest dept and tourism dept bungalows in the upper Dooars region, spreading across the Coochbehar and Alipurduar districts. Another attraction of this place is the showcase of the lifestyle of the indigeneous Indo-Bhutanese tribe called the totos, found in a small enclave called Totopara, about 22 kms from Madarihaat. Anthropologists are all agreed on the view that the culture and the lifestyle as well as the language of the Totos are absolutely unique to them. They are distinctly different from the other tribes, of that area, namely the rajbanshis, which is the largest and the koch, which is of tibeto burmese origin and is presently scattered around Assam and Tripura, or the mech.

The entire Toto population is spread across 6 villages, known as Mitragaon, Subbagaon, Pujagaon, Dhumchigaon, Mandalgaon and Panchayatline(gaon). The main source of income for these people is agriculture. Pineapple, betelnut and ginger is grown in abundance. They are mainly animistic, they worship nature.Mawa or wine and roti is their staple diet.

Dry bed of the river Torsha

However, the Toto tribe is severely endangered now owing to their marriage practice. They are endogamous, meaning that they marry within their tribe. This has led to genetic defects in children born out of these marriages, mainly thallasemia. The elders in the tribe are slowly becoming aware of the pitfalls of this endogamous system of marriage, and hopefully will bring about a change in their norms inorder to save the tribe from extiction. The Totos generally do not believe in divorce and live together during their engaged period to find out whether they are compatible or not as partners. If not, they go their separate ways, without much hue or cry.

Author: Jayeeta Sen Roy

22nd Sravan - Kobipronaam

Rabindranath Thakur....What can we term him??

An Icon.....Who has inspired generations......An Inspiration, that has charted a path for bengali-ism......A thought, that has penetrated the bengali psyche to such depth that we seem to carry him in our genes.....or perhaps, our soul mate........someone, who seems to understand each situation that we face and offers a solution.......someone with whom, each of us can identify.

He is so much....that it is difficult to read him, know him, understand him, fathom him, in one lifetime......He has been a Short story writer ~ Novelist ~ Poet ~ Lyricist ~ Composer ~ Painter ~ Essayist.......

But above all he has been a philosopher of the highest order.. My deepest gratitude to the man, who has held my hand in my darkest hour...and shown me the way to light......

" Noyon Chere gele choley.....
Ele Shokol majhey.....
Tomai ami harai jodi....
Tumi Harao na je....."