This year is the fifth one. Several thousands of miles away from home, each year, around this time, John Denver sings inside my mind:
Country roads, take me home, to the place I belong........
Goddess Durga will appear on Earth again within a couple of days, and the entire Bengalee community around the globe will celebrate Her arrival for the next one week, forgetting all sorrows and woes life has to offer them aplenty.
Memory is a very tricky substance- although I don't know whether it can be called a substance in the first place. But the thing is, when I try to recall something, at times memory betrays me, and at times, it floods my mind with so much incidents that it becomes difficult for me to think and organize the thoughts properly.
For me, the four days of Durga Puja were ordered in four different ways. Saptami was reserved for the family.....throughout the daytime, it was chatting and gossipping with cousins and relatives, and in the evening, it was time to get along in a group of about 20 people and walk through the lights and charms of the city. The duration of the trip used to be short, or at least it decreased as the years passed by, because my parents, uncles and aunts were getting older. But it was a very pleasant experience, and each year, Saptami was just one of the days which taught me how family should be, and what it means to be a part of a happy family, where every member cared for everybody.
Asthami used to start by offering Pushpanjali to the Goddess from the local pandal. Although initially reluctant to go (because it was an early morning affair), I gradually got interested in it, mainly because as I got older, my interest shifted towards the live Goddesses from the deity. After murmering the hymns, throwing flowers towards them was really a pleasure, and the fact is, to me, a Bengalee girl looks best in a saree rather than any other outfits. So, since my adolescence, I used to look forward towards the Asthami morning.
Going out with friends was quite enjoyable during the pujas, which I did mostly on the Nabami, and during the puja time, the upper limit of coming back home at night was relaxed to a good extent, thereby providing me ample chance to enjoy outside.
The Sharodiya numbers were another source of attraction. Even 6-7 years before, the Sharodiyas were released just before the festive season, unlike they do nowadays.....about 3 months before the puja. Leafing through the new pages of the book, and smelling the scent of it was a heavenly feeling, at least for me. When I was much younger, I was not allowed to read Desh, because it was supposed to be boroder boi! But that could not stop me from reading those anyway, and as it happens, the more you forbid, the more irrestible the desire is to break the rules.
Kolkata used to change overnight on these four days. I still remember eating Biriyani from a roadside stall at around 3 AM! Long queues in front of the Egg-roll centers, where the preparation was so fast that the parathas were half-cooked, but for us, nothing mattered. Everything was consumed at rapid speed and indomitable enthusiasm.
Life changes, and now I can understand what I used to have then which I do not have now. It is true that as long as you are not away from home, you do not get the feeling what home really is. Sometimes it is good to be dependent, or at least to be under certain rules. Breaking rules is much more exciting than having a free will to do whatever we want.
I know not when I will be able to enjoy the Durga puja again from home. It seems its being a lifetime since I had last entered inside a Mandap. But it is always good to cherish sweet memories, because this is what keeps us moving against all odds.
Showing posts with label nostalgia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nostalgia. Show all posts
Friday, October 3, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Of serials and childhood memories
In my childhood days, the serials Ramayana and Mahabharata were hot favorites among people of all ages, but mostly it affected the children and the older people. I can still remember the image of my Grandmother, sitting in front of the television set with palms joined, and whenever Krishna or Rama used to appear, she used to touch the palms to her forehead, muttering silent prayers. For me, the attraction was different; I used to enjoy the fights- specially the scenes where Arjuna or Rama used to throw an arrow, the arrow multiplied itself into a dozen or more, and killed the enemy soldiers ; in other instances, two arrows came face-to-face in midair, stayed still for a while, and one of them disappeared. The fights with mace (or Gada) became so popular that plastic counterparts of the weapon were available in the market, and playing with them became a passion for the children during that period.
In the Indian television history, those two serials were the most popular among the audience, and even now, I like to think about them in some nostalgic moments. But apart from these two, I remember other serials as well, which always occupied my "must view" list in those days.
When the Metro Channel (or DD2) started its broadcasting, it was only for one hour in the evening in the weekdays, and there, I used to watch Johnny Sokko and the Flying Robot and Street Hawk. I cannot recall the stories now, but what I can remember is the passion with which I used to swallow them.
The Doordarshan channel (DD1) broadcasted some nice serials, of which I liked Guniraam, Tenali Rama, Mungerilaal ke haseen sapne and Nukkad. Here again, I have forgotten the details of the storyline, but probably each of them used to tell one story every week, and in those days, serials were a weekly event, not on a daily basis with two repeat telecasts, as it is nowadays.
Alike mystery stories, I have a fascination for detective serials as well, and among them, my favorites were Byomkesh Bakshi (Rajit Kapoor was superb) and Tehkikat, where Vijay Anand acted in the role of detective Sam D'Souza while Saurabh Shukla was his sidekick. Another serial, which was telecasted probably on Sunday afternoons, was Bikram Aur Betaal, where Arun Govil was the king, as far as I can remember.
In Bengali, Tero Parbon was the pioneer, where Sabyasachi Chakraborty played the character of Gora. He has been one of my favorite actors since then. There was another serial, directed by Tapan Sinha, titled as Hutomer Naksha, which was of the mystery genre, starring Soumitra Chatterjee as a retired Colonel and Hutom, a young boy as his combined-hand. It was Hutom who used to solve the mysteries, with guidance from Soumitra. Apart from these, there was Adarsha Hindu Hotel, where Manoj Mitra played the role of Hajari thakur, and Sabitri Chatterjee was in one of the leading roles.
On Sunday mornings, there was a program called An expidition to the animal kingdom ,which was a pleasure to watch. Although I did not like cartoons that much, but I used to watch He-Man and later, Jungle Book.
None of the above-mentioned names are recent, all of them are 12-18 years old at least, but I still can remember them. The reason may be because they were a part of my childhood and boyhood, a part of my life which is full of sweet memories, memories which I can cherish in moments of solitude.
In the Indian television history, those two serials were the most popular among the audience, and even now, I like to think about them in some nostalgic moments. But apart from these two, I remember other serials as well, which always occupied my "must view" list in those days.
When the Metro Channel (or DD2) started its broadcasting, it was only for one hour in the evening in the weekdays, and there, I used to watch Johnny Sokko and the Flying Robot and Street Hawk. I cannot recall the stories now, but what I can remember is the passion with which I used to swallow them.
The Doordarshan channel (DD1) broadcasted some nice serials, of which I liked Guniraam, Tenali Rama, Mungerilaal ke haseen sapne and Nukkad. Here again, I have forgotten the details of the storyline, but probably each of them used to tell one story every week, and in those days, serials were a weekly event, not on a daily basis with two repeat telecasts, as it is nowadays.
Alike mystery stories, I have a fascination for detective serials as well, and among them, my favorites were Byomkesh Bakshi (Rajit Kapoor was superb) and Tehkikat, where Vijay Anand acted in the role of detective Sam D'Souza while Saurabh Shukla was his sidekick. Another serial, which was telecasted probably on Sunday afternoons, was Bikram Aur Betaal, where Arun Govil was the king, as far as I can remember.
In Bengali, Tero Parbon was the pioneer, where Sabyasachi Chakraborty played the character of Gora. He has been one of my favorite actors since then. There was another serial, directed by Tapan Sinha, titled as Hutomer Naksha, which was of the mystery genre, starring Soumitra Chatterjee as a retired Colonel and Hutom, a young boy as his combined-hand. It was Hutom who used to solve the mysteries, with guidance from Soumitra. Apart from these, there was Adarsha Hindu Hotel, where Manoj Mitra played the role of Hajari thakur, and Sabitri Chatterjee was in one of the leading roles.
On Sunday mornings, there was a program called An expidition to the animal kingdom ,which was a pleasure to watch. Although I did not like cartoons that much, but I used to watch He-Man and later, Jungle Book.
None of the above-mentioned names are recent, all of them are 12-18 years old at least, but I still can remember them. The reason may be because they were a part of my childhood and boyhood, a part of my life which is full of sweet memories, memories which I can cherish in moments of solitude.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Life's flavor lost!
Growing up has, like every other happenings in life, its pros and cons. I remember the thrill I used to get in doing very trivial activities when I was young, many of those activities which I do no more, and looking back, very often it seems silly and pure waste of time when I ponder them over.
When I was in class II or III (also in the higher classes), book cricket was a craze. We used to pick the thickest book from our book-list and use it to score runs in plentitude. In school, as I was a back-bencher, playing this game was never a problem with friends, unless and until the teacher specifically asked me questions. But here again, my height was my saviour, because I was, and have been, the shortest person in my class, and hence, was unnoticed most of the time.
But when at home, I faced a problem. It was customary to read aloud so that my mother could hear what I was reading (she was my teacher then). On the other hand, I had already started a cricket tournament in the last period at school which I need to finish up! So my only option was to recall some poems or prose and recite them, and simultaneously turning pages of the book and keep record of the runs scored. During the entire time, I had to keep guessing my mother's movements, and getting a slightest hint of her approaching my study-table, I used to hide my "scorebook" below my "bat" (the thick book I mean), and open the thick book! Often the timing was wrong and I got caught, and scolded, sometimes beaten up , specially before exams. When I think of it, it seems very funny and childish now, but then, it was a matter of severe importance!
Swallowing a thriller, hiding it below an academic book, was very thrilling itself! Here also, I had to keep track whether or not Mother was nearby, although I had mastered the art so finely, that I hardly got caught.
As I entered college, I caught up with the vice of smoking, and I still remember the excitement I had when I smoked at home for the first time, in the presence of my parents. They were watching a Bengali serial, and on the pretence of study, I locked myself in my room and started to smoke! I had to finish the cigarette before the commercial break, because who knows, during the break, I may attract the attention of my parents, who would certainly be surprised seeing me so enthusiastic about reading, and summon me! Practice makes a man perfect, and gradually I got hold of the timing and accuracy I needed to carry on with my secret vice.
Here, being 10,000 miles away from home, I have the liberty of doing these things, and many others, freely and without worrying of being caught. But still, sometimes I miss the pure thrill, fun and the feeling of breaking a rule that were attached with these mischieves! It is like losing a certain flavor, which I had adored so much in my childhood and adulthood.
When I was in class II or III (also in the higher classes), book cricket was a craze. We used to pick the thickest book from our book-list and use it to score runs in plentitude. In school, as I was a back-bencher, playing this game was never a problem with friends, unless and until the teacher specifically asked me questions. But here again, my height was my saviour, because I was, and have been, the shortest person in my class, and hence, was unnoticed most of the time.
But when at home, I faced a problem. It was customary to read aloud so that my mother could hear what I was reading (she was my teacher then). On the other hand, I had already started a cricket tournament in the last period at school which I need to finish up! So my only option was to recall some poems or prose and recite them, and simultaneously turning pages of the book and keep record of the runs scored. During the entire time, I had to keep guessing my mother's movements, and getting a slightest hint of her approaching my study-table, I used to hide my "scorebook" below my "bat" (the thick book I mean), and open the thick book! Often the timing was wrong and I got caught, and scolded, sometimes beaten up , specially before exams. When I think of it, it seems very funny and childish now, but then, it was a matter of severe importance!
Swallowing a thriller, hiding it below an academic book, was very thrilling itself! Here also, I had to keep track whether or not Mother was nearby, although I had mastered the art so finely, that I hardly got caught.
As I entered college, I caught up with the vice of smoking, and I still remember the excitement I had when I smoked at home for the first time, in the presence of my parents. They were watching a Bengali serial, and on the pretence of study, I locked myself in my room and started to smoke! I had to finish the cigarette before the commercial break, because who knows, during the break, I may attract the attention of my parents, who would certainly be surprised seeing me so enthusiastic about reading, and summon me! Practice makes a man perfect, and gradually I got hold of the timing and accuracy I needed to carry on with my secret vice.
Here, being 10,000 miles away from home, I have the liberty of doing these things, and many others, freely and without worrying of being caught. But still, sometimes I miss the pure thrill, fun and the feeling of breaking a rule that were attached with these mischieves! It is like losing a certain flavor, which I had adored so much in my childhood and adulthood.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Farewell to Spring (Semester and Season--both)
Today was the last class day of the Spring semester. Well, the semester has not yet ended officially, the final exams are yet to come. But since I have no finals this semester, the semester has ended for me.
This semester was a real fun. I must say that of all the 6 semesters I have had here so far, this one was the most enjoyable one for me. The entire 16-week tenure got partitioned into two distinct halves, almost equal, and more than that, without my knowledge!
The first 8 weeks went away in preparing for the Qualifying Exams. All the students who have come here in US for higher studies know the importance of Qualifiers, or nicknamed as "Quals". It is like the qualifying matches before the FIFA World cup. Clearing this exam is just like getting the pass to participate in the main event. Actually, this exam marks the beginning of the "research work" people do here, at least officially. I cleared the exam somehow, although I must admit that on the day of the declaration, I experienced the most tensed 3-4 hours of my life so far, watching Amitabh-starrer Sharaabi, with my fingers crossed!!
Since I was supposed to study "hard" for my exam(which I didn't), I was allowed to enrol in only two courses in this semester, although the original requirement is 3. The courses required 2-3 hours of study every week atmost. So, I got into a lot of trouble once my quals were over. Then I planned something new to spend the remaining 8 weeks.
As I have mentioned before, I have been watching a lot of movies since I came here. This time, I decided to watch some Hollywood movies! Those who know me can imagine how weird this idea is! But, I was determined this time. I gathered the names of some notable movies, and started watching them, one by one. To my surprise, I started liking them (only thing is, I need to pay more attention while watching) . For the last one-and-a-half months, I have watched quite a good number of Hollywood movies, and have become an admirer of Tom Hanks and Kevin Spacey! I do not like the action movies, rather the Drama genre attracts me more. I am hoping to gather a better knowledge of Hollywood movies as time goes by.
The Spring season is also bidding farewell it seems, alike the semester. It is raining consistently almost everyday for the last 15 days or so. I think this is the time of monsoon in this area. Rain always makes me nostalgic, walking in the rain without an umbrella was one of my favourite activities back home, which is continuing here as well.
Last, but not the least, every meeting must end with a delicious eating. The classes ended today, and tomorrow we are having Lunch in the department. All is well that ends well.
Bon Apetite!
This semester was a real fun. I must say that of all the 6 semesters I have had here so far, this one was the most enjoyable one for me. The entire 16-week tenure got partitioned into two distinct halves, almost equal, and more than that, without my knowledge!
The first 8 weeks went away in preparing for the Qualifying Exams. All the students who have come here in US for higher studies know the importance of Qualifiers, or nicknamed as "Quals". It is like the qualifying matches before the FIFA World cup. Clearing this exam is just like getting the pass to participate in the main event. Actually, this exam marks the beginning of the "research work" people do here, at least officially. I cleared the exam somehow, although I must admit that on the day of the declaration, I experienced the most tensed 3-4 hours of my life so far, watching Amitabh-starrer Sharaabi, with my fingers crossed!!
Since I was supposed to study "hard" for my exam(which I didn't), I was allowed to enrol in only two courses in this semester, although the original requirement is 3. The courses required 2-3 hours of study every week atmost. So, I got into a lot of trouble once my quals were over. Then I planned something new to spend the remaining 8 weeks.
As I have mentioned before, I have been watching a lot of movies since I came here. This time, I decided to watch some Hollywood movies! Those who know me can imagine how weird this idea is! But, I was determined this time. I gathered the names of some notable movies, and started watching them, one by one. To my surprise, I started liking them (only thing is, I need to pay more attention while watching) . For the last one-and-a-half months, I have watched quite a good number of Hollywood movies, and have become an admirer of Tom Hanks and Kevin Spacey! I do not like the action movies, rather the Drama genre attracts me more. I am hoping to gather a better knowledge of Hollywood movies as time goes by.
The Spring season is also bidding farewell it seems, alike the semester. It is raining consistently almost everyday for the last 15 days or so. I think this is the time of monsoon in this area. Rain always makes me nostalgic, walking in the rain without an umbrella was one of my favourite activities back home, which is continuing here as well.
Last, but not the least, every meeting must end with a delicious eating. The classes ended today, and tomorrow we are having Lunch in the department. All is well that ends well.
Bon Apetite!
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