Amader ei poth cholatei anondo....

Gulzar - The Genius...Excerpts from Sunset Point

Dholak ki thaap dur daraaz ke muhallo tak sunaai di…jab use khabar mili toh who bhi pahucha! Khirkiyo, darwaazo se jhaak jhaak kar uski nazar pakadne ki koshish karta raha. Mehendi saji dulhan tak pahuchna mumkin nahi tha…Ek saheli dulhan ke liye chay ki pyali lekar ayi…usne toh mangi nahi thi…saheli ki ankh ne jhapak kar kaha – “Peelo…cup mein paigham bhi hai!”

Cup ki teh mein usne angoothi rakh kar bhej di thi! Angoothi hotho se peeli aur ungli me pehen li…saheli ki mehndi likhe hatheli par usne likh kar bhej diya – “ Usi sunset par milna, jo pull par mila tha!”

Lekin sandes pahucha nahi – who jaa chuka tha! Pal bhar me sab badal gaya…aur kuch bhi nahi badla…joh badla tha…who toh guzar gaya…

Har roz jab suraj horob hota…who usi pull par khadi uska intezaar karti. Lekin who nahi aya. Ek baar fir zindagi ka haath uske ungliyo se chhootne laga…Sunset ke rang bhi kitne kachhe hote hai!

Suraj doobta doobte garam koyle ki tarha doob gaya…aur bujh gaya! Who ghar se bhaag ayi thi…us rishte se bachne ke liye jo bin chahe uske daaman se bandha ja raha tha. Usne sandesa bheja toh tha – us pull par milne ke liye jo do kinaroko jorta hai.

Hawa jab kohre ko hilora deti toh pura pull jhoom jataa…zindagi ke dono sire choo leta – ibteda aur inteha – shuruwat aur aakhir! Isi jagah se unke rishte ki ibteda hui thi…maazi se ek awaz ahista ahista uske kareeb aa rahi thi…

Who abhi tak pull par khadi thi…

Ateet se aati hui hasi aur awaaz bahut durr nahi lagi ! Aisi hi laga jaise awaaz abhi tak beeti nahi…shayad kohra mein haath baraye toh chhu bhi le use. Ghari dekhi…second ki sui apne pehre par parade kar rahi thi! Aur abhi tak uske aane ki koi khabar nahi thi! Raat mein shadaf aa gaya the…crack aa gaya tha!

Aadhi raat kat chuki thi…Who raat bhi aisi hi kati thi…ekkiswe manzil par ek ghoomte hue restaurant me…shayad Toronto me tha…wo do hi the aur…

Ghari dekhi thi toh usne apna haath rakh diya tha us par. Kitna bara haath tha uska! Uski dono kalaiya usme bandh ho jaya karti thi…lock ho jaati thi! Apne bojhal ankhon se usne dekha tha uski taraf…aur uski ankhon ki awaz sunaai di thi…“Tumhari ankhon ka rang bhi toh aasmani hai!”

Na paro se ure,na pairo par chale...uski muskurahat ne itna hi kaha tha - “Baahon me utha lo mujhe...mujhse chala nahi jaata” Us raat baahon ki ek sangin deewar mein...do saase kuch you uljhi thi ke bas ek hi saans sunaai di thi...

Agomoni 3

Barir pujo orghyo...

Dhuno Poranor Purono Reeti...

Kumari Pujo...

Bishorjoner age dorpone mayer pa dekha...

Ei shesh dekha...e bochorer moto...

Agomoni 2

Alo r bigyaponer moroke...

Tufaani chumuk protibaarer motoi...

Nache alo dhaker taale....

Thakur dekhte jawa...

BIGyaponer bajare BIG FM...

Agomoni 1

Trinoyoni Durga...

Rudrorupini tokhono kumortulite...

Agomoner Prostuti...

Tak Duma Dum Dhaker Kaathi...

Ma chollen baaper baari...kumor para theke...

As the festivities begin...

It has been raining intermittently since the past month…well, it no longer takes a monsoon to bring out your umbrellas and rain coats. The Low Pressure troughs have been a bit too frequent over the Gangetic Plains this year…Looming, dark clouds gather almost every alternate day causing creases on more an every alternate face on the roads. Perhaps we a re a bit too tired of rains…perhaps we are a bit too tired of half dried clothes with a musty smell…perhaps we are a bit too tired of the mucky lanes or the more than half drenched roads!

Guess its finally time for Zeus…or Indra (They look strangely familiar in spite of their locational differences!) to take a rest for the year! The over-drenched humans are now crying out loud for a bit of sun! As the roads of the metropolis remain drowned to the waist even after scorching sun beats down on the rain drenched city (Thanks to the Civic Services!) the sick and tired souls of the city call out more to the Civic Authorities rather than the All Powerful Gods. It’s no wonder then that the theme-crazy Puja organizers do not hesitate to replace the moulds with a more bureaucratic look that the usual ethereal ones in their bid to be the best! Actually there is hardly an option left! With the Potters Zone either remains submerged in waist deep water or another harsh Low Pressure starting to beat down on it mercilessly, the traditional idols hardly get a chance to dry up in time!

And of course there is the Puja Shopping…perhaps one of the favourite pastimes for Us, proud Kolkatans! As the rains put a hold on the entire affair for a few days, the remaining ones see record crowd gathering around the shopping centres, and the bazaars of the city so much that life becomes tough for the rest of the world. Well, news here then…the Met Department has predicted a Dry Puja this year (sound strangely familiar to Dry Days!!!) leading to the obvious conclusion of the opposite! So fellow city-ans…keep your umbrellas and raincoats ready for the five days of celebration! And be sure to include waterproof clothes in your Puja Wardrobe. Oh yes and it’s Floaters Time…and so, the Reeboks and Nikes of the world unite…for its time for the Khadims, Sreeleathers and the lot to rest in peace…

And then the Rizwanur Rehman Case still remains shrouded in mystery as authorities juggle it between themselves arguing over when to prosecute the suspected officials! For Life’s Sake…the guy was found dead and in all probabilities murdered…and yet the discussions range between whether it will be right to prosecute the people concerned! And of course the ‘Ration Revolution’ as it has been labeled now, continues to claim lives and burn shops and assets. The Authorities are as usual at a loss about which side to take – the ones they had been stealthily taking or the ones they have to openly take to save their faces! Oh yes…Nandigram continues to simmer like on a perpetual fire…with deaths in a row and definite more to follow wonder what appeals to them now…The blue skies with white clouds floating? The smell of autumn emanating from every part of the world? The Mahalaya and Puja dawning with its usual fervour? Or food, land and respect?

Will be back with more updates on the city and around and of course everything else that will remain dormant and will eventually die a unnecessarily predictable death…

Well….Happy Durga Puja people…

Shanti Town VI

The morning welcomes us in the same way, with the only exception that it being a Sunday does not necessarily imply lazing in the bed till late hours of the day. Post breakfast and bath we set out to explore the town and buy small mementos for people back home. This time we decide to walk the two kilometres instead of taking the rickshaw. Walking down the road by the canal, the breeze sings in our ears as colourful butterflies flutter past taking short breaks on the tall green grass by the roads. The sky is a strange spotless blue designed with stark shades of red, orange and yellow emanating from the flowers that bloom on the high up branches. Again we pass locals on our way and wonder if our presence in their usual settings upsets the ambience for them...

A trifle tired as we reach the Canal More, we decide to stop for a cup of tea in one of the stalls. Hot tea in earthen cups tastes fantastic, with the smell of fresh earth surrounding us throughout. Instead of taking the left turn we decide to turn right towards Goalpara and walk down a few steps to 'Ipil'. Does the name sound weird? It might...it means a star in the local Santhali language. A lone man runs this small shop or boutique in the real sense of the term. He makes all the items on sale with meticulous care in his own little studio room in one corner of the small hut like structure. The room smells strongly of grass, as in ganja...while the items on display, mostly Dokra craft can leave one mesmerized. We wander in the shop for a while and end up buying a few stuff that can hardly be found in the Kolkata or for that matter in the town area itself.

Satisfying our aesthetic senses for the time being we start walking towards the University area. We cross Shyambati, University More and walk further down leaving Purbo palli on the left. As we get closer to the now deserted Bhuban danga ground, a surging memory fills the mind - that of the Poush Mela. Started by Tagore, this huge fair is another event of importance in this town. Held over the 22nd or 23rd, 24th and 25th December, marking the Foundation Day of the Vishwabharati University. The 'Melar math' as it is also known as turns into a literal Fair ground with shops selling locally made handicraft items, food, items of daily use and local jewellery. There are entertainment corners and the crowd essentially pools in from Kolkata and other places as well.

One of the main attractions remains the 'Baul Akhra' where bauls come together and present their songs in a somewhat similar version of a JAM Session. People sit there enamored by the simple yet philosophically charged lyrics of the baul songs - a speciality of rural Bengal, particularly this part of the state. the lyrics as well as the tunes accompanied by the Khamaks sound strangely rustic as they sing in unison...'Chatoko pray ohornishi/ cheye ache kalo shoshi/ ar hobo bole choron dashi/O ta hoy na kopal gune...amar moner manusheri shone...O milon hobe kototdine...' The sorrow and cries of the soul reverberate through the strains of the songs that equate love for the supreme being through the love for a lover. Though literally Poush Mela ends on the 25th December, what continues is the Bhanga Mela or the remnants of the fair with some shops still selling items, now at a cheaper rate.

As we move further, rows of shanties sell locally made artifacts and items. Teracotta being a speciality in this part of the state, items made in this form are plenty and at rates unimaginable anywhere else. The earthern artifacts, the batik clothes, the Dokra ornaments...it actually is a shoppers paradise for those with a taste for elegance and sophistication. As the day gradually moves towards noon, tired of the walking, we take a rickshaw and head back for home. A little rest and packing our belongings we head towards Prantik Station to take the train back to our usual lives once more. The Ganadevta Express comes at 6:30 and we board the train, a trifle sad that the trip has ended but ever ready to come back at the slightest pretext yet again...and again...As the trains gains speed taking us further and further away from Shanti Town, a faint melody rings in the ears...'Jabar age jao go amay rangiye diye, rokte tomar chorondola lagiye diye...rangiye diye jao jao jao go ebar jabar age'