Thoughts get vanishes with time, memories fails to recall all the pleasant moments we had. So, here is an attempt to catch the jaunt that I took and the intricacies involved.
Sonika Rajkumari, New Delhi
After a long hiatus, I went to Silchar with all my curiosity to meet my cousins and uncles who stay in the village, though I along with my parents were going to attend my Aiga’s after-death ritual.
My visit to Silchar, I presume, was totally different from my previous round up, as earlier I had only been to Silchar from Guwahati, and before that from Srinagar. So from the day one we landed up in Delhi, the visit comes as my first experience of journey from Delhi to Silchar.
Delhi to Silchar
The journey from Delhi to Guwahati in train was OK. I spent the whole two-day journey either by seeing myself in a small mirror or by just sleeping. After two days of journey we got down at the Kamakhya Railway Station and headed towards our house at Borjhar. As soon as I got there, all my tiredness vanished to nowhere and I started cleaning the rooms that remained closed for 6-7 months. So, you can imagine what would be the condition of those unoccupied rooms.
Well, the next day we headed for Silchar in a video coach night super, again it was my first brush to have a journey in this so called video-fitted bus. I was literally excited that I will watch the songs and movies and my mind wouldn’t be on snake-shaped roads of Shillong and my stomach wouldn’t wreck havoc while in the whole journey.
But I was put wrong, they played a movie, I still don’t know, it was from which era. It was a black and white movie, sound surpassed by the noise of the engine. The newly found truth shattered all my misconception I had about this video-coach that they play new release movie songs and albums. Feeling bore and disturb, I started watching the natural movie that was constantly unfolding outside my window.
Next morning around 7 a.m we descended at Kallain from the bus and got into a waiting Cruiser that would take us to my village, Mohanpur. I was half-asleep, but when the driver of the Cruiser played a song, I was brought to life again, my heart started beating and my nerves ticking. However, I remained oblivious of the whole song.
From the dull face expression that I was wearing, I suppose the conductor understood and he asked the driver to change the song and play a nice, new song. The driver then played the song, “Na hum Amitabh, na Dilip Kumar, na kisi hero ke bechche – hum hai, sidhey sadhe Akshay, Akshay” from the movie International Khiladi. The driver liked the song and gave a blasting sound to it by increasing the sound volume.
The first thought that crossed my mind after hearing the first line of the song was “Hey Bhagwan”. I smirked with a concocted face. I thought, it would have been better, if the conductor had asked him to turn off the tape-recorder.
Hectic Daily Schedule
After 30 or 45 minutes of journey, we reached at our village, Mohanpur and alighted in front of my Aiga’s ( uncle) house. I was pretty much excited and looking forward to meet my sisters and brothers.
As soon as I took off my bag, my Boroma started crying laying her head on my shoulder. I was totally numb, expressionless, I didn’t consol her. I was standing like a log.
I was very untidy and dirty so I wanted to take a ‘clean’ bathe. When my Kaki came and told me using soap and shampoo is “Gom nai”. I got awestruck and tongue-tied. I tried to persuade her, and after much persuasion I got her green signal for that day only.
As I knew for the next ten days we wouldn’t be allowed to have a bathe with soap and shampoo, so I spent hours in the bathe.
During this 14-day, I helped my sisters in distributing chai-pani and guwa-pana to the guests. While distributing water on feast, I got my share of popularity. People started asking about me, “koi te daho ogorey, jego pani bilairi”. They were thinking that distributing water was difficult task for me as they often came to me after having meal and saying, “Maa, aaji tey ti jey himpailey paori”.
On the day of shraad, I wore Angalluri with Namsa in nose and in forehead. Just like “Bamuni sougo” that’s what people were saying. However, some of them were forbidding me to wear the Angalluri as I wouldn’t be able to walk and may fall down. Eventually I went on with the attire and started distributing water (the only allotted work to me) in the bandra.
My sisters also got dressed, wearing salwar-suit. Around 3 p.m I was rather feeling tardy and I headed towards the bed and soon asleep. When my sisters came after an hour and told me give homa-haan to Dakula.
After all the rituals got over, we were served with one of my favourite dish i.e. ‘Kapok-Chira along with Modhu’ and Selkom (exceptional). But I didn’t eat because the Kapok-Chira, Modhu was mixed by somebody else’s hands. I had to devour my saliva-juice which came into my mouth.
After the shraad was over, everybody hit the bed, squeezing out all the hard work that they had been languishing during the whole Kormo. That day we had a great dinner with fish and longchak.
What I gained?
In this whole journey I come to know many things that I was unaware of about our culture and customs. Here is a piece of advice from me: Don’t waste your hard earned money in the so called luxury video-coach, it is worthy if you travel in an ordinary bus with no screen facility. If given a chance, do check the sound, the movie to be shown before you board the bus.
Please SUBSCRIBE to the Bishnupriya Manipuri Blog.
Sonika Rajkumari, New Delhi
After a long hiatus, I went to Silchar with all my curiosity to meet my cousins and uncles who stay in the village, though I along with my parents were going to attend my Aiga’s after-death ritual.
My visit to Silchar, I presume, was totally different from my previous round up, as earlier I had only been to Silchar from Guwahati, and before that from Srinagar. So from the day one we landed up in Delhi, the visit comes as my first experience of journey from Delhi to Silchar.
Delhi to Silchar
The journey from Delhi to Guwahati in train was OK. I spent the whole two-day journey either by seeing myself in a small mirror or by just sleeping. After two days of journey we got down at the Kamakhya Railway Station and headed towards our house at Borjhar. As soon as I got there, all my tiredness vanished to nowhere and I started cleaning the rooms that remained closed for 6-7 months. So, you can imagine what would be the condition of those unoccupied rooms.
Well, the next day we headed for Silchar in a video coach night super, again it was my first brush to have a journey in this so called video-fitted bus. I was literally excited that I will watch the songs and movies and my mind wouldn’t be on snake-shaped roads of Shillong and my stomach wouldn’t wreck havoc while in the whole journey.
But I was put wrong, they played a movie, I still don’t know, it was from which era. It was a black and white movie, sound surpassed by the noise of the engine. The newly found truth shattered all my misconception I had about this video-coach that they play new release movie songs and albums. Feeling bore and disturb, I started watching the natural movie that was constantly unfolding outside my window.Next morning around 7 a.m we descended at Kallain from the bus and got into a waiting Cruiser that would take us to my village, Mohanpur. I was half-asleep, but when the driver of the Cruiser played a song, I was brought to life again, my heart started beating and my nerves ticking. However, I remained oblivious of the whole song.
From the dull face expression that I was wearing, I suppose the conductor understood and he asked the driver to change the song and play a nice, new song. The driver then played the song, “Na hum Amitabh, na Dilip Kumar, na kisi hero ke bechche – hum hai, sidhey sadhe Akshay, Akshay” from the movie International Khiladi. The driver liked the song and gave a blasting sound to it by increasing the sound volume.
The first thought that crossed my mind after hearing the first line of the song was “Hey Bhagwan”. I smirked with a concocted face. I thought, it would have been better, if the conductor had asked him to turn off the tape-recorder.
Hectic Daily Schedule
After 30 or 45 minutes of journey, we reached at our village, Mohanpur and alighted in front of my Aiga’s ( uncle) house. I was pretty much excited and looking forward to meet my sisters and brothers.
As soon as I took off my bag, my Boroma started crying laying her head on my shoulder. I was totally numb, expressionless, I didn’t consol her. I was standing like a log.
I was very untidy and dirty so I wanted to take a ‘clean’ bathe. When my Kaki came and told me using soap and shampoo is “Gom nai”. I got awestruck and tongue-tied. I tried to persuade her, and after much persuasion I got her green signal for that day only.
As I knew for the next ten days we wouldn’t be allowed to have a bathe with soap and shampoo, so I spent hours in the bathe.
During this 14-day, I helped my sisters in distributing chai-pani and guwa-pana to the guests. While distributing water on feast, I got my share of popularity. People started asking about me, “koi te daho ogorey, jego pani bilairi”. They were thinking that distributing water was difficult task for me as they often came to me after having meal and saying, “Maa, aaji tey ti jey himpailey paori”.
On the day of shraad, I wore Angalluri with Namsa in nose and in forehead. Just like “Bamuni sougo” that’s what people were saying. However, some of them were forbidding me to wear the Angalluri as I wouldn’t be able to walk and may fall down. Eventually I went on with the attire and started distributing water (the only allotted work to me) in the bandra.
My sisters also got dressed, wearing salwar-suit. Around 3 p.m I was rather feeling tardy and I headed towards the bed and soon asleep. When my sisters came after an hour and told me give homa-haan to Dakula.
After all the rituals got over, we were served with one of my favourite dish i.e. ‘Kapok-Chira along with Modhu’ and Selkom (exceptional). But I didn’t eat because the Kapok-Chira, Modhu was mixed by somebody else’s hands. I had to devour my saliva-juice which came into my mouth.
After the shraad was over, everybody hit the bed, squeezing out all the hard work that they had been languishing during the whole Kormo. That day we had a great dinner with fish and longchak.
What I gained?
In this whole journey I come to know many things that I was unaware of about our culture and customs. Here is a piece of advice from me: Don’t waste your hard earned money in the so called luxury video-coach, it is worthy if you travel in an ordinary bus with no screen facility. If given a chance, do check the sound, the movie to be shown before you board the bus.
Please SUBSCRIBE to the Bishnupriya Manipuri Blog.
Yes, i must say, you gained nice experience while you had visit to Silchar.
ReplyDeleteI guess, You had a nice journey " Delhi to silchar", because, imperfection is perfection.
anyway, nice article. keep post here. Hope, It may be your nice journey towards to your life.
thanks,
jyotirmoy
it is a beautiful depiction of the journey to north east,a good presentation, especially the typical village dogmas have been nicely scripted out... A commendable work Ms Sonika...
ReplyDeleteDo keep posting.... gud wishes....
bn da..
Really a nice witeup..and welcome to the blog after a long wait..a very well descripted story..and a fruitful visit indeed..
ReplyDeleteLuv and regards...Ranita Di
Its a story which most of the manipuri expatriate (who lives in different parts of the globe) had experienced. I had experienced this in my life. and the words like "baba/sougo himpeitoi, niyam kam nadio...." are priceless, which money cant buy, ofcourse for everything else there is mastercard. Its really a feel good story. and i appreciate the writer the way she has presented. well done.
ReplyDeletereally a nice one..........to read , it make me as if m travelling, can see all those realities!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete