Vidyapati Sur Sandhya

Jamshedpur


Just now returned from a program. The program was "Vidyapati Sur Sandhya" presented by "Tarang" and organized by Mithila Sanskritik Parishad. I went with Poonam and Sallanji to watch the program.


I have never seen a program specially in Jamshedpur, which starts on time or on the time printed on the card nor told by the organizer. The time was printed on the card 6:15 pm, but it started at 6:45pm.


The program started with Vidyapati song : Jai Jai Bhairavi Asur bhayawani......., the song was sung by Shri Nilamber Choudhary very well, but I don't know why people were told to stand up. In Mithila and every where, people sit and sing the bhagwati geet(bhajan of goddess). It does not make sense to make artist stand and sing bhagwati geet. Even the audience were told to stand up for the song.


After Bhagwati vandana the welcome speech session started, guests were honored by Paag and Dopta . The person who was told to give speech on Vidyapati, tried her best to make the speech big and used all the possible words in praise of the chief guest and few guests. The singers with the musicians were sitting by the side of the stage till the speech was over which was looking very odd.When the welcome speech was finished, then it was the turn of guests to speak few lines and all of them did it in short and was messages for the society. The chief guest delivered a nice speech and suggested to take oath that all of us will not take dowry and will protest if someone takes the dowry. The Audience clapped on it, but I am sure except one or two person, those who were present in the auditorium will forget that clapping, why they had clapped.


Now the stage was handed over to pankajji for nritya natika (dance drama). It was a nice experiment and all the songs on which choreography was done was Vidyapati's rachna(songs). Over all, the nritya natika was liked by the audience. The second half of the program was called folk fusion, it had folk dance and songs. The folk dance was not so impresive but I enjoyed a folk dance very much and was emotional too. The lyrics was "madhur madhur baje bansuria re nache gopi bala.......,"composed by my husband Lallan Prasad Thakur and sung by Nilamberji.


I went fifteen years back, when Mr. Thakur composed the lyrics and directed the music of "madhur madhur.....". Those were the days when Balmukundji, a pillar of "Mithilakshar" was also in Jamshedpur. This music use to be directed by Mr. Thakur and sung by Nilamberji and Balmukundji use to paly the tabla.


Balmukundji is basically a nice gentle man which I have mentioned several times. In all the program since he use to be busy right from 9:00 am, so his clothes, I mean suit or pyjama kurta was brought by his wife Hemlataji and he use to change it in the makeup room. He was very fond of keeping himself fit and smart. Once he had to welcome the chief guest and invite him for a short speech. For that in Maithili, it's a courtesy to ask the guest to come and say" दू शब्द "(two words). After all his arrangements he went to the makeup room to dress himself, at the mean time it was the time for inviting the guest to lit the diya and give the speech, so Mr. Thakur after searching him told someone else to do that part. When Balmukundji came after dressing him self chief guest had finished his speech and was near the diya, so Balmukundji took the mike and invited the chief guest. In reply the chief guest said I have said दू शब्द, so now I will say चार शब्द.


Please Balmukundji if you read this blog, don't take it otherwise. It's just to revive the memories. Really while watching the folk dance madhur madhur..., instead of being in 21st century I was in 20th century.




Bacha Kaka

Jamshedpur


Today in the evening when I logged on I saw a new blog of Dr. Dhanakar Thakur. He has mentioned that one of his village's old man died today. The name he has mentioned is "Achutanand "in his title but "again he has mentioned Achytanand ", so I was confused. I know that Bcha Kaka's name was Achutanand and his nick name "Santu" and he was popularly know as "Santu Babu" in Samaul and Madhubani. Bacha kaka was staying with his son Gogi at Ranchi that I knew, so I was worried to confirm the news. Gogi is the only son of Bacha kaka and is married, all four daughters of Bacha kaka are also married.


After reading the blog, I first called Poonam because Sallanji is out of station and told her to give a call to Sallanji. After that I immidiately called Dhanakarji and asked him about the death of Bacha kaka. He told me the detail and said that his son Gogi has taken his body to Madhubani. I don't have Gogi's cell number. So I am waiting for Sallanji. Once he comes, then I will call Gogi.


Bacha kaka was the youngest brother of Dadaji(my father- in-law). He has visited several times to my house when he was posted in Loherdagga. Kaki( Bacha kaka's wife) also expired four years before, just twelve days after Maa(my mother-in-law) expired. Now only Badki Kaki and Ranti wali Kaki are alive in their generation. May God give strength and courage to Gogi. Its not possible for me to go to Madhubani alone.

Telegram

Jamshedpur


We have a custom that after marriage the girl stays back to her parents house, the barat returns immediately after wedding and the boy returns after four or five days. On fourth or fifth day again the whole process of marriage is performed and only then the marriage is complete.


Again the boy comes for the second marriage (द्विरागमन ), with one or two close relatives which is performed later. It can be within a year,within three years or within five years. In between the boy can go to meet her wife.


When I got married in 1972 I was staying with my uncle at Ranchi because my father was posted in Arunachal Pradesh. In 1973 my father was transferred to Jamshedpur, then I came to stay with my parents.


Once when my husband came to meet me, one day he said that his friend Shyam's in-laws are also staying in Jamshedpur and they were relatives of my parents. My husband's friend Shyam was working in Ranchi and he was in Jamshedpur with his wife Sudha. So, one day we planned to go to meet them.


Those days very few people had phone facility. The communication was letter in case of emergency or if it was very urgent then telegram.


One day in the evening we went to meet them. When we reached the couple had gone some where and their parents told us that they were expecting them to return in few minutes, so the parents of Sudha told us sit. We sat there and was chatting with Sudha's parents, who were my uncle and aunt in relation but we were meeting them first time.


Since we were meeting first time to Sudha's father so he was asking my husband from which place he belonged, his father's name etc. He was very impressed with my husband. During our talk he told us that Shyam's elder brother was working in Telco and they had gone there and to-mmorrow again Shyam is going to his village to bring his sister-in-law. He told us that his village and Shyam's village was very near but Shyam's village was still very backward.


Now by Sudha's parents we came to know that: In Sudha and Shyam's second marriage (dwiragman) Shyam's sister-in law had gone to their village to attened the function alone, because Shyam's brother could not get leave. After second marriage Shyam stayed there for fifteen days and was returning alone to Ranchi. The plan was that Sudha and her sister-in-law will stay there with her in-laws for a month. One day Shyam's brother came to meet Sudha's parent and he told that his wife was also coming with Shyam. Next day Sudha's father sent a telegram to Sudha's father- in-law that"send Sudha with Shyam". Sudha's father was going to his village after two weeks, so he thought that it was a nice opportunity for Sudha to meet them and she can again go with her father to her in-laws and stay there.


When this telegram reached Shyam's village that day Sudha's grandmother had sent someone to meet Sudha and give her some sweets etc. The postmaster got the telegram in the morning and he told the postman not to deliver it before lunch, because the telegram was given usually in emergency, so assumed it for bad news. Any how the telegram was delivered to Shyam's father in the afternoon. Now after seeing that telegram every one was worried. Now they told Shyam to leave her sister-in-law she will go afterward and rush immediately with Sudha to Jamshedpur. So, Shyam's sister-in-law stayed back and Sudha came with Shyam to Jamshedpur. When the person whom Sudha's grandmother had sent, returned back, he told about the telegram to Sudha's grandmother and she was so worried hearing about the telegram that she also came to Jamshedpur. Now Shyam was going to bring his sister-in-law.

Back To Jamshedpur

Jamshedpur


I reached Jamshedpur at 12:30 am today and reached home at about 1:00 am. Panditji had come to receive me. I returned Jamshedpur after 5 months. I tried to sleep but could not, whole night I was awake.


Since morning I was busy in restoring every thing. My phone was in safe custody, so no internet. First I gave cheque to Panditji and told him to submit it as soon as possible, so he went and 10:30 the bill was submitted. Then I called Mr. Sunil Prasad (AGM,BSNL KADMA) he was in a meeting so he told me that the phone will be restored within an hour and really at 12:00 pm it was restored and he called me to tell. Now after that I was able to access my internet. My TV is not working, so I called the LG service center and they assured me that they will come tomorrow. So many bills and mails are to be checked. Whole day I was busy in going through the mails and bills.


Now I am tired too much, so I can't write much.