NEW YEAR - Celebration Continues !

Celebration Continues !
It was the first Sunday of this new Year and Jojo, the present generation of the Nathaniels   came around noon to inform that there would be a small family get-together at the Nathaniel House.  The next thing he did was to rush to the Entally market to get the items to be cooked.

It was a dinner party and we were about 10 people- young and old, and, of course the children. The menu was simple – rice, dhal, pork vindaloo and pork sausages, green salads, dhania chutney. No  eating in Bengal is complete without sweets, and, there were sweet items galore. Sweet Curd, Sandesh, a special  rosomalai and rossogolla dipped in nolen gur syrup.

The pork vindaloo cooked by Jhumpa  i.e. Mrs. Jojo was awesome, after ages I could taste such a perfect vindaloo and despite a lot of warning (agreed I am quite old now- but if the food is too good !!)  I took large helpings.
It was a nostalgic journey. I was narrating about the good old days when Christmas at the Nathaniels meant basically Pulao, roast and  chicken kassa. My aunty alias Bordi Mashi alias Mrs. Sunny Nathaniel was a great cook, and, I was a great eater !
The function continued till late night. Thanks dear Jojo-Jhumpa ! This indeed is a very nice memory to cherish.
(Nathaniel House christened as "Sunny Side", and the senior Nathaniel i.e. 'Sunny Sahib')

EASTER 2017

Easter is always celebrated in a very special way in our house. We stay in a locality in south of Kolkata city and we are a very tiny community of Bengali Christians living here.  However, the locality is known as “Christian Para” – the Christian Dwelling. There is a small church here, accommodating about 40 heads. It was mud walled church with tiled roof for many years, perhaps for 100 years !  Since last ten years or  so it has a doubled storied building. While the ground floor has the church, there is a community hall on the upstairs. It is located attached our house, so there is no excuse for our family to miss a Church Service !

On early morning, before the sunrise, we get up for singing the easter songs, mostly traditional folk songs. Earlier there were good numbers joining this event, but now there were not much takers for this early hour act. This year my wife woke me up to join, and, there were only we two ! Nevertheless, we went on singing till there was the sun rise, and lo behold ..... it is the Easter Day !

By 7.30 in the morning our children and grand children were all set to go for the church service. Most of them had new shining dresses for the day. The church every year is decorated with a lot of flowers. However, this year there was a new idea, of decorating the church with colourful large paper-flowers.

The church service was over after an hour. We were to proceed to our mother church located a bit far. Our grandson got Confirmation as full member, and, it is customary to receive the first Holy Communion for a new member at our mother church. We (my wife, myself, grandson and his father) took out our van and along with the Padre proceeded to the mother church. There was a good crowd at the mother church. The six new Confirmed members of the church were with white dresses and they greeted all the congregation. Around 11 in the morning the Easter Service at the mother church was over and the congregation had a get-to-gather with cake and tea.  

When we returned home, our grand children already started their easter-fun.... breaking of Easter Eggs

. My son, his wife and their little daughter  just returned the previous week from their trip to Rome and they brought two large Italian Easter Eggs. My sister’s  grand-daughter also joined us and she too brought a big easter  egg. They really had a good fun !

Around one in the afternoon we had the Easter Meal. It was a home- made fare, a typical Bengali festive  meal.  Rice,  Pea-Dhal, Fish Fry, Chicken Curry, Mango Chutney (Thin Jelly), Cucumber salad and Ice Cream.  It was a long enjoyable time spent together.

It was indeed a good memorable day.... Happy Easter !  

Confirmation of Antariksh

On Palm Sunday there was an important event in our family. Our grand son Antariksh was confrmed in the Church. It would mean he is now a full communicant member of our Church. Traditionally we are from the Weslyan Methodist tradition. In the year 1970 seven major churches agreed upon a church union and the Church of North India was formed. There was already unified church union in South India, named as Church of South India established in 1947. Weslyan Methodist became a part of the CNI and we became a part of the Calcutta Diocese of CNI. Our cathedral church is St. Paul's located at the heart of the city. 

On Palm Sunday we took Antariksh to the St. Paul's Cathedral for Confirmation Service. A large number of clergy was present. The Confirmation was administered by Bishop Ashok Biswas, by anointing oil on the forehead. Over 120 youth took the Confirmation.  

The grand structure, the ornamental alter and the galleries of the Cathedral provided the perfect solemn ambience for the occasion. 

(I was present at the formation Service of CNI in 1970 in this same very Church. I was a college student then and an active part of the SCM- Student Christian Movement. We were a group of students attending the service and for the first time allowed to occupy the front row ..... which were earlier always reserved for the special dignitaries !)

By time the service was over, it was late in the evening. Many relatives attending the church came to Antariksh and he touched their feet, as is the tradition and they all blessed him. Antariksh would take the first Holy Communion on the forthcoming Easter at our mother Church located a bit far away from our home called "Osmond Memorial Church".

A Bengal Christmas at Kolkata

24^th December, the day before Christmas Day started early for the young ones. They got themselves

engrossed in making a Manger and placing images of the Nativity. Some of them were running around with huge wooden ladder and climbing to tie out the colourful paper strips in the locality. Soon the area, our small Christian Para (Christian Dwelling) wore a real festive look ! Their hectic work schedule were often punctuated by shouting from grandpas and grandmas “time for lunch... please come home....” But their routine answers were “just  ten minutes more, and we would be through !” My daughter- in- law made a huge show-man which was placed next to a Santa outside our home. It was very nicely made . By the time we could gather for the lunch it was already well paste

noon !

After the Lunch it was continuation of the routine for the boys, and, this time the girls took the charge of the decorating the church... with lots of mistletoes and flowers of varied colours.

25^th December, 2016

We woke with the boom of the sound box playing “jingle bells”. Around 7.30 in the morning we all gathered in our church of the locality. It is a small church with a sitting capacity of about 40 . On occasion like this we arrange for close circuit television transmission on the first floor room of the church so that those

who could not make it inside the church can still can go upstairs and join the worship. It was an hour-long service. Less of sermon and more of carols ! Along with traditional English tune carols, we also sing a few Bengali Christian songs set on old folk tunes. After the service we gathered outside the church for cake and coffee. There after we had Christmas Tree and all at the congregation got some useful prizes by picking up lucky number. The  prizes were house hold items like comb, tea stainer, mug, soap case, small kitchen cans and so on ! There after we gathered to pose for a family photograph...... a very old tradition very religiously followed every year.... of course the photographer changes with

changing times. In olden days it was one of my uncles who was a passionate photographer who did it. Thereafter my elder brother-in-law, followed by me for some years. Presently my son is doing the photography for the past several Christmas !

Thereafter, there was the gathering of friends and  relatives inside and outside our house.... with hot coffee,  home made cakes and my daughter made a lot of chocolates to share for this occasion.   

Around noon relatives from far flung places started arriving for the Christmas Lunch. This is a participatory event where every one shares the

expenses for the food. I have some long tables which  are taken out of our store-room for this occasion ! The lunch menu was very much a Bengali fare... Rice, Dal, mixed vegetable curry, chicken curry, sweet chutney, papad and sandesh (milk sweets). There were about 50 persons joining the meal.

In the evening I was sitting on a chair in front of the decorated Manger... playing Santa, by presenting each visiting child a small Santa replica and a toffee ! Till late evening there were a good number of children who visited this festive arena. Around  9.45  in the night we had our night meal .... the loud speaker outside still playing  “Man will live for ever more because of Christmas Day”!

The Four Family Friends : May be a bit traditional !

A FRIEND IN NEED – 1 : “SHAAN WALLAH”

For the past about one year everyone in the house was nagging me for not doing a simple task i.e. sharpening of our kitchen “Boti”. Well, now what is a boti ? Simply speaking.. it is a kitchen knife… but not  so simple to operate….. and more difficult is to get it sharpened ! Each Bengali household will have at least two of them.. one is called “aash boti” for peeling off the scales of fishes,and, cutting fish . The other  one is “sabji boti”  for cutting vegetables. It is a sharp iron blade, about one and half inch broad and around 12 inch long. The blade is “s” shaped and one side is fixed on a wooden plank. Unlike the chopper  running through the vegetable or meat, a boti is a stationary thing…. the vegetables or the meat pieces would be pushed on the sharp blade with the thumb while the wooden plank would be held tightly in one feet … a very dangerous act… not many know the art these days. When an onion is cut in the this Boti you would only see the fingers moving very fast on a jet speed, and before you say cheese, you would find super-finely chopped onion, like silk thread, pouring on the plate below  !

**********

It was usually noon time when the loud calling could  be heard “shaan walla, shaan walla” and Deep would be asked by his parents to get the man. Deep would run all around the locality and following the sound locate the man. This man would carry a very unusual tool…. sharpening equipment. It looked like an “X” made with heavy wooden plank… on one top end there would  be the sharpening wheel, tied with it with a string would be the pedal. The man would sit on the other top end of the “X” and pedal hard holding the “boti” …..then  lot of particles of fire would be flown around on all sides… a visual delight ! Deep’s great interest was to see the fire-works ! Once the sharpening job is over the man would lift the heavy equipment on his shoulder…. and again start walking with usual calling “shaan walla”.Deep always felt un-easy for the man who carried such an heavy thing on shoulder.

**************

I was going to the market and suddenly saw this young man on the road outside our house. He was on cycle…. on his cycle there were a lot of knives and botis on display… there was this sharpening wheel fixed on his cycle. Eureka….. I came rushing back home and said hand me over the two botis, I think I got a man.

He explained .. he is Miraj. He owns this improvised sharpening equipment…. It was made by re-modelling an old bi-cycle. Going is tough these days…each sharpening job fetches about Rs. 15/-… therefore he also sells botis and hand made knives… that way he manages to  eke out his living.

Just to respond to my curiosity he informed that the man who used to carry the old fashioned sharpening equipment was Sorab, his father. He further informed that this sharpening business is no more a workable profession.

I am sure, soon this friend-in-need will no longer be visible in the locality. In any case using Boti is fast becoming an old fashioned way of cooking ….. there are now multi-coloured chopping board… and of course wafer-thin choppers flooding the market, they do not need to be sharpened in any case.

A FRIEND IN NEED – 2 : “DAAB-DAAB”

“Well, you are now free of stomach ulcer” the doctor announced. Pakhi, my wife was visibly happy on this news. “But you must follow certain food restrictions…. no chillies… no hard spices” doctor added.

At home the relatives those who assembled,  were all happy. Those days a horde of relatives, especially the elderly aunts and uncles would eagerly await for the patients, to get the first-hand news. There were some elderly aunts who suggested that she should take tender coconut water every day. “Before lunch”.. one aunt added.

Now, I thought it was easy.  Tender coconut or Daab as it is locally called, was available in Paan (bittle nut) -cigarette shops.  Ganesh Rout’s shop was near our house…. this was the place we used to fetch Daab in our youth-days. I set out for the shop.

On reaching at the shop, two things I noticed. One, Ganesh is no more there… there was an young man managing the small shop. Two, the shop is more decently decorated.  When asked, this young man informed that he is the son of Ganesh, and, he never sells coconuts any more. “In fact, no paan-cigarette shops would be selling coconuts any more”.he informed me.  Now I was panicked, and, asked is there a way out ? He gave me a tip. “Go near the temple of our locality, and, wait. Soon Sushilda would turn up…. he sells them”.  I waited in front of the temple, nearly an hour and finally found my redeemer!  He assured me steady supply…. every day before lunch time.  Next several months Sushil  dutifully accomplished his job religiously.. no matter it is a rainy day or a scorching sunny noon.  Near our house we could hear him shout “Daab….Daab”. He re-modelled his cycle by making two bamboo-made fence-like structure on both sides of his cycle where he hanged bunches of tender coconut.Soon he became my friend…. I learned that his full name was Sushil Halder, and he lived in a village called Raipur in our neighboring district.. 24 parganas.

*******

Our grand daughter Ruhani, studying at 5^th standard,  was about to set out for her school when she complained that last night she had a stomach problem. And right at the moment ….. we heard the loud calling……”Daab…..Daab”. I rushed out…. and lo behold – Sushil.  I never knew he is still in the same business !  He is a a bit old now….. so am I.

We both were happy, meeting each other, after a long interval of several years.  Ruhani left for school, happy and relieved, after having the coconut water.

Sushil on his part , as usual, informed that going is tough these days. No…no. He has no complain about the price he gets. The tender-coconuts he used to sell me those days for Rs. 4/- only, now fetches 20/-. He feels,  because of our  mobile phones…… tall mobile towers….. which  disturbs the tall coconut trees, the size of coconuts are fast getting reduced ! I did not contest his scientific theories, but could only say  “thanks”….. which sounded very dry and artificial, even to my own ears !

A FRIEND IN NEED – 3 : THE GUITAR-MAN

Little Deep came home running and was visibly excited and said “Mom, I saw the guitar-man, he is coming this way”.

“Yes, dear, I can hear the ‘tann…. tann….tann..’ sound now. Okay can you call him ?” Deep wasted no time, ran out of the entrance gate very fast and returned after a whilealong with his guitar-man.

He is the Dhunuri – the pillow-mattress repair man. He has with him this guitar-like thing, basic tool for his craftsmanship.  He took out a small square thick cloth, spread out on the courtyard in front of Deep’s house. Deep was happy to bring out the pillows… some on shoulder… some in his hands from inside thier house. He then handed over these old cotton  pillows, mostly sagging, to the guitar-man. Deep’s mom took the cotton mattress out on the courtyard …this too was handed out to the guitar-man.

The guitar-man then tore open these, one by one very carefully, not to over-damage them. Then he took out the cotton from inside these pillows and the mattress. Spread the old cotton evenly on the square piece of cloth. Most of the cotton got clotted, like ropes ! And then the magic of his guitar began ! He placed his one-string guitar on top of the cotton, and very softly ‘played’ the guitar, meaning hitting on the string with a wooden piece. With the vibration created, cotton pieces became very fluffy and soon the heap became bigger and bigger.  Thereafter the guitar-man, alias “Dhunuri”, put this cotton inside the old pillows and mattress coverings. Re-stitched those pillows covering and the mattress covering, by hand, bit by bit, without a sewing machine. Soon they were all looking new. Deep was happy and was lying down on the renewed mattress for a few minutes…. while his mom took out the money and paid the man. Deep at this juncture asked the guitar-man “can I play your guitar a bit ?” He readily agreed but cautioned “But do not hit hard on the string…. it might break the string !” Deep did try, but, it did not sound like the guitar man ‘tann’ ….’tann’….’tann’ !

**********

Decades later a guitar-man was located, but, my grand-daughter could not be shown the demonstration of his craftsmanship, for, we do not use cotton mattress ….. nor cotton pillows anymore ! Yet another friend-in-need on the losing trail !

A FRIEND IN NEED (4): “SIL-KATAU” MAN

There was a commotion outside and Deep’s mother had to come out of the kitchen. She found that Deep is on a heated argument with some one, at the entrance door ! The Sil-Katau man was telling “Look boy, I told you I can give you Tajmahal for Rs. 4/- and not less than that”. At this juncture, Deep’s mother laughed out  loud .. “ Tajmahal going at a such cheap price ….what is this all about !!” The man then explained “Look  Maijee (Madam),  as you know, the prices of everything has gone up, and, now my rate is Tajmahal  Rs.4/-,  Fish Rs. 3/- and  Plain Lines Rs. 2/-. “  At this point Deep’s mother told  that man,  “Look, he is only a small boy, and he really wants the Tajmahal …. you can do one thing … take Rs. 3/-, you may give a little smaller Tajmahal” . The man smiled and said “Okay, I will take Rs. 3/- from you, and,  I will not reduce the size.. be assured.”

Soon the man took out his small bag , took out different sizes of chisels and the two hammers and concentrated on  his job…. tuk, tuk, tuk, tuk. Deep  sat beside him on the ground and started watching his hand movement. He was now visibly wearing an amused and  mesmerized look.

*********************************

 It was noon time, I was waiting for the school bus which will bring my grand-daughter home from the school. And then heard  “Sil-Katau…. Sil-Katau”. The sound was emerging from among some building premise nearby, and soon the man surfaced. I called him and showed him my house, and asked him to wait for me till I come. I returned home soon with my grand-daughter and asked her to inform her grandma about us. The child surely got confused about the whole thing, but informed her grandma, who came running. Once she saw the Sil-Katau man, she knew what is it, and, soon came out with the Sil and theNora. These are two important kitchen tools, still found in many old-tradition families. Sil is a 14” long, 10” wide and  2” thick stone tablet. Nora is cylinder type black stone hammer about 10” long.  Fresh spices are ground on this Sil (stone tablet) with the help of the

Nora (black stone  hand grinder). With constant use, the surface of the sil and nora becomes smooth. Hence the surface need to chipped with chisel periodically. The Sil-Katau Man is a chipping craftsman who can make various designs…. “Criss-crossing lines”, “Fish” and of course “Tajmahal”! I could not hide my childhood nostalgia and asked “Can you chisel out a Tajmahal ?”. The man apologised and said he can only make lines and that he has only one kind of chisel and a lone hammer !

He finished his job within about 10 minutes, and the lone enthused witness to the act… my grand daughter did not get any thrill nor awestruck by the craftsman ship. I handed over Rs. 15/- for the act to the sil-katau man, and, told him to come again about a couple of months later –  lest we lose a dying tradition !

Christmas Gift !

Responses to our Appeal (given below) have started trickling in ! We profusely express our heartfelt thanks to the following friends for their immediate Donations. We also hope other well wishers will kindly help us.

1.Ms. Panchali Goswami Bhattacharya, Kolkata     INR. 1000/-

2.Ms. Sonia Bhattacharya, Bangalore                         INR 1000/-

3.Rasa & Rian Chatterjee, Kolkata                               INR  500/- (worth of gifts like crayons, drawing books, pencils and cup cakes)

                                    

Gift a Magic!!

For little Joyce Murmu, a visit to the local city of Ghatsila meant watching young girls of her age going to the local school in their fresh, colourful uniforms with school bags, nice shoes and socks. Being from the remote village of Kadamdih in Jharkhand, this was all but a dream. Today, Joyce goes to the Swadhina Good Hope School set up in her village. She too has a colorful uniform like her friends in the city and gets to learn little English rhymes like them.

For Ratuli Sahis, life as a marginal farmer was difficult. She had to balance her house-hold work with her on-off work as a land labourer. That was the only way she could support her big family. Swadhina’s help to her in the form of a pair of goats came as a boon to her.

Now she has a comfortable life by Animal Reaing with goats and hens as her source of income. She has managed to repair her dilapidated house and is able to afford school education for her children.

Being the third among her seven siblings, Tapati’s life was a story of a never-ending drudgery  – bringing in unending buckets of water from the local tap, washing huge pile of utensils and washing clothes from dawn to mid-noon. However, being offered a chance by Swadhina, she enrolled for a Batik Handicraft Training course

of three months in her locality. Diligently, she took out time from her busy schedule to attend the classes. At the end of the course she became so well versed with the intricacies of the craft that she began to get offers from different boutiques. She now is a permanent staff in a renowned fashion boutique in New Delhi. She has evolved herself from the ashes of her drudgery to be an empowered, young woman.

 It is the Christmas Season once again. It is the time of gifts and merrymaking. So, this time why not Gift a Magic ? 'Gift a Magic' is a gift that would bring in a positive change in the lives of those who are deprived of the privilege of a better life and livelihood. It is a gift that empower women and children themselves-belonging to the extreme marginalised sections of the society located in Purulia (West Bengal), East Singbhum (Jharkhand), Mayurbhanj (Odisha), East Champaran (Bihar) and Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) through our organisation, SWADHINA. Your support can go a long way to bring in a postive change in the lives of many more Joyce, Ratuli or Tapati. It would help us help people like them have a better life and living; it would help us enlighten the light of magic in their lives! This Christmas, let there be light in the life of little Joyce !

There are three activities that you can help support:

* Support a Rural School - Good Hope School : US$ 50 / € 50 / £ 45      

(School Dresses/Shoes-Socks/Books/Copies/Sweaters for 5 students)

* Support Skill Training Programme for Rural Women: US$ 50 / € 50 / £ 45

(Skill Training for 5  Young Rural Women )       

* Support for providing Animal Resources to Landless or Marginal

    Farmer Women : US$ 50 / € 50 / £ 45

(Animal Support in the form 20 ducks/ hen or 1 goat each for 5 women)

You can send your donation through A/c Payee Cheque issued in the name of :  SWADHINA and mail it to :  Swadhina, 34/C Bondel Road, Kolkata 700019,  India.

Also, please share this Appeal with your friends and dear ones so that they too may take part in this joy of sharing.

CLICK HERE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT US

Web: www.swadhina.org.in  E-mail: swadhina_org@yahoo.com  mainoffice.swadhina@gmail.com

CLICK HERE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT US

Christmas Gift !

                                    

Gift a Magic!!

For little Joyce Murmu, a visit to the local city of Ghatsila meant watching young girls of her age going to the local school in their fresh, colourful uniforms with school bags, nice shoes and socks. Being from the remote village of Kadamdih in Jharkhand, this was all but a dream. Today, Joyce goes to the Swadhina Good Hope School set up in her village. She too has a colorful uniform like her friends in the city and gets to learn little English rhymes like them.

For Ratuli Sahis, life as a marginal farmer was difficult. She had to balance her house-hold work with her on-off work as a land labourer. That was the only way she could support her big family. Swadhina’s help to her in the form of a pair of goats came as a boon to her.

Now she has a comfortable life by Animal Reaing with goats and hens as her source of income. She has managed to repair her dilapidated house and is able to afford school education for her children.

Being the third among her seven siblings, Tapati’s life was a story of a never-ending drudgery  – bringing in unending buckets of water from the local tap, washing huge pile of utensils and washing clothes from dawn to mid-noon. However, being offered a chance by Swadhina, she enrolled for a Batik Handicraft Training course

of three months in her locality. Diligently, she took out time from her busy schedule to attend the classes. At the end of the course she became so well versed with the intricacies of the craft that she began to get offers from different boutiques. She now is a permanent staff in a renowned fashion boutique in New Delhi. She has evolved herself from the ashes of her drudgery to be an empowered, young woman.

 It is the Christmas Season once again. It is the time of gifts and merrymaking. So, this time why not Gift a Magic ? 'Gift a Magic' is a gift that would bring in a positive change in the lives of those who are deprived of the privilege of a better life and livelihood. It is a gift that empower women and children themselves-belonging to the extreme marginalised sections of the society located in Purulia (West Bengal), East Singbhum (Jharkhand), Mayurbhanj (Odisha), East Champaran (Bihar) and Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) through our organisation, SWADHINA. Your support can go a long way to bring in a postive change in the lives of many more Joyce, Ratuli or Tapati. It would help us help people like them have a better life and living; it would help us enlighten the light of magic in their lives! This Christmas, let there be light in the life of little Joyce !

There are three activities that you can help support:

* Support a Rural School - Good Hope School : US$ 50 / € 50 / £ 45      

(School Dresses/Shoes-Socks/Books/Copies/Sweaters for 5 students)

* Support Skill Training Programme for Rural Women: US$ 50 / € 50 / £ 45

(Skill Training for 5  Young Rural Women )       

* Support for providing Animal Resources to Landless or Marginal

    Farmer Women : US$ 50 / € 50 / £ 45

(Animal Support in the form 20 ducks/ hen or 1 goat each for 5 women)

You can send your donation through A/c Payee Cheque issued in the name of :  SWADHINA and mail it to :  Swadhina, 34/C Bondel Road, Kolkata 700019,  India.

Also, please share this Appeal with your friends and dear ones so that they too may take part in this joy of sharing.

CLICK HERE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT US

Web: www.swadhina.org.in  E-mail: swadhina_org@yahoo.com  mainoffice.swadhina@gmail.com

CLICK HERE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT US