How I remember Rath from my childhood days..

Baba used to buy 2-storied chariots for us even when we were too small to draw those.. He used to get scolded by Ma to which he turned a deaf ear and kept buying them every year.. While returning from school, Ma would buy those light colored papers with which she would diligently decorate the chariot throughout the afternoon, before the small idols of Jagannath Balaram and Subhadra would be put inside and we would flaunt our chariots in the evening.. The idols would topple over every moment, and we would stop and take them up constantly.. As we grew older, Ma could finally put a stop to Baba's buying of chariots.. She would re-paint the previous year's "Rath" and decorate it so meticulously that it would be hard to tell that it was an old one! The last Rath that I remember drawing the chariot with my paRa-mates almost turned into a ruthless chariot race! And the last time I remember drawing a chariot ever was with the 3-year-old Aneek (Bapuji's brother), throughout the evening..

Do children these days draw chariots? Do they have the same leap in their hearts while buying the papers that I had? Do they love Ratha Yatra like we did? Do parents still buy Rath for their kids?

We lived in Dhakuria from 1978 to 1984. There used to be an elaborate and "huge" (to a child's standards) Rath-er Mela along the Dhakuria Bridge. It was a must-visit for us. I remember Baba-Ma taking us to that Mela every year and I have distinct memories of the things bought from there. We still have the beautiful Ma Kaali face bought from one of the Krishnanagar sellers. Till a few years back, we also had the Mahadev face and a pair of black Bankura Horses. I still remember the excitement and happiness of my then young parents involved in those purchases. They were never tired to roam around and take us with them. I remember Baba having a fascination for the various-sized almost-transparent glass birds in different colors. I remember him buying red pairs and blue pairs, the blue ones being big and regal. They were put over the fridge. I remember Ma's repeated warnings that we should never go near them. But, I remember Baba buying them almost every year, and I have never seen any of those pairs for long. I am sure they never remained unbroken with kids in the house. The miniature cooking sets, wardrobes, and beds bought for me from these Mela-s were my favorites!

I have visited many-a- Rather Mela after growing up. But, never ever have I felt that same excitement and happiness that oozed from our parents to us when we visited the Dhakuria Mela, a 2-minute walk from our then home.

Life's Strangeness

Prithiviraj Dasgupta was the 2nd visitor to our home who came to pay respect to Baba on the morning of Baba's Shraddh on June 30. He spread the garland, paid his homage, sat for a few minutes and left. Just as I watched him leave, I realized something strange.. a very very strange fact! Baba had attended Prithiviraj's annoprashon (first rice-eating ceremony held at 6 months of a child's age) in 1977 and Prithiviraj attended Baba's Shraddh in 2015, never having met each other on any instance during their entire life-spans. I did not get to dwell on this realization as visitors trickled in.

Today, as Ma and I were sitting at their place, Apala Dasgupta mentioned that Prithiviraj had a realization this morning. As Prithiviraj spoke, I found myself listening to what I had realized on the morning of Baba's Shraddh. Even Prithiviraj and Apala were as amazed as I was to see this strangeness.. Baba, as an architect employed in Kothari Associates, getting invited by developer Prabir Gupta for his first child's Annoprashon (cherishing the beginning of his child's life), a visit and treat Baba clearly remembered and spoke about (around 2009) due to the hugeness of the "lyangcha" that got served on that occasion.. and Prithiviraj having become and stayed my friend under the most unexpected and unusual of circumstances, attending Baba's Shraddh (marking the end of Baba's life on earth). It is stranger, that although Baba had met Apala on a couple of occasions when she visited our house, and Prithiviraj had visited our house around 2009-2011 on a couple of evenings when he had met Ma, Buro and Sayari, Baba and Prithiviraj had never met each other!

"We get only that much that we are supposed to get. Only that much happens that is supposed to happen." Prithiviraj summed up.

I will see him there..

It was November 1989.. Jethu was visiting.. Our half-yearly examinations were just over.. Calcutta was exercising its voting rights that day and the city was practically enjoying a holiday.. We had gone out with Jethu, had our first Metro-rail ride, and then went to Princep Ghat where we enjoyed a boat ride.. It was a beautiful day and the memories are still so fresh! Miss those days!!

This is one of the pics with which we have made a couple of framed collages.. after Baba left us on June 20, 2015. 

We are physically not with him on this ride that he has embarked upon. But are we not with him every moment?  Is he not with us every moment? 

On the night of June 20, after his mortal body had reduced to a handful of ashes and bones, we went to this same place, to an adjacent bank of this same river, to immerse his last physical remains. On the morning of June 29, the penultimate day of the last rites, we again visited the same place to perform the rituals of offering him food, sweets, and water while he travels to his last destination. As the rituals needed, my brother and I gave rice, water, and milk to the crows who are believed to carry the food to him while he journeys to reach the spiritual world..  

Somehow, all these merges in my mind and this picture gives me goosebumps. I think Baba is there on the Ganges under the vast sky, sailing on this boat, a little ahead of all of us.. I feel I will see him whenever I visit the river-bank.. He will stand in this same manner on this same boat, eternally, looking towards the horizon.. as we sit behind him, looking up to him ..