Kamala Sengupta

My Thamma's eldest sister, Kamala Sengupta was the Principal of Lady Irwin School from 1946 (the year her father Dr. Shashikumar Sengupta died) to 1973.. She used to cook for her younger siblings while studying her college texts, reach college, appear for exams, and top her class.. After their mother Sarajubala's death, Kamala Sengupta and Bijoya Sengupta (my Thamma's Mejdi) looked after their younger siblings just as a mother would:

It was Kamala Sengupta's 101st Birth Anniversary in 2011:
http://www.thehindu.com/…/t…/life-lessons/article2407204.ece

http://ladyirwinschool.blogspot.in/…/ms-kamala-sengupta-pri…

The History of the Bholanath Dham Durga Puja

When that lady from the topmost floor of 33/2 Beadon Street (Bholanath Dham) had told us that she, in her childhood, had seen Bijoya Sengupta (my Thamma's Mejdi) who used to visit the house during Durga Puja, I never knew which Durga Puja this was! Then she asked us to visit the house during the Pujas as that is the time when the few senior members who are still around gather there. They might be able to share many old stories with us was what she tried to say. Yes, that is the time when these old joint families have all their relatives visiting them, I thought! Earlier, when we first entered the courtyard, the first thing that caught my eye was the "AaTchala" or the background frame of the idols. Wrapped in a few polythene sheets, it was kept in a way as if it had just been dragged out of a corner. Despite so many Puja references, who would have known that this was THE "Bholanath Dutt-BaRi-r Pujo".. the Puja that had been continued by Balaram Dutt's descendant Bholanath in Varanasi and by Bholanath's descendants first in Shovabazar and then for the last 88-89 years at 33/2 Beadon Street!

Now I remember that prior to Sokal Sokal, I had written another article on this Puja for Shankar da in 2009.

Some clippings about this Puja at 33/2 Beadon Street, Bholanath Dham:

http://www.telegraphindia.com/…/…/calcutta/story_5278360.asp

"Duttabari, Beadon Street: Shiva-samanwita Durga is worshipped at the Dutta household, Bholanath Dham, as well. Neither does she carry weapons nor is she accompanied by her mount or the warring asura.

The 101-year-old puja carries on the tradition of the legendary sea merchant Chand Saudagar, a worshipper of Shankar Bhabani. The actual image was conceived by another forefather Dhanapati Saudagar, also belonging to the kulin Gandhabanik clan.

A twist in fortunes caused the puja to stop. But Bholanath Dutta, an ancestor, revived the puja in 1905 in Varanasi."

http://amitabhagupta.wordpress.com/…/durga-puja-of-bonedi-…/

"BHOLANATH DUTTA BARIR PUJO

Address
33/2, Beadon Street (Alias Abhedananda Road)

(From Manikatala crossing whilst going towards Shyambazar, Beadon Street falls just after the crossing on the right. Beadon street has been divided and renamed as Abhedananda Road upto Bidhan Sarani and then till Rabindra Sarani it has been renamed as Dani Ghosh Lane)

At the Kulin Gandhabanik Dutta household, Bholanath Dham the idol of Durga is sitting on Shiva’s Lap with no weapons or Vahana and no Mahishashur around. This is a legendary idol visualized by one of legendary Merchants of history Dhanapati Saudagar, also belonging to the kulin Gandhabanik clan. Bholanath Dutta started this Shiva Durga Puja idol in 1905 at Bholanath Ashram of Varansai. His sons continued the Puja till 1913 after Bholanath’s death and then eventually shifted it to Sovabazar at Calcutta and finally to the residence at Beadon Street."

Bunu Pisi (Banani), the elder one of Baba's two younger sisters.. She passed away on November 7, 2004.. 

Wrote this to ANJOLI on July 10, 2014

“GINNI” she was.. The word “ginni” in Bengali means the wife and the decision-making lady of the house, the homemaker who manages and controls everything, the most important woman of the house.. Ginni had passed away in February 1988, just two years after Mago and Jethu visited.. We visited Talabari with Mago and Jethu when Ginni met them after decades. Pisimoni (that is our Sunanda Pisi) was about to get married and Ginni, frail and old, was eager and inquisitive to know about the would-be-groom.. Baba had a hard time explaining “Korean” to her.. then Baba said, “Ginni, your family has spread worldwide”.. I remember that.. Ginni’s sons were Gijukaka, Robikaka, Sintukaka, Mintukaka (kaka-s of my dad and yours, i mean).. I do not remember the 5th name.. She was Ginni for all.. I dont know who started this address, but irrespective of generations and relations, everybody called her Ginni.. we also referred to her as Ginni.. in our childhood, Ginni was an integral part of Talabari.. when the autumn Kalipuja (worship of Goddess Kali) took place every year at that house (it continues even today), Ginni praying to the Goddess by bumping her forehead continuously on the floor (which made a black or purple spot on her forehead) is a memory I can never erase..She loved my Dad and Im sure your Dad too..

But, I really didnt know that our grandfathers had a sister.. its a shame that I didnt know this..when Jethu remembers, then it must be true that she had spent a part of her life in Talabari and may have passed away early? or what.. I dont know..

The place where Thamma’s and Mago’s father stayed where Jethu spent his young childhood was Beadon Street.. (all these Iv heard from Thamma, Baba..).. we have to solve this Pisimoni (Jethu’s and Baba’s , i mean) mystery.. Im sure Niapisi and Monikaka wl be able to say.. sadly, my Baba cant right now..

I will send you my Muniya’s Diary.. written about that 1986 visit of Mago and Jethu and a lot more.. do make Jethu read that.. it is written for kids (i dont mean Jethu is one, though :P)..

Yes, leaving Delhi and these libraries and archives are bound to make you emotional. they have treated you well with so much to offer.. having goosebumps reading Kalinath’s mercy plea.. just cant download that part yet.. but, such beautiful English, Anjoli : “Can be better imagined than described” .. No wonder he was THE EDITOR of The Tribune.. no wonder he was BABU Kalinath Ray without whose editorials Gandhi thought The Tribune to be defunct… A Great-Grandfather in every sense of the term.. .. this research is invaluable.. and no one can dare to thank you, Anjoli.. Kudos

Do You Need Them Now?

As I touched them,
Those 5-Rupee-Coins
10-Rupee-Coins
2-Rupee-Coins
1-Rupee-Coins..

That he had kept in the coins' pocket
Of his brown wallet
With the hope of touching them
The next day
For paying a parking fee
Or giving some change
To a shopkeeper

The coins the he did not touch
Ever again
The coins, gathering rust, over
The last fifteen months,
As the wallet gathered fungus
At one corner of his briefcase..

The stack of Visiting Cards
Stating his qualification
And position
In another pocket..

I touched those hopes
Of his
As I touched them
As I took them out..

Keeping the coins
In front of his picture,
I said to him,
You might need these, Baba,
You are traveling far..
Do they accept these coins there?

Rubbing the Visiting Cards
In my palms
I try to feel his fingers
When he last took one out
And made his presence felt..

Trying to feel the hope
With which he had kept
That stack back in the wallet
Never knowing that
He would never touch them again..

I keep them in a shelf..
Shelved.. the cards get..
As he needs no introduction
To the world
To which he has traveled..

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.