The cuckoos are here

Kopou (in Assamese)
or Foxtail Orchid

Today, I heard the first cuckoo song of the year. Yes, the coo of a cuckoo is like a melodious song to me, filled with deep emotions! I can feel it inside me whenever I hear a cuckoo sing.

Every year, the day I first hear a cuckoo sing, my mind registers it - immediately. I feel a restlessness to go home, no matter where I am. Home means Assam. Yes, my Assam- the Assam that is so beautiful with mountains filled with blooming Indian laburnum and gulmohar trees, vibrant coloured flowers and the smell of freshness in the air... Oh, how I long to be in the middle of all that!

This cuckoo craze is not really a new phenomenon for me. I have been experiencing it ever since I learnt to recognise the call of birds.  While thinking of the beauty of how nature follows its course despite the mankind’s ruthless and seemingly tireless effort to ruin it, I truly appreciate the fact that there are people who still relate to nature and its happenings.

A Cuckoo

It is said that birds of same feather flock together and it is true! I have some childhood friends who also get thrilled listening to the cuckoo sing or seeing the kopou (foxtail orchid) flowering. Every time they experience the season's first song or the first bloom, they call me, we con-call each other in different locations and argue on who heard it or saw it first. It is such a "feel good" for all of us. It keeps us connected, not only with each other, but also with Mother Nature, the way we grew up in her lap.

Today, when I see small children captivated in apartments, happy with their Barbie dolls or x-box, I feel sad. They are missing that touch with Mother Nature. I wish I could help!

Dr Bhupen Hazarika lives on...

Dr Bhupen Hazarika

A life, led with the highest degree of simplicity — the pain, ups and downs of personal life, expressed in effortless melodies, the man, the legend who touched everyone's heart with his humane lyrics and melodies — can that great human being be dead and gone forever? No, for me, he is still alive in every one of us, whose heart he has touched with his soulful melodies and personal interaction. For me, only his body has expired, but his soul has moved on to live in each one of us, as our very own Bhupen mama, Bhupen da and Dr Bhupen Hazarika. 

The enormity of his funeral procession, the gathering of people of all ages, cast and religion to pay homage to the great legend are the proofs how a single element called soulful music is enough to unite everyone. Bhupen mama's music had that power. An excellent orator, director, brilliant student, a pioneer in making Assamese music global, Bhupen Hazarika lives on. My prayers to the almighty, may his soul rest in peace and guide us to remain united forever.

Companionship

My heartfelt condolences to Ms Kalpana Lajmi, though I know, no word can be enough to condole her on her loss. The emptiness she is going to face is unimaginable. My sincere gratitude to her for her unconditional love for Bhupen Hazarika. I thank her for taking care of the legend in his time of need, for being there for him – always, for having the courage to face the ridicule she had to face for her nameless relationship with Dr Bhupen Hazarika. She is not great for these reasons alone, my respect for her has grown manifold for (also) establishing the fact that love doesn’t have to have a name or a relationship tag to it. Love is just love. Ms Lajmi has proved it loud and clear. My heartfelt gratitude to her – for everything.

Know more about:

Dr Bhupen Hazarika

Ms. Kalpana Lajmi

The relationship

Break ke baad (After the break)

Time flies when you throw clocks ;)

I cannot believe that I let a full month pass by without posting a blog on my site! I feel sad. However, I have my justifications for being absent from here. During my absence, a lot of things happened. 

Me and few of my hard working friends organised an event called Bohagi Bidai. This is a festival that denotes the end of spring and beginning of summer in Assam. Our efforts did make the event a grand success. You will be able to read about it here soon.

One major developments was our transfer to Mumbai. Everything happened almost simultaneously, ...and before I realise how all these major changes happened, I am already in Mumbai, writing about it from my study in the new house here.

Well, the household things are still in transit and I am slowly getting back on track, though my work as the Associate Editor continues in the travel magazine I was working for when I was in Kolkata.

Apparently, I have a lot of things to tell you – including a northeast India website, a book on “My friend Maggie”, whom I met in a trip to Shanghai, the umbrella story at Hotel Parkyard, Marathi – the language, monsoon in Mumbai and many more. So, sit back, relax and read on…..

Kohua Bon near Guwahati, Assam

Kohua Bon near Guwahati, Assam

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Bihu is Bihu

Khanapara Bihu Function "08

Everyone talks about Bihu - then and now. Everyone says it was better “then”, than “now”. I beg to differ. For me all the Bihu celebrations have something special to offer. So what, if the celebration of Bihu has changed over the ages? Change is inevitable. We all have to keep up with time and adjust accordingly. Today we do not have enough time and convenience to do all the things that are associated with the Bihus. It doesn’t matter when you were born and how you remember your Bihu celebrations. Bihu is always a celebration that is closest to the hearts of all the Assamese people around the globe. We love Bihu, be it the vibrant Rongali Bihu or the feastful Magh Bihu. Well, Kati Bihu always takes a backseat because of obvious reasons. All the Bihu celebrations of my life have been pleasant ones. At least I would like to think so. This may be because; nothing could ever dampen the spirit of Bihu in us.

Khanapara Bihu "09 entrance Gate

Today, we celebrate Bihu in our own little ways, feeling equally excited every time. Although the first thing we all would like to do on Bihu is to be at our parental home where we grew up and enjoyed the Bihus in their totality. But due to the many difficulties, obligations and responsibilities of modern lives, it is sometimes not possible to be at the right place at the right time. However, no matter where we are, we make sure that we celebrate Bihu in some special way to mark the Asomiya “jatiyo utsab”.
To cite a few examples, Pushpanjali, a friend of mine, an Assamese to the bone marrow, is celebrating Bihu in her newspaper office in Ahmedabad. She has asked her brother to courier some Pitha so that she can reduce the feeling of missing home.
Another of my friends, Pinky in Australia has learnt Pitha making, so that she doesn’t have to survive with the cravings for Pitha, especially during the Bihu days. Thanks to her technically savvy mother who e-mailed her the recipes and processes of Til Pitha and Ghila Pitha making.
In Delhi, when work kept us from going home for the Rongali Bihu, just to make ourselves feel good, we Assamese girls used to make time to at least go to Assam Bhavan near Kautilya Marg, wearing Muga Mekhela Sador to have an Assamese thali in the cafeteria. The saak bhaji, alu pitika and maasor tenga never felt so heavenly.

A Magh Bihu Bonfire

A friend of mine in Singapore, Prakash, married to a non-Assamese girl, craves for Assamese home food. Last Magh Bihu, the craving finally seemed to have crossed the line. Since he was missing the feasting of Magh Bihu with family and friends for years, last January he decided to celebrate a real Magh Bihu in Singapore. Hunting the market for half a day, he collected some of the close to home menu items and invited all his Chinese friends to celebrate Magh Bihu at his home. A small Meji was built in front of his home and a bonfire and barbequed snacks marked the celebration.
Once in Delhi, a few of my Assamese friends and me celebrated Magh Bihu in a grand way. We made sure that everyone’s favourite Assamese dish was made. At first only a few Assamese girls got together for the occasion, but word of mouth got spread so fast that we ended up having seventeen “khaar” (Assamese in Delhi call themselves Khaar as in Khaar khua Asomiya) friends who invited themselves to the celebration. Bon fire is a must on Magh Bihu and we had no idea how to arrange for the firewood. Then an idea struck in the middle of the INA market itself, where we were shopping for the feast. We requested the fruit vendors to donate us the discarded wooden fruit boxes and they happily obliged. Firewood was ready for that perfect bonfire just in front of my residence.
In Kolkata, a few of my Assamese friends are getting together for Rongali Bihu this year. Some of them are students and some are working professionals. The process of deciding the venue, menu and time, is still on. I look forward to be a part of that celebration here.
With the passage of time, my friends and me have moved on following our own fortunes. But the spirit of Bihu remains intact in our hearts and always will be. Although I am in Kolkata now, whenever I hear the cuckoo singing in the big “Krishno Chura” trees of the Salt Lake area, my heart skips a beat. I realise that Bihu is just around the corner. The Cuckoo, like a sincere messenger tells me with his coos, “here comes the most exciting festival of your life”.
In India, Rongali Bihu is celebrated with different names in different states. Being an agrarian economy, almost all the states of India follow the same agricultural calendar. All the states celebrate their traditional New Year festival during this time of April. Pudu Varsham in Tamil Nadu, Baisakhi in Punjab and Nababarsha in West Bengal are nothing but celebrations of Bihu in their own respective ways. The festivities are the same, the spirit is identical and the attachment of the locales towards these festivals is the same. I have to confess though, that when in Assam, I can smell Bihu in the air and the feeling is matchless. I can’t wait to get home for this Bihu......Happy Rongali Bihu to all of you....

Terror and India - When Enough Is Enough

        

          

A Still from Ganeshguri (Guwahati, Assam) Blast on October 30, 2008. 

Now, what next? Do we wait to cry and remorse over another attack or do we actually do something to stop this? Last month end (October 30) my homeland Assam suffered the blow, this month end; it’s the dream city of India, Mumbai.

First of all, I salute the commandos of National Security Group, Marine Commandos and Mumbai police whose tireless effort won. But nobody can undo the damages done, lives lost and the dents made.

I think its time we give ourselves a New Year gift next month end. Let us all be a commando in our own way. Let’s pledge to be alert about our surroundings, be true citizens by being responsible towards our motherland. Let us not give in to anymore terror attacks, evil deeds. Let us be fearless enough to question and seek answers for these repeated attacks on humanity and for not doing anything about it. Let us be true Indians.

The Mumbai incident shows the involvement of Pakistan in more than one way. But is someone doing something about it? We are yet to see results of previous incidences that had claimed so many lives in Mumbai only. But the homeland of terrorists simply denies everything.

My feeling is, our GOODNESS is being taken as our weakness. But this Mumbai incident should be a proof enough to let the whole world know that, we are not here to succumb to evil forces. Evil deeds like killing innocent people, creating terror and destroying property can never give any good to anyone. The God the terrorists worship will also not approve of what they did. Because, every religion believes that GOOD always WINS over evil.

Another Still from Assam Blasts October 30, 2008

On a more personal level, however, I would also like to say something here. It seems the media, the Centre all care about the big cities and metros only. The bomb blasts that had happened in Assam on one single day did not get as elaborate a coverage as Mumbai did, though the lives lost and damages occurred was no less. Does that mean that the loss of lives in Assam is less important than Mumbai? Why there are no follow ups on that in any news channel? The government of Assam is doing nothing to catch the culprits, simply to protect their win next election. The greed for power is making each and everyone in authority, cheats. Ask any ordinary Assamese and he/she will say who is responsible for the blasts. But the government seems to have no clue. I felt like mentioning this, just as an additional food for thought.

Reminiscence of a Passion

An aeriel view of the largest river in India, Brahmaputra, in Guwahati, Assam

Gardening is not just a hobby. It’s a passion of the heart. I have been sticking to this passion of mine in wherever I had been to. Gardening in Guwahati, Assam was the easiest, so was growing up :-). The climate there is moderate and very comfortable. The seasons are distinct in their own style. So, the perennial and seasonal flowers bloom their hearts out when it’s their time of the season.

Satmool, a herb creeper in full bloom in my Guwahati home

In Delhi, where I had spent the best and longest professional tenure, had its own charm. The winter in Delhi is simply the best winter I had ever experienced. 

The supply of flowering plants had never been an issue. The perennial, seasonal all satisfy you. I was lucky enough to stay in two houses where both had huge balconies to keep many containers.

Rose Garden, Jubilee Park, Tatanagar

Then, the destined cycle of several movements occurred in my life. Tatanagar in Jamshedpur comes first when I think of the variety that I’ve got for my garden. Having another home in Jamshedpur/Tatanagar definitely helped me in taking my own time in exploring the plant outlets and huge nurseries. It’s a pleasant trip every time. The unusual collection could be due to the proximity of the TATAs with the rest of the world. The collection is very satisfying.

TISCO Nursery

Then came along in my list of places of residence, the beautiful and picturesque hilly terrain in the bordering state of northeastern India, Mizoram. Gardening became a full time job as the climate is erratic and totally unpredictable. 

My Mizoram Garden

5 minutes of sunshine and 5 minutes of downpour and 5 minutes of cloud and endless minutes of strong wind make it difficult to keep several plants I loved to keep. The Gazanias will flower in the morning and when the sunshine goes it winds up its bloom. The Verbena suffered due to the untimely rain. Nasturtium simply gave up. However, I managed to grow a lot.

National Highway 7, on my way to Hyderabad

Then my professional life took me to Hyderabad. A total opposite of the hill station. Hot, dry and a city on stones. Though, this time, I learnt a lot about hardy plants. I learnt about cactus and succulents and I found a lot of plants actually love this kind of climate. Hyderabad also added to my collection of plants.

Allamanda

Now, my present home is in the eastern coastal region of India. Ever since we have come to this coastal area I am learning new things about gardening. However, there is a pre-condition this time. I do not have space to keep a lot of containers. So, in containers, my collection is small that include, curry leaves, coriander, chillies, Aloe Vera, neem, hibiscus, lily, fishtail fern, Sword fern, Tradescantia zebrine, Vinca Victoria or Noyontora, Gardenia and a few more. As mentioned in my previous post, necessity is making me learn about Vertical Gardening. I am into collecting climbers, vines and creepers now. A few common ones are keeping me happy so far. Looking forward to collect some more……

The suckers did it again- Serial Blasts in Assam

Today is the black day in the history of not only, Assam and India but for humanity in general. 18 serial blasts in the crowded market places by unidentified terrorists cannot be justified in any way. I don’t know what to say to whom! The corruption of the Tarun Gogoi government in the state of Assam, the step motherly attitude of the Central government towards the state and the out of way love of Congress towards Bangladeshi immigrants and other illegal immigrants are some of the reasons of this situation in my homeland Assam. Yes we are helpless now, but not for very long. The nonsensical terror traders, just know that we are not cowards like you to stab from the back. We can take you all - head on. Only thieves and cowards do things like you did. It will be better if the concerned understand the intensity of things coming their way. Do not underestimate the peace loving Assamese. We are the sons and daughters of Lachit, Mula Gabhoru and Chilarai.

So far the Bangladeshis are concerned; get back to your country beggars.

For the good for nothing sons of the soil who encourage these kind of terror in their own motherland, you are the worst suckers ever.

The above photograph is by: Anupam Nath