It was long overdue but when it came it was worth the entire wait! The return of the prodigal to the lands of forefathers was a thrilling experience and worthy of remembrance for life. The approach to our village is dotted with unbelievable treasure of flora and fauna and the green made me envy the landscape. The orange robes of the devotees across Rajgir and the green cover of the forests presented a breathtaking spectacle and Meeta couldn’t but sigh in admiration. We could nt believe the quality of roads in Bihar and it seemed that the people have woken up from their long slumber and are determined to surpass other states in terms of development. 15 years ago when I came here, the land symbolized darkness even though the landscape was as beautiful as it is today. Today the same place evoked a strong sense of hope and determination to overcome the past to build a beautiful future which has no place for fear! Soon, we left the swanky highway to a lane made of bricks and rubble leading to our village and a timely reminder that we have a long way to go in Bihar. “But atleast there is a road,” said Chachaji.
Just how much contrast you can experience in few minutes!!
A rollercoaster and bumpy ride brought us to Sihin, our ancestral village. The approach to the village summed up the current mood in the states as we witnessed barren land with no sowing of the paddy fields. Bihar is in midst of a severe draught because the monsoons have failed to satiate the thirst of its parched land. For a state which has just begun to crawl back to life and freedom, the draught could spell disaster. However, the current state government has done a remarkable job in restoring the faith of people in governance and deserves to come back again and the people would do well to keep out the “thugs of Bihar” who looted and murdered its conscience for over two decades.
Back to Sihin, it is located close to five kilometers from the ancient ruins of the magnificent Nalanda University, a UNESCO Heritage site. I am sure the ancient scholars of the University would have graced the meadows of my beautiful village. It presents a picture postcard image of a quintessential Indian village and my adrenalin was pumping with anticipation at its mere sight from a distance. Just across the verandah of our Kothi, is the dry river bed of River Tilaiya usually swollen with water at this time of the year but also no rains as yet!
Standing in the verandah with Meeta looking at the river brought back memories of the village and the time my father spent here as a kid. The magnificent Kothi, a source of great pride to our ancestors, wore a desolate look badly in need of repairs just as its old friend the river Tilaiya was in need of water. My grandmother anecdotes came flashing back about the four huge courtyards in the Kothi. Each courtyard had a different function; the first one was a bawarchi khana, the second one for bathing aka Sauna, the third one for storing the grains, and the fourth one used for growing fruits and vegetables for supplies to the kitchen. WOW! And that was not the end, there was a fifth one for the horses, cows, and would you believe it for Elephants. My great grandfather Shri. Raj Kishore Narayan rode an elephant to marry my great grand mother!! 100 years back this place must be abuzz with life.
Looking at it today, it is hard to believe that the place was once abuzz with life and laughter echoed in its fore walls. My father spent the first few years after he was born here before my grandfather moved to Ranchi, my birthplace. The courtyards wore a desolate look and for a moment I could not help but sympathize with its sadness and loneliness. Meeta, chachaji, and chachiji were with me standing there trying to find some life amidst the ruins but in vain.
Just across the first courtyard is the home of our kul devi, goddess Kali. She is our supreme deity and protects all the Narayans from evil forces and bestows bounties on us. Everybody in our lineage has tremendous respect and devotion to the deity and every year during dussehra, the Narayans are supposed to come here and perform a special puja. My father used to narrate stories to my elder brother about the esoteric nature of the puja performed only after midnight and with very strict regulations on participation in the puja as only the members of our clan could attend it. There were stories about a person not belonging to our clan and who was not supposed to be present during the puja dying just a few days later. I don’t know whether that really happened but is just goes to show the very private and secret nature of the rituals. All of us bowed our heads infront of the goddess in reverence and invoked her blessings for a good present and future full of life and happiness. We could feel a sense of strength and calm in her magical presence!
Although the caretaker of the Kothi and our properties is an old man but has a very strong and alert voice at his command. He knows all of us well and shows respect & admiration for the good work our forefathers did for the village. He had ordered a simple meal of daal, chawal, aaloo bhujiya (Fried potato wedges), and chicken curry for us. We gorged on the food and were amazed how much we ate because it was simple and not laced with oil and spices! We were given a royal treatment and slowly but surely the true significance of our lineage began to sink in. This must have been the daily routine with our forefathers however, for all of us, the city breds, this is only stuff made of legends in the movies or in history and I am talking not too far back in history, merely 200 to 250 years old.
Next on the agenda was the visit to the fields and other kothis of my great great grandfather’s four brothers. All the five kothis was lined up adjacent to each other. We are in the middle of the lot. The villagers waved us in acknowledgement and I could hear them whispering at our back, “brij babu ka pota aur putohu aayen hai” (My grandfather’s name was Brij Kishore Narayan and putohu stands for wife of the grandson). Soon after enjoying the splendor and beauty of the village, the time to leave for Patna had arrived. We wanted to stay back but the Kothi was not ready to accommodate us as it was not in shape but took a promise from us to get it repaired so that next time we can spend a few days basking in the glory of the river Tilaiya, its courtyards, and sprawling fields in the village. As we began to move, the villagers and people attached to our families for generations showered us with good bye’s galore “pranam malik and malkin.” The children jostled with each other to catch a glimpse of Meeta, the bahu of the khaandan. Chacha and chachi were surrounded by the faithfuls of generations. The feudal system is still alive and kicking in some of its trappings much to my disgust but Rabindranath Tagore said once, “our villages have ceased to change for ages” and to expect them to change in 60 years of self rule is ridiculous to say the least. As we left the kutcha road leading out of the village on to the swanky brand new highways of Bihar, I felt goose bumps across my body and soul. Modern Bihar has made a promising beginning after years of misrule of darkness and the indicators of progress, the roads, revamped primary health centers, encouragement of the girl child education, improved law & order gives me hope that the will to do something provides a way in the most hopeless situation as Bihar found itself in for the last 20 years. We all agreed to the conclusion as the Narayans should when they have just visited a common ancient heritage and are bound with it by love and affection!
Good bye Sihin and thanks for reminding us of our heritage!
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