Six days in Sri Lanka

 

(At Colombo airport) 

India and Sri Lanka share a deep cultural, diplomatic and religious relation over more than two thousand years. Ravan ruled over Sri Lanka. He abducted Sita, and kept her in Ashoka Vatika. Sri Ram with the help of the army of the monkeys defeated Ravan’s army, killed him and rescued her. Emperor Ashoka, after his victory in the Kalinga War in 261 B.C. had sent his son Mahinda and daughter Sanghamitta as emissaries to propagate Buddhism in Singhala in 251 B.C. During British rule, the Britishers had taken Tamils to Sri Lanka to work in the tea gardens. In Sri Lanka, Singhalis comprise around 70% and the Tamils are 15-18% of the population.

The Tamils are concentrated in north and east of Sri Lanka. The Tamils of Tamilnadu have emotional connection with Sri Lankan Tamils. The Tamils under LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam) fought for an independent country. They waged war against the Sri Lankan army, and engaged in guerrilla warfare. India wanted peace in its neighbouring country. J.R. Jayvardane and Rajeev Gandhi sighed a peace treaty in 1987. But the LTTE chief Pravakaran violated the treaty conditions and continued its violent activities. India had to send IPKF (Indian Peace Keeping Force) to Sri Lanka. The LTTE assassinated Rajeev Gandhi by a suicide bomber in 1991. LTTE lost support from India and of the foreign countries after assassination of Rajeev Gandhi. In 2009, when the Sri Lankan army killed Pravakaran and his family members, and wiped out the LTTE, no country in the world had sympathy for them.

Thus, India and Sri Lanka have sweet and bitter cultural and political relation since time immemorial.  

2

Goods in the airport are costly. Our flight was at 8, in the morning. We left home for the airport at 5. We reached Hyderabad at 9.40. The upper floor of the airport was for international flights. After security check, we ate our breakfast. One plate of three idlies cost us Rs. 363. Manoranjan Panigrahi was in our group. He had his breakfast in the ground floor; that was for domestic flights of the airport. He ate one plate of three idlies for Rs. 230. The difference of price of Rs. 133 from ground floor to upper floor of the same building, from domestic to international flights of the airport!

We reached Colombo airport at 2 PM. Mr. Lesley, our guide in Sri Lanka had waited for us with a placard in his hand. We headed towards Matale where we are to stay in a hotel.

                        (Mr Lesley, the Guide)

On the way, we visited Muneeswaram temple in Chilaw. This is also called Manvari Shiv Lingam. Sri Ram having killed Ravan rescued Sita Devi. He had installed a Shiv Linga here and worshipped Lord Shiv to get rid of Brahmicide. Ravan was a great brahmin and by killing him, Sri Ram had earned Brahmadosa, that he cleared after worshipping Lord Shiv. The temple here is a simple structure, a building stood on pillars, not like the temples we see in India.

From Muneeswaram we went to see Manveri Shiv temple. This temple is a huge structure, pyramidical with cravings like the temples in South India.

It was 10 in the night when we reached Matale. I had woken up at 4 in the morning to go to airport at 5, and had been traveling since then. I was tired. I wanted to go to the bed having my dinner.

In the room, the hotel had provided two complimentary small bottles of water. The bottle contained half a litre of water. I drink much water. I asked for two more bottles to the hotel boy. The boy said, ‘You have to pay for the extra bottles’

‘How much?’

‘Three hundred LKR per bottle’

That is one hundred rupees in Indian currency.

In the outside, the same bottle cost LKR 100. The same bottle cost Rs 10 in Odisha/India. But it was night, the shops and bazaars might have been closed, and I also did not any knowledge of the area. I got two bottles for LKR 600. The hotel would collect the money when I would check out.

We had exchanged Indian rupees to LKR from one Kaliprasad Mohanty in Bhubaneswar. He had given us LKR in 5000 notes. All in our group had taken 5000 LKR notes from him. Our tour package included breakfast, lunch and dinner. But we had to pay, if we wanted to drink coconut water, buy water bottle or pay to the shoe stands. Difficult to pay with 5000 currency notes. The shopkeepers don’t change a 5000 note for one hundred or two hundred LKR.

3

(At Dambulla Cave Temple)

A board at the entry of Dambulla Cave temple has a notice that says, ‘Cave Temple-Dambulla, May You all be Protected by Lord Vishnu.’

Dambulla cave temple, also known as Dambulla Golden Temple is 148 kms from Colombo and 43 kms away from Matale where we were staying. The length of the cave is 160 metres and divided into five parts. It contains 154 Buddha images including two large sleeping Buddha. The roof of the cave has mural painting depicting the life of Buddha. It is believed, pre-historic Singhalis were residing in the cave before Buddhism came to Sri Lanka. At the corner of a cave, there is a small Visnu temple. The Guide said, ‘The king was a Buddhist, but his queens were Hindus. The king had built the Vishnu temple for the queens to worship.’ There is also a belief, the women don’t worship Buddha lest their sons leave homes as Goutam did for a life of Sanyasi. Though it is the cave temple for Buddha, and there is a small Vishnu temple, the notice at the entrance says, May You All be Protected by Vishnu.

Thiru Koneswaram temple is situated near to the sea in Trincomalee. Lord Shiv is worshipped here. Both Sri Ram and Ravan are great devotees of Lord Shiv. Legend says, impressed by the devotion of Ravan, Lord Shiv instructed saint Agasthya to build the temple.

Laxmi Narayan Perumal temple is 10 kms from Trincomalee. Laxmi and Narayan are worshipped in this temple. The male devotee has to put off his upper garments to enter into the temple as it is practiced in South Indian temples like Laxmipadmanavaya temple in Thiruanthapuram or in Suchindram in Tamilnadu.

        (With Paresh Patnaik in Trincomalee beach)

The roads in Sri Lanka are not as wide as the road in India, but the roads are clean and the drivers are disciplined. They hardly overtake, and rarely blow horn. The Tricnomalee beach is clean, not even a waste paper found anywhere. There is a notice on the beach, the person found to have thrown waste material shall be punished with minimum 3000 LKR. The roads have trees, jungles, mountains on both sides. The houses on the roadside in the rural areas seem to have been owned by people having good standard of living, at least, better than many Indian villages. Not a thatched house or jhopdi huts found. The reason maybe, the population of the country is less compared to India; around three crores. But one does not find uncleanliness in the cities and populated areas also.

4

I was in the hotel lobby, waiting for the other tourists of our group. We were to go to Kandy. A gentleman was sitting beside me. I asked him, ‘Are you a tourist?’

Three groups of IRCTC tourists had gone to Sri Lanka; besides our group, one from Hyderabad and the other from Chennai. I thought he might be one of those groups.

‘I am the owner of this hotel,’ he said.

He learnt I was from India. ‘Day before yesterday, I had dinner with Indian high commissioner in this hotel,’ he said, and showed me the picture taken in his mobile phone.

How could the high commissioner of India have dinner with a businessman? ‘Are you in politics?’ I asked.

‘Yes, I was the minister, industry and commerce for ten years,’ he said.

His name was Laxman Perera; he was a minister in the Rajpaksa ministry.

               (With Laxman Perera, former minister, Sri Lanka)

Sri Lanka had economic crisis in 2023. There were unusual high inflation and shortage of food items. Mahinda Rajpaksa was the prime minister and Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the president. The people came to the streets, and the Gen Z movement ousted the Rajpaksa government. The new government was formed headed by NPP (National People’s Power). Lesley said, ‘The NPP government is working hard. They have succeeded in reviving the economy, and sorted out many issues during the last two years. People are happy with the new government.’

It was a full moon day. On full moon day, the Buddha temple has rush of visitors. All the full moon days are public holidays in Sri Lanka. There was large crowd in the Tooth Temple of Buddha in Kandy. There was long queue for the darshan. According to historical tradition, the ruler who had control of the Tooth Temple had divine rights to rule over Sri Lanka. Legend says, an Indian princess, most likely a Kalingan Princess, had transported the tooth hiding in her hair to Sri Lanka.

                  (In front of Tooth Temple of Buddha, Kandy)

We watched cultural show at 5.30 PM in Kandy. Artistes performed different dances for one and half an hour. The show was spellbinding.  

5

On the way to Ramboda, we visited a tea garden and tea making factory. I had seen tea gardens and tea making factory in Ooty and Munar. The factory people served us tea. The taste of tea was different and that tasted good. I purchased a packet of green tea that cost me Rs.1850 LKR; in Indian currency, it would be Rs 600. I drink green tea; the price of organic green tea available in Fab India outlets is Rs.240.

                                                (Tea Drinkers)

Ramboda has Bhatka Hanuman Temple. It is said, Hanuman set foot first here in Sri Lanka and rested here in his search for Sita Devi. The place is surrounded by mountains and jungles. One legend says, the army of Sri Ram camped here before final battle with Ravan.

The image of Hanuman is tall, about 17 or 18 feet, made up granite stone. The Hanuman here does not carry a club. The Chinmay Mission of Sri Lanka has built the temple in 2001. The Mission also runs a hotel, and serves veg food. We had lunch there. The food was tasty.

        (With Manoranjan Panigrahi at Bhakta Hanuman Temple, Ramboda)

Sitamata’s temple is in Nuwara Eliya. The temple is near to Ashoka Vatika.  Ravan desired to keep Sita in his palace, but Sita refused, and preferred to stay alone in exile and meditate. Ravan made a natural garden, called Ashoka Vatika.

                                    (In Ashoka Vatika)

The temple is situated on the down of a mountain; a stream flowing beside it. Sita Devi was taking bathe in the stream before she sat for meditation. It is believed, Hanuman first met Sita Devi here and presented her the wedding ring Sri Ram had given him. There is a deep depression on the stone, said to be the foot prints of Hanuman.

Ashoka Vatika is a large garden; the walking path is 2.5 kms

Nuawara Eliya is a hill station. The hotel room did not have A.C. nor fan. The temperature in the morning in the month of September was 14-degree Celcius.

6

On our return from Nuwara Eliya to Colombo, we had a schedule to visit one medicinal plant farm. I had seen such a farm in Keralam. I had no interest. Many of our group were also not interested. They wanted to save time to spend more time in Colombo. But a few wanted to see the farm. We had to stop. When others were in the farm, we drank tender coconut water. One tender coconut cost us 300 LKR, in Indian rupees Rs. 100. But the yellowish tender coconut had water twice of that much in ours available in Odisha.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. If a child elephant is separated for some reason from its parent elephants or from the herd, it is difficult for the child elephant to survive. Those elephants are collected and put in, and well taken care of in the orphanage. The Pinnawala orphanage has 60-70 elephants. They took bath twice a day. On the opposite side of the road, we took our lunch in a restaurant, situated on the bank of the river Ma Oya. The elephants were taking bath in the river and enjoying the flowing water. This was a beautiful scene.

Kalaniya Buddha temple is in Colombo. The Sri Lankan Buddhists believed; Buddha had visited the place in His eighth year of enlightment, before 500 BC. That was His third and final visit to Sri Lanka. A large Buddha statue is installed under a large Boddhi (Peepul) tree. At the time we reached in the afternoon, a priest was chanting mantra and a group of white dress clad women were in chorus him.

                               (Buddha Temple in Colombo)

There is an ancient temple, next to the Boddhi tree. Lesley said, ‘The Portugese had destroyed the original temple. It was rebuilt in 1929 by the local king.’ Lord Buddha is worshipped.

In front of the Buddha temple, to the left side, stands a small temple of Bibhisan. In Odisha, if someone betrays, he is called Bibhisan as Bibhisan had betrayed his brother Ravan. But in Sri Lanka, Bibhisan is the God of Justice. By siding with Sri Rama, he was in support of the justice. He saved the people from the oppression of the demon king Ravan.

7

I have read two novels of Sri Lankan writers; one, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida of Shehan Karunatilaka and the other, REEF by Romesh Gunesekere. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida is set against the background of the conflict of 1980s and 90s in war torn Sri Lanka. The troubled Sri Lanka had communal conflagration between Tamils and Singhals, war between Sri Lankan army and LTTE and LTTE and IPKF. The writer says, there were two obsessions then in Sri Lanka; war and cricket. REEF is a novel about a marine biologist and his domestic help and cook, Triton. Triton has fled from his village and stayed with the researcher, taking care of the house and cooking for him. He has experimented with new Si Lankan dishes, and ends up in becoming an owner of a restaurant in London. I remembered a few Sri Lankan dishes from this book.

During my Sri Lankan visit, I was testing different Sri Lankan cuisines. In Sri Lankan food there is liberal use of coconut grating, coconut oil, chilli powder and spices. I had acidity. I woke up at 3 AM, in the night. We were put up in a hotel near the sea beach in Colombo. The sound of the waves and sea wind were exhilarating. I opened the door and sat on the balcony. The swimming pool is at the back of the hotel. The train runs just after the gate of hotel.  People were doing their morning walk on the beach at the break of the dawn.

                                                                     (On Colombo beach)

I started packing up my things to go to the airport after breakfast on return journey to our home.

                                              (The Group)

******

 

 

 

Visit to Satyabhamapur

 

(The house where Madhusudan was born)

23^rd August, 2026. The IMD had predicted deep depression in the Bay of Bengal. The sky was overcast. It was drizzling in the morning. The editor Lekhalekhi had organized a literary meet in Purusottampur, the village of Katha Samrat Surendra Mohanty, to release the September issue of the magazine. Lopamudra Mohanty, the daughter of the great writer would be the chief guest.

We started from Bhubaneswar at 10 in the morning; Paresh Patnaik, Pradipta Behura editor, Lekhalekhi and I, in the car driven by Srikant Patra, a friend and an associate of Pradipta. Sri Krushna Nayak, editor, ‘Shree’, a literary magazine joined us in Rasulgarh.

We reached Paga, 15 kms from Cuttack. Sadasiv Dash, Poet and Publisher, Chitrotpala and Poet Srinibas Sahoo were waiting for us. Dr. Manoranjan Mohanty and his writer wife, Smruti Patnaik joined us. Sadasiv garlanded the statue of Utkal Gourav Madhusudan in the Paga square. Then, we proceeded to Satyabhamapur.  

          (Statue of Madhusudan in his village Satyabhamapur)

Satyabhamapur, the village of Utkal Gourav was 3.5 kms from Paga. Writers from Cuttack, Rumjhum Nayak, Sujata Mohapatra and Baijayanti Misra reached just after we arrived at the village. Poet and Publisher Chandramani Bhuyan, Poet Nikhilesh Mohanty, Poet Khageswar Mohanty, Poet and Researcher, Rajeev Sadangi were there waiting for us. We paid tribute to Madhusudan at his birth place.

Madhusudan had embraced Christianity when he studied in Calcutta (now Kolkata). He was socially ostracized. When he came to his village he was not allowed to enter into his home. He stayed in a separate house. But, when he came to the village, he touched the feet of his mother. The villagers debarred his mother to use the common pond as she, they said, was polluted by touch of a Christian. Madhusadan dug a separate pond exclusively for use of his mother. Sadasiv Dash showed us the pond. Mahatma Gandhi visited the village on 23.05.1934 and became guest of Madhusudan. He had slept the night on the terrace of the building.

        (The building where Mahatma Gandhi stayed, and slept on its terrace in the night)

We came back to Purusottampur. Paresh Patnaik garlanded the statue of Surendra Mohanty. 

               (Statue of Surendra Mohanty in Purusottampur, his village)

The magazine, Lekhalekhi was released by Lopamudra Mohanty, Sadasiv Dash and others. Informal discussion began over cups of tea and biscuits. Pradipta Behura discussed the details of the magazine, the writers and their writings published in the September issue. Lopamudra Mohanty spoke about the village, the villagers who were close to her father, the Katha Samrat, and about her book, ‘Lokapua Suria’, the biography of Surendra Mohanty. Sadasiv Dash and Rajeev Sadangi deliberated on the rich history and literary tradition of the region.

                                     (Poets and Writers)

The lunch, hosted by Lopamudra Mohanty was delicious. The meeting ended, and we came back to Bhubaneswar.

(Lopamudra Mohanty flanked by Sahadev Sahoo, Pradipta Behura, Smruti Patnaik and Paresh Patnaik)

******

 

 

A Bureaucrat’s Tale

 

(Downloaded from the internet)

People in the park avoid Surasen after a week or ten days. Morning walkers usually form into groups of four or five. In this park, majority of the walkers are retired employees or officers; most of them from government service. Their main purpose of coming to the park in the morning is to walk, and chat and gossip. The topics differ; they discuss from colony affairs to national or international politics or their own family affairs to general social and political issues. After walk of forty or forty-five minutes, they sit on the park bench for a few minutes or go to the nearby tea stall for a cup of tea. But Sursen cannot make himself part of any group or participate in their discussion.

Suresen has retired from the Indian Administrative Service. He has joined as a state cadre officer, and been selected to IAS at the end of his career. He lets you know within three or four minutes of first meeting him that he has retired from the IAS. He has a clever way of conveying. He does not speak straight; he speaks like this; ‘I had gone to UP as an election observer,’ lest you cannot get the point, he will add, ‘Only IAS officers go as election observers.’ Or, he may say, ‘I was not interested to go to the corporation. The chief secretary told me, Surasen Babu, you have experience in finance matters, you have worked in the finance department. You go to the corporation as M.D.; the corporation is in a bad shape; you can set it right.’

Surasen will make you feel you are not equal to him, though he walks with you, but his place is higher than yours. Of course, many IAS officers, retired or in service, do not come to this park for morning walk.

           (The story originally published in Odia in SAKAAL on 7th July, 2024)

Surasen picks up a thread when a discussion goes on amongst members of a group, and he gives examples from his own life and career. He behaves like Mr. Know All, and attempts to prove that he knows more, and has more experience than you. He always wants to speak himself and not allow others to speak. He may say, ‘When I was in the education department, I reply straight on face to the principal secretary. The secretary doesn’t like, but I don’t bother.’ If there is a discussion on vigilance raid on a corrupt officer, he says, ‘I have never accepted even five paise from anyone in my service life; nobody can say so.’  If the walkers discuss about non-performing employees or officers of a department, he will say, ‘I never leave the office before I clear all the files of the day from my table. Some days, I have to sit in the office till nine or ten, night.’ When there is a discussion on reemployment after retirement of a government officer, he says, ‘The chief secretary proposed to extend my service by two years; the minister also desired, but I declined. I told them I worked for the government for more than thirty-three years. How long should I work?  It’s enough. Post-retirement, I shall lead a free life; I shall read and write.’

Gedu Mohanty has retired as section officer having been promoted from the post of a clerk. He has worked with many officers during his thirty-six years of service. He claims to have known the veins and arteries of the officers. His realization is that one should understand the opposite of what an officer says. The officer says one thing, but does the other. If one officer says he never takes bribe, you should infer the officer has not been caught while taking bribe; or vigilance has not raided his house. Dishonesty is not a discretion, but why should one beat his drum of honesty?

People in the park do not like his boastful talks, and avoid Surasen. Better not to walk with him, rather than getting bored in the morning. Surasen, perhaps, realizes, and has to walk alone.

After a few days, one day, Surasen comes to them and says, ‘The government has appointed me as chairman of an organization. An officer retired from the IAS is appointed for the post. I was not interested, but the chief secretary insisted on my joining. The C.S. said, “You can manage the organization well. You should work for the good of the state.” I cannot decline.’

The morning walkers offered him best wishes. After he went from them, Mohapatra said, ‘He was saying he had worked thirty-three years for the government. How long should he work? He would read and write. Then, how could he go for reemployment? It’s hardly six months he has retired!’

Gedu Mohanty said, ‘A donkey was carrying an image of God. On the way, whoever saw the image, paid obeisance with folded hands. The donkey thought people greeted him with devotion. He was elated. The owner delivered the image of God to a temple priest, and returned with other burden on the donkey. On the way back, the donkey looked to the sides. No one greeted him. Being unmindful, he stumbled. The owner whipped him.

The bureaucrats are like that; they get respect so long they have power like the donkey carrying the image of God. They have respect, and also benefit. After the power is gone, who cares them? Their mind gets imbalanced. Too difficult for them to cope with a life devoid of power, like the donkey without carrying the image of God.’

                               (Downloaded from internet)

Surasen, after he joins the organization, does not come to the park to walk with regular morning walkers.

*****

T R P

 

Ravi Mahapatra told Supriya Patra to write, and keep ready an obituary on Bana Panda, and instructed her to investigate his past, and make the story special and authentic.

Ravi Mahapatra was the editor of odishafast.com and Bana Panda was a cabinet minister. Bana Panda was detected Covid positive and admitted in the Covid hospital. Supriya said, ‘Sir, he is admitted today in the hospital; has not yet died…’

‘He will not survive. A comorbidity case; he has diabetics, high blood pressure and heart problems. He got his heart operated six months ago. Please ensure, our news should be in the portal first. This is an age of competition. Our news should be informative, different and well written. We should increase our viewership. If more people read us, visit our website, we will get more advertisements. If we wait for his death to happen, and write his obituary, we will write what others write, and we may also upload the news at the same time others do’ Ravi Mahapatra lectured.

Supriya was a student of journalism and mass communication; had not yet completed the course. The university was closed because of Covid. Since she would do journalism after her studies, her father requested Ravi Mahapatra to work for his portal. She would learn and be trained in the art. Ravi Mahapatra was her father’s friend since their college days.

Supriya asked a few of his friends of journalism about Bana Panda. They were from the latter’s constituency. One friend said, ‘He is a goon and a ruffian. He never moves anywhere alone; whenever and wherever he goes, he will go with seven or eight of his musclemen. ‘He creates terror, and wins election with money and muscle power.’ The second boy said, ‘He damaged the reputation of our local college. His boys will contest elections and win. His followers are all bullies and goons; they don’t come to the college for study, but for hooliganism.’ The third person said, ‘We have heard from our elders in the village, Bana Panda passed his B.A. by cheating in the exams. He always carries a knife with him. He warned the lecturers who were on invigilation duty in the exam, “You are staying with your wife and children. You never know what may happen to them, at any time. Let me write the exams in peace.” No invigilators had guts to go near him when he copied in the exams straight from books.’

‘What information you gather on Bana Panda?’ asked the editor.

Supriya told what information she had gathered on the ailing and about-to-die cabinet minister.  

The editor said, ‘This is not the way obits are written. The dead person is praised, not condemned. Good qualities, benevolent behaviour of the dead person are highlighted. Do you understand? One has to do things like what you have heard from your friends, to be in politics and be a successful politician. You google search and find out how many times he has been MLA; how many times he has become minister. Investigate into his good deeds and noble qualities, and reasons for his popularity in his constituency.’

Of course, true; a person could not be successful unless he did good work. Supriya realized and collected phone numbers of some of the party-men and Bana Panda’s political assistants from his constituency and asked them about Panda. One party-man said, ‘Bana has been my friend since our college days. His favourite game was football. He treated all the players after the game with snacks and tea, almost every day. Very affectionate, he loves and cares his friends.’ A political worker said, ‘He is generous and kindhearted.  His hands are open to help the poor and needy. He makes a list of the students of his constituency, who pass tenth class and supplies them with books, and also helps them with money to take admission in colleges.’ A political assistant said, 'He never keeps grudge against his political rivals. He sent two quintals of fish from his ponds to the opposition candidate who has been contesting, and is being defeated by him in the elections, for his daughter’s marriage.’

Supriya had prepared the obituary. But Bana Panda recovered from Covid and was discharged from the hospital. He returned home alive and well. The editor said, ‘He has a strong will power; and the attraction of the power keeps him alive. Despite so many diseases and being a serious comorbidity case, he survived!’ Supriya became unhappy. She laboured and took pains to collect material to prepare the obituary, but the minister survived; her efforts went in vain. She was sad.

After six days, at around nine in the night, the editor called up Supriya and said, ‘Keep ready the obit on Bana Panda. He has been again admitted in the hospital today. He is in a critical condition. I was enquiring with the doctors. This time he will not survive. He may pass away today in the night, maybe within one or two hours. You will upload the obit immediately in the portal, without waiting for anyone’s approval.’

Supriya downloaded a photograph of Bana Panda from internet and wrote below ‘21 August 1961 to 10 September, 2020’.  She had saved the write up. She now fine-tuned and made a few cosmetic changes to make the obit attractive and readable. She would upload the moment she heard about the death. She was looking at news on her mobile phone. But the news of Bana Panda’s death eluded. Sleep came over her.

She woke up at around 3.30, night. Bana Panda was in her mind only. She looked at the Facebook. One person had posted the death of Bana Panda. She checked with the twitter. One politician had also twitted about his death. The party-worker of his constituency she had spoken to, a few days back, had also posted the death of Bana Panda with his photograph on the Facebook. Now she was sure of the death. The editor at this time must be in slumber; she did not want to disturb him. She uploaded the obit in their news portal and went to sleep.

Supriya woke up at around seven in the morning and found three missed calls from the editor. She rang back. The editor said, ‘Congratulations! Excellent…I read it in the morning after I woke up. But there is a mistake…’

‘What mistake, Sir?’

‘You have written the date of death of Bana Panda below his photograph 10^th September; it should be 11^th September. He died at 2.10, in the night. The date of death should be 11^th, instead of 10^th.’

‘Sir, I had written the piece much earlier and waited for his death. But he did not die. I slept. When I woke up, it was 3.30, night, and found in the social media about his death in the meantime. I checked with other sources, and getting confirmed, uploaded the obit,’ Supriya said.

‘No problem, I have already corrected it. No newspaper has yet reported his death news. The newspapers usually conclude the news for the next day’s edition by one or two in the night. The news of his death has also not been reported in any of the web portal by now. Ours is the first, and its news along with obit. The obit is also beautiful; football, supply of books to the poor and needy students, sending fish to his political rival on the occasion of the latter’s daughter’s marriage… Work like this, with sincerity and innovativeness. You will rise in the profession.’

*****

Kanheilal Das

 

In Odisha, the birth or death anniversary of great persons is not celebrated unless he or she has capable sons, daughters or wives. The people easily forget, the government does not bother. Kanheilal Das has no living descendants; no one of his lineage survives. But the writers and literature lovers of Baleswar celebrate his birth day with love, respect and enthusiasm.

I went to the college on 1^st August, 1975. Kanheilal had died on 27^th July, 1975. I had read two or three of his stories before I went to the college. The school where I was a boarder subscribed the Odia monthly ‘Jhankar’ and one of my teachers bought ‘Asantakali’ and ‘Nabarabi’. I had read his stories from these magazines. The two or three stories I had read in those days had left an imprint in my mind.

In the college hostel where I stayed, my seniors were discussing about him, his stories and a bright future he had in the field of literature. Unfortunately, he died young, only at 28, his birth day being 27^th June, 1947. I realized, the seniors were genuinely sad, and mourned for his death.

(Ranjan Pradhan receiving Kanhei Katha Purskar)

Kanheilal had creative period of eight years only. His first story was published in 1968 and the last one in 1975. He has written, as compiled in ‘Kanhei Kathaghar’, 58 stories, two novella, four poems and two mini stories, that is, on an average eight stories in a year. But the stories are so powerful that those have left lasting impact on the readers. His stories are love stories which appealed to the young people except the last one; ‘Dhrutarastrara Akshi’. ‘Dhrutarastrara Akshi’ was on social issue.

Kanhei, in his diary has mentioned that he was teased by his contemporary writers for his writing only love stories. He was rather goaded to write stories on serious social issues. He died just after writing only one such story, that was published after his death. Paresh Patnaik, the chief guest for the occasion, said that Kanhei, a dreamer, ever young, was an eternal lover, and he expressed his love in his writings. When he was compelled to write on serious issues, love within him being unable to get expressed and come out, choked, suffocated and killed him. He spoke, of course, in a lighter vein. Kanhei died of illness.

( A group photo Poets and writers"

2

We were put up in the government circuit house. I used to stay there when I was in government service. Then,  local officers were there to look after my comforts. I always preferred to stay in circuit houses or government guest houses wherever I went on office tour. First time, I stayed in the circuit house after my retirement from government service. I witnessed the callous and careless service of the circuit house staff. They had given water in bottles, but those were, perhaps, aqua guard water. Knowing the attitude of the government employees I doubt it. The water they might have filled in the bottles from the wash room taps. There were no toilet shops. We were two sharing a room, but there was one towel. In the night, I asked for mosquito repellant. The manager denied to have in stock to give us.

I spent a sleepless night.

(Audience)

3

Utpal Mohanty hosted a dinner for us. Srideb, Anjan Chand, Purnendu joined with us; Paresh and me. The dosa of the South Indian restaurant tasted well; the tea tasted better. The poets and writers of Baleswar have great fraternal feeling and strong emotional bonding with writers of both present and past. One can see happiness and feel warmth meeting them. This land has given birth to Fakir Mohan, Manoj Das and also Kanheilal. Nibaran Jena, Laxmikant Tripathy and Krushna Kumar Mohanty visited us at the circuit house for chitchat. A nice memory to cherish.

We left Baleswar after breakfast.

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Selected Stories

 

(My morning walker friends are eager buyers of my book; morning walkers in breakfast meet with books in their hands)

1

Poet Ramakant Rath read a story and wanted to speak to me. He did not have my phone number. He rang up Debabrat Madanray, editor, Nabalipi. Debabrat gave him my res phone number. He telephoned to my residence. My daughter, then a student of seventh standard, picked up the call, and said, ‘Bapa is in the office.’

‘What’s the phone number of your Bapa?’ he asked.

‘His seat in the office has changed; I don’t know his new phone number,’ my daughter replied.

‘Which office?’

‘Commissioner of commercial taxes,’ she told.

Ramakant Rath telephoned to the commissioner. The PA to commissioner picked up the call. The PA of the commissioner was arrogant, a perfect Bull of Lord Shiva. He said, ‘Who is speaking?’

‘Ramakant Rath’

‘Who is Ramakant Rath?’ asked the PA.

‘Former chief secretary,’

The PA immediately gave the number, and almost ran to me, and said, ‘Former chief secretary has taken your number; he may talk to you.’                                               

Ramakant Rath spoke to me and praised the story. The story was ‘Pramoda Khudi’, published in the Sambad annual issue, that year.

He also sent a post card letter, appreciating the story.

(The letter of Poet Ramakant Rath)

2

I was working in head office, and sharing a room with an assistant commissioner. The assistant commissioner was a senior man, at least ten years older than me, in age and service. He had interest in literature, like many, when he was a student in the college. But he forgot his interest after he joined the service as many brilliant students did, after becoming officer. After a gap of more than twenty years, he rediscovered his interest and started writing stories. Of course, there were many editors who were eager to publish officers with the hope to get advertisements through them to run their magazines.

The ‘Jhankar’ in its Puja special issue had published my story ‘Lata Apaa, Tukuna O Dustaloka’. The story was about a boy of eleven or twelve years old; unconscious of sexuality, is attracted sexually towards his elder married cousin, and torments himself. The assistant commissioner read the story and castigated me, ‘What kind you story you are writing! A college boy writing for the college magazine.’

I replied, ‘The story is selected by the editor of Jhankar for its special issue.’

‘The editor has lost his mind, the standard has deteriorated,’ he remarked.

I did not argue. One could not argue with a senior who claimed to be Mr. Know All, not only on office matters, but everything including art, literature, painting, science or politics.

After a few days, I started getting letters praising the story, almost daily, some days more than one letter, for quite a few months. I did show him every letter. For some days, he read, and then, he stopped reading. Even, he did not have a glance at the letters.

(Letter of Poet Nrusingha Tripathy on the story, 'Lata Apaa, Tukuna O Dustaloka)

After this incident, the assistant commissioner had not passed any comment on any of my stories. Of course, he never appreciated, but he did not criticize, also.

3

When I was asked to select seventeen or eighteen of all the stories I had written during last thirty-five years, I was in a quandary. How could I select? The readers’ response was not so encouraging for some of the stories I liked when I wrote. I did not have much hope in some stories at the time I wrote, but the readers’ reactions were overwhelming. So, I relied on the readers; I selected seventeen stories, those had received cheering response from the ever kind readers. 

(The Book)

Nirbachita Galpa (Selected Stories) contains the stories, I hope, will get readers’ appreciation after many years.

******

 

 

 

 

KERALAM

 

                                                        

                                                    (Munnar)

 

I had gone to Keral thrice; those were official visits. This time I went on a private tour. The name of state Keral, in the meantime, had been changed to Keralam. Shasi Tharoor raised a pertinent question; the people of Keral were called Keralites, what would they would be called now? I need not, of course, worry.

We reached Kochi at 2.30 PM. The hotel where we were to stay was 40 kms from the airport. On the way, we had our lunch at around 3 PM. A veg meal, the curry mixed with cocoanut grates. Served on banana leaves, the food was tasty. It cost only Rs. 125 per meal. We checked in hotel at 5.30 and went for marine drive at 6, evening.

Boats were anchored on the shore. The boatmen called us for boat ride. We did not. It was getting dark and we had also in our itinerary to stay one night in a boat house and a boat ride in Thekkedy. I had boat ride experience. I had come to attend Empowered Committee meeting held in Thiruvananthapuram in 2014. I was staying in Kovalam, the hotel arranged for us by Karal government. The government had arranged for the delegates for boat ride in Kolam, seventy kms away from Kovalam.

Near the bus stand at the marine drive, the sewerage of the city connects to the sea. The sewerage emanated pungent ammonia smell. Unbearable, I could not stay longer there. Keral is one of the richest states in the country, and is most educated. Unhygienic, and lack of cleanliness seemed incongruous. Local people and tourists were still enjoying and roaming on the drive.

In the dinner, the hotel had three or four kinds of fish curry, three types of chicken dishes and also one beef preparation. I had rice and fish curry. Our people avoided beef.

2

We visited Dutch Palace, St Francis Church and Santa Cruz Basilica in Kochi. We were a group of 29 including the tour manager. The group had 15 women. The women and even most of the men also were not conscious of history. They did not have interest in these monuments.

The Portuguese had built the palace and the churches in the 16^th century AD. The palace was built by the Portugese as a gift to the kingdom of Cochin. The Dutch had undertaken major repairs. The Dutch palace now operates as a museum.

                                                    (St. Francis Church)

The St Francis Church was built in 1503 AD, one of the oldest churches in India. Vasco da Gama was buried here. However, the remains of the body of Vasco da Gama were returned in 1539 AD and re-interred in a casket decorated with gold and jewels in Portugal.

After visiting Santa Cruz Basilica, we proceeded towards Munnar. On the way, we went to Pothys’s mall. The tour manager told to come back to the bus after making whatever purchases within forty-five minutes. But the ladies in the group were naturally fond of shopping. After repeated phone calls, all returned to the bus after one hour and fifteen minutes.

I met Patitapaban and his wife Gayatri. They were in our group. Patitapaban was an OATS officer, posted in Sonepur treasury. Having worked in the department for more than thirty years, I had a fraternal feeling for an officer of the same department.

             (With Patitapaban and his wife Gayatri)

The distance between Kochi to Munnar is 126 kms. But the bus took more than five hours because of mountainous road. We reached Munnar in 8 in the night.

3

The tourist group had fifteen women and thirteen men; thirteen pairs of wife and husband and two single women. The guide told, in the echo point, if you called someone, his or her name would echo, provided you really love him or her. If you did not love, there would be no echo. No one called anyone; all kept mum.

Of course, this was a joke.

The lake is located in between mountains and jungles. High mountains and dense forests. The lake is full of water. If you call in a loud voice the name of someone, there will be echo because of the mountains and jungles and deep water of the lake. But, by the time we reached there, it was 11, forenoon, and there was rush of vehicles on the road, causing sound pollution. Perhaps, echo was not created for the sound pollutions of the vehicles.

(With Paresh; Chinese fishing net in the background, Kochi)

In the cultural village, they had arranged classical dance from 4 to 5 PM and 5 to 6 PM. I did not have the patience to wait to enjoy the dance programme. I had seen mohini attam and kuchupudi in my previous visits, and also in Bhubaneswar. The price of ticket was Rs.400 or Rs. 500. All except two ladies did not want to see. The two ladies were single women. They said that they would have massage in the spa before the show started. We had reached the venue at 3.30 PM.

We left them there and came to spice market and to visit Keral Farm. We would pick them up after their show was over on our return to hotel. One employee of the Keral Farm told us to give a free ride in their jeeps to the farm and an expert would explain us the utility of the medicinal plants and trees. We opted for visit to the farm. One employee of the farm explained us the plants and trees and their medicinal values. He brainwashed us for the efficacy of ayurvedic medicine prepared by the Keral Farm. The Farm spread fifty acres of medicinal plants and trees.

After we returned from the farm, I purchased ayurvedic medicine for my diabetes and many of us also purchased medicines for their illness. The medicine cost me Rs. 6000/. I have taken the medicines for three months. But I don’t feel any improvement. Now, I feel cheated.

4

After lunch, we waited for boat ride in Thekkady. But all tickets had been sold. Srinivash, the tour manager told he would come next day early in the morning at around 4, and book tickets for us. We had to leave the hotel for boat ride by 6 in the morning. Fifty percent of tickets available off line, and they sell 50 percent on line. We were not sure of getting tickets next day also, as large number of tourists came for boat ride.

                           (Elephant Safari)

We enjoyed elephant safari. The elephant took a round for twenty minutes, me and my wife sitting on its back. The path the elephant took was amidst spice plants. The cost of ticket Rs. 600 per person. The ride was exciting, though the price of tickets, Rs. 600  only for twenty minutes was high.

 5

                (Boat ride in Thekkedy)

It was 10, morning when we left Thekkady after boat ride, to Alleppey. We stayed in a boat house. It was 3.30, afternoon when we had our lunch in the boat house. They had served rice, sambar, veg fry and fish (pomfret) fry.

I was introduced to Mahesh Sahoo, ex-MLA, Talcher and ex-MP, Dhenkanal. He had come with his wife in this IRCTC package tour. He is a simple man and, perhaps, an honest politician. A four-time MLA and an MP, but he had come for visit in a group. Had he been a politician like others we see, he would have come alone and had a luxury travel. I noticed he had a simple Nokia phone without WhatsApp or internet, not an android one as we all had. We sat on the deck of the boat. He did not discuss politics. An honest, simple and sociable person.

(We with Mrs and Mr. Mahesh Sahoo)

The boat house we were put up in was not good. The blankets had not been washed for a long time. The toilets were not clean. But we enjoyed the stay; spending an afternoon, the night and the morning on a floating house. It was a pleasure to see the flying birds in a row, returning to their nests in the evening, and the fishermen catching fish in the middle of the sea.

                  (Trying to pilot the boat house)

6

We came from Alleppey to Thiruvananthapuram. On the way, we had our lunch in a hotel. A Keral thali; five kinds of chutney, brownish Keral rice, one banana and three kinds of payasam with other veg dishes. The cost was only Rs.260 per thali.

We reached Aazhimala Shiva temple of Kovalam at around 4, afternoon. A cave has been hewn and the Shiv image installed inside. After darshan of Lord Shiv we came out and had darshan of the Lord in the nearby temple. Situated on the sea shore, the temple, the cave and a tall Shiv image looked attractive and a favourite tourist spot.

     (At Aazhimala Shiva, on the sea shore)

We went to the Kovalam beach, spent some time there and purchased a few t-shirts for my son as mementos. We reached the hotel and checked in at around 8.30, night.

(With poet Subas Sahoo and writer Paresh Patnaik on Kovalam beach)

7

Srinibash told us to wake up at 3 in the night to go to Swami Padmanav temple at 4, morning. The darshan time was from 6.30 to 7.30, and we had to stand in the queue. I did not want to go. I could not have patience to stand in the queue for a long time. I had also visited the temple and had darshan twice in my previous visits. Tila went with others and I stayed in the hotel.

(Mansur in Thiruvananthapuram)

Prof. Dr Ramlingam of GIFT and Mansur, Joint Commissioner, Enforcement had come to meet me in the hotel.

           (Dr Ramalingam)

******