Kumbhsnan 2010 Haridwar-Monkey-chopped returened(13.2.2010);Sangamsnan with Maithils(14.2.2010);Namkeen Gudia in the train(14.2.2010)-I

Kumbhsnan 2010 Haridwar-Monkey-chopped returened(13.2.2010);Sangamsnan with Maithils(14.2.2010);Namkeen Gudia in the train(14.2.2010)-I

When some days back my hospital clerk Mishraji had asked whether I would go for Kumbh,I had no definite inclination before that but when I saw 3-days leave Mahashivratri 12th, second Saturday and Sunday),I checked tickets which were becoming waitlisted and by some tortuous search I could find one from Ranchi to Varanasi confirmed and then a nominal waitlist in Doon Exp. But return in the Howrah bound Doon Exp. Had a long wait list but in the Link(to Sangam) it was a nominal wait list followed by a confirmed ticket in LTT-Ranchi with few hours space for Sangam Snan at Prayagraj and a meetings of Maithils for Mithila state.
I returned back from this tight schedule but having Kumbhsnan at Harki Pairi on the Kumbh Sankranti on 13th Feb. and though unprecedented late of Sangam link (6 hours from Fatehpur to Kanpur) though I could not have Sangamsnan but in the meeting arranged by the Maithil Sangam, an organization of local Maithils with brilliant reputation in the field of literature, I could experience a Sangam feel there and today is the second consecutive day that I would take bath and then food in the afternoon as again my train was late.
I usually forget to write about if I keep things pending and so I had decided to write in short the happenings of the journey and the meeting but could not conclude on 15.2.2010 (before next journey to Bhagalpur on 21st)..
It was as usual I was in hurry to catch train for Varanasi with packs of Aayurvigyan Pragati to be posted in RMS at Varanasi. It was raining and I forgot to put on sweater and with a woolen chadar this whole journey was because it was the second spell of winter after I had just left sweater in the day feeling uncomfortable with bright February. Why the months of Uttarayana- Magh and Falgun are in Shishir Ritu(season) one can understand though I could never understand why Magh Shukla 5, Saraswati Puja is called Vasant Panchami when it falls in the Shishir Ritu of Hindu seasons. Maybe this experience is the cause.
At Mugalsarai, 90 minute late my train became and I had to leave that to catch Doon which was announced to arrive soon there. I posted both bags of the Aayurvigyan Pragati in the RMS there and was free of luggage with a small bag. My younger brother could not come to Varanasi due to rain and cool and it was a difficult time for me in the evening to eat his pack of carrot halwa also after a pradosh fast. I had bath and puja in the train itself as usual happens to me.
I was surprised to see a signboard of some Jha stores near Malipur where many co-passengers got down who were businessmen at Kolkata. Some local students were returning from the fair on the occasion of Shivratri ,one of them was at Belwai or Bibiganj but what surprised me that there was also a place there where is JHARKHAND where too Shivratri fair is famous.
I saw a school named after Acharya Narendra Dev at GOSHAIGANJ but I felt it must have been on the name of some Muslim Gaush(and whether so is Jaunpur on Arbic alphabet ‘jaun’ ?) as most of the names of stations I read were Muslim names like Shahganj,Akbarpur(where belonged Mayavati, present CM about her family people do not know much but said that she was working in a theatre(Nautanki). I do not know about her much but as people said she studied side by side to have her LLB also which was praiseworthy and they praised her strict command and disapproved her making statues; I feel she herself had denigrated for PM post by making her statues and I was surprised as to with which type of advisors she was encircled!).
There were many such Urdu names-Dariabad (but had a Yadav tailor-A Yadav and a tailor was a greeting effort!),Saidkhanpur ,Safdarganj(near river Kalyani,Safedabad but there were ),Rudauli and Rasauli near Barabanki ,Jagaur, Malhaur too non-Urdu names. Patranga was beautiful name among all where train did not halt.
And so was the Urdu name of Faizabad after the holy city of AYODHYA which is a temple city. Some travelleler commented that many persons made temple like dome to make their house any tax free! There I was delighted to see a school where students were playing in yellow paints and chadars which was a Gurukul.
Monkeys or Hanumanji I had seen in good numbers in many stations en route and there were dozens of them at Faizabad. Some monkey was eating buiscuit and the other had baby attached to abdomen! I was happy to note about them that that was the sign of eco- preservation and so was delighted to see a peacock in the field but did not see any again till evening. All around fields had yellow flowers of mustard crop.
I saw Saijaganj had a Lord Shiva temple and so at many places.
I was surprised to see a banner greeting for Nag Panchami and New Year (English) which I thought should have been for Vivah Panchami (as Vasant Panchmi followed New Year!).
Such wrong words have been used extensively e.g. Uttar Pradesh is not northernmost part of India (which is Jammu & Kashmir). So is the word Purvanchal for the statehood as now it may be the eastern part of U.P. but as one of the states of India it will not be eastern-Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland and Mizoram are its eastern states and will remain so. Therefore a better and proper name would be BHOJPUR. My fellow passenger informed me that Bhojpuri is spoken in the eastern and north-eastern areas from Varanasi. He said that even Varanasi and Jaunpur have mixed language but I feel those can be part of Bhojur and some districts of Bihar(old SARAN and Shahabad) if added, it will be linguistically homogenous state which can develop its dialect Bhojpuri soon to the status of language.
As per that passenger Allahabad has Awadhi as KHARI BOLI. Probably a region from Allahabd to Kanpur and Lucknow around would be AWADH representing the glory of Hindustan where Lord Ram was born.
South to it may be added to Bundeljhabd in eastern parts and Braj may be caeved our with adjoining districts of Rajasthan and M.P.
West to Awadh may be Ruhelhand (again Harit Pradesh coined is more industrialized now and has no semblance to the area) and many districts on northern part of present U.P. need adding to Uttrakhand(people of Bijnaur are demanding for that also) as present Uttrakhand with small population and revenue will remain always in fiscal deficit though leaders of Uttarakhand do not want addition of any area for they will loose their political supremacy. If be it so then better to merge small Uttarkhand with Himachal Pradesh as both are Himalayan states with same echo-diversity.
Talking on those lines soon I saw Acharya Narendra Dev Nagar station. Acharya Narendra dev was a great socialist about whom Wikipedia refers,” Acharya Narendra Deva (1889-1956) was one of the leading theorists of the Congress Socialist Party in India. His democratic socialism renounced violent means as a matter of principle, and embraced the satyagraha as a revolutionary tactic.” About him Ramnandan Mishra, a great socialist leader from darbhanga had also told me but I was under the impression that Narendra Dev was a teacher at the BHU which that passenger refted and said that he was a teacher at another place of the area we were crossing.the name of place now I do not recall.
That retired railway employee of 73 year asked me as to where Mithila was when I said that I belong to Mithila.He was travelling with his family-son, daughter-in law and daughter and children. His son was also an electic engine driver and it was a pleasant scene to see his happy family. In Awadhi a lady said ,’Hath lagauta,’ while poring carrot halwa from a tiffin carrier pan to a plasic glass and such things looked to me a sense of comfirtness provided by the railway travel.
Other co passenger was saying Pare for any Pandey and one had computer memory of tain timings from Barbanki to Kanpur;a MST traveller he could inform with precision up to particular coaches in which season seats one may get not to talk of trains which run in time or are late perineeally. He was also explaining on the rights and duties and expectation from olitical parties and leaders and was telling about persons who fought many elctions not o win but for a record(I recalled only a Dhartipakad!) but for democratic rights. I thought but could not take his address before he got down at Lucknow immeiately to take some other train which he only knew of seconds’ precision.
In fact I was wandering in the development of Lucknow which a girl pointed out to be Sahara City- Subroto ray sahara was from district Araria who rose to fame starting venture from a table and chair. Lucknow had slendid growth like that of other capitals and the city I had visited many times which now I use to merely cross remebering the trans and cis hostels of KGMC.
At Lucknow the passengers were almost changed and after a heavy post-fast meal, I had to take a tablet of Cetrizine, an anti-allergic to some food ingradient. After some time I was asleep giving alarm for early morning rise at Haridwar. When I was awoke, the train has compensated late and it was on the outskirt of Haridwar at Jwalapur station where many got down.
When I got down at Haridwar,it was too early, around 330 am and it was cool. The latform was overcrowded but I could get a chair where a young boy was also waiting for morning. I had to return by 2 Pm train and so I was not in hurry. I was willing that in sunshine it would be better to perform snan-puja than in cold, dark Ganga.
After sunrise, I got the call of Tinku,son of my neice that he was stranded at Lakshar some 60 km away and it would not be possible for him to recive me. I did not require him too as I had little luggage and had to take Ganaga snan only. With the young boy there I started on foot as morning walk. We listened to Arati of Gangamata on loud speakers and that boy informed me that he wished to be there in aarati(I told him that had he said me so I too would have like to be there). Anyway, after few minutes we were at Har Ki Pairi, most famous Ganga ghat. We put our shoes in the place for that and I liked to go to the area with least congestion ( next day some one told me that people want to have snan in Brahmkund only..anyway next time..).
I told the boy to wait till I finish. I dipped in Ganga as wished as Mrs. Abhas Chatterjee had said 51 times(apart from one for her I did as asked for) but it was very difficult in cold water and so after some dips I springled water on my head to complete counting. Then on the same Ghat I did my daily puja-sandhyabandan, tarpan, Panchdevata and other pujas..After that the boy also took dip in the Ganga.
There were many volunteers collecting donations. I felt number was very high and they must have some commission in donation and so were that active. My companion boy donated Rs.20 but I donated only Rs.11; seems the more literate you are more miser you are or have less faith or are less orthodox do not fully free from orthodoxy! At the shoe counter that boys’ shoe was missed and there was a great rush. The counter-person asked me to vaccate immediately as I had got my shoes but I retorded him heavily on that and the boy could enter the room to search his shoe and returned to me where I was waiting with his bag.
(Continued…next part)