My 120th Mithila Jagaran yatra Munger – Darbhanga-Jamalpur (April 4-8, 2012)-A

My 120th Mithila Jagaran yatra Munger – Darbhanga-Jamalpur (April 4-8, 2012)-A

I am back to my work after a tedious journey to Mithila-in fact one part from Laheriasarai to Samastipur was probably the most arduous one I might have travelled in my life on 7th April night in the Dhuriyan express after attending Mithila Mahotsava by Udyashankar Mishra.

Some months back I had accepted invitation of Dr. Sanjiv Kelkar MD and Dr Sanjeevani Kelkar , MS for their son Nachiket’s marriage on April 8th at Nagpur with a condition that if not tagged with some long programme and that happened when we fixed up a Maithili Karyakarta prashikshan Shivir at Kuangarhi, Munger when RP Jha incidentally met me on 15th March and I felt we must give importance to Munger and accordingly on April 5th the executive committee meeting of the Antarrashtriy Maithili parishad was accepted by Arbind Choudharyji.

From Raipur SN Pathak aged 80+ was enthusiastic to visit Kuangarhi again where he had been with me in such VIII camp during oct.22-25, 2004. However with the passage of time RP jha did have some domestic problem and a well planned camp with visit to nearby places could not be possible.

However, my planning is always to club something with something resulted a better fruit and not only XXVII camp was held at Munger with wide newspaper publicity, it was probably the best ever camp in the matter of enthusiasm and there the chief guest a person of the ADM rank , Shri Ajay Kumar Jha Aannounced that after his retirement (in 2018) he would devote his full time for Mithila’s statehood.

Altogather 26 were given first year certificate and one Heeralal Mahto, from dalsingsarai second year certificate of camp.

We presume three such camp if a maihtil attends would be able to hold camp independently.

We want to recruit more and more from each corner of Mithila in such camps and want to have as many camps as possible in the interiors and fringe zones of the Mithila.

The camp was clubbed with the working committee meeting and it could be explained to the Munger workers only one or two days before when Kuangarhi programme finally failed. It was a difficult task for them but it was accomplished very nicely by them.

The Xerox of the camp materials could be available just 30 minutes before my departure and I was in a fix whether it would be held at all? I had instructed single page xeoxing so that its other face can be used for some purpose.

Incidentally ny nephew a student of the NIT, Jamshedpur had come on 4th April and he on a bike could collect those papers and saw me off in the train after attending some work in my afternoon clinic.

Till Kiul I was on a single seater, seated and reading some pages of a book by Pravin Ohl, ‘Asia on foot,’ It was also my pradosh fast and thpough in the morning I had done Puja in advance, and also in a Shiv Mandir in the Satellite Colony after some transactions in the bank there and had also taken curd water in house during journey I again recites strotas and did paran without a proper puja when Sun set in the valley of Ranchi-Muri section in lovely green and cool environ.

When I got seated in the train, I had first jolt when the president Dr. kamalkant Jha said that due to sudden spinal pain he was advised not to travel next fortnight. However satyanarayan mahto said that he would be coming who later presided over the meeting.

A youth raushan though talked long on the mobile after mail exchange did not receive phone(a common habit of Maihtils who do not want to say ‘no.’ Other youth Pravin of Dhabnad though talked from madhubani also did ot say ‘no.’

Madhvendra jha, a nephew of the great poet Prof. Surendra Jha ‘Suma,’ however confirmed. Premkant Jha , general secretary would be attending and it would be a truncated executive meeting I expected.

It was cool in the train due to hailstorms in north Mithila region and I had no proper sheets(chadar).

The Kiul came at early 330 am and I waited for Surendra Pathak’s south Bihar express. The Dhurian Passenger passed but I preferred not to disturb Mahtoji or Madhvendraji.

I preferred to rest and eat grapes instead on the platform.

When Surendranath Pathak’s train was announced I felt urgent need to go to toilet and I found a youg girl of teens sleeping in the waiting room with no care of her luggage and I aroused her by my strong voice and chided her for carelessness but already her mobile was stolen by someone which she had put for charging.

I missed Pathakji to receive in between and started wandering to check DMU’s coaches and platform but soon he met. He had gone out for a local ticket to jamalpur.

I slept

Pathakji and I took DMU for Jamalpur. I slept till jamalpur came and there we took jeep to go to Munger’s Bhagat singh Chowk and then a rickshaw to Lallu Pokhra about which the puller said that it was said that from that pond one would used to get utensils and cereals for food preparation after which the utensils were to be returned to the pond but some greedy person did not return that and that power was lost.

Soon we were there and Choudharyji was waiting for us at the Hanuman mandir there near the Maithili Parishad office.

Premkantji had already been there and sleeping after unreserved journey and so soon came Mahtoji with Heeralal Mahto, a retired train driver and then Madhvendraji.

Local workers gradually assembled and after I did my bath and puja we started for the executive committee meeting and took some important decisions.

Then after delicious lunch we started Training camp and one after other many sessions were held- inauguration, qualities of good workers, role of the Antarrashtriy Maithili aprishad, geography and history of Mithila(ancient and modern) apart from a symposium on Mithila’s problems in which asked to name one problem each.

Ramnaresh Mishra said we need strong orgnisation; Dr. Kashinath Mishra was worried for unemployment; Arbind choudhary was sore at the lack of enthusiasm amongst workers for the organization; Premkant jha stressed on mutual trust and transparency; Satynarayan mahto asked for social harmony; madhvendraji pointed for self proud; Sushil Kanth said that for the development of language and region we should dedicate ourselves; Dr. matand Mishra, BAMS, stressed on active networking and cooperation; Mahashankar Choudhary appealed for joining with Tan-Man-Dhan; SN pathak asked for financial strong position’ Heeralal mahto stressed on the propagation of Maihtili language; Amrendra thakur asked for adding yuth to the movement in more number; Anmol Jha stressed on unity and organization; Ramnarayan karn said that distance between saying and doing need minimized, Binodanad Jha stressed on the Maihtil’s development, Vivekanad singh said for surrendering the ego.

In the evening Mahtojee, Hralalji and Premkant jee left and pathakji, madhvendrajee and I were left for continuing of the camp.

We had dinner there and we spent some time on roof which was cool due to Ganga breez but we came down and under mosquito coil tried to sleep which was not possible till electricity came late.

Next morning we decide to go to kastharni Ghat by walking. In the way a newspaper hawker did give us newspapers(Jagaran, Hindusatan and Prabhat Khabar). In fact the did not know counting above 2 or 3 papers and initially he counted Rs.16 for three sets which I gave him and later Rs.9 for one extra set while the set of the papers were of Rs. 11 which I could think later on and some Rs. 15 were given to him extra which I thought was a good donation on the Chitra purnima day.

The Kastharni Ghat had a picturesque scene and I took bath first and had longer puja in between they were ready. We saw ganga mai’s temple. There was also a temple of jagannath- Balbhadra-Subhadra like Puri.



WE came out and went to Yograshram for which Munger was world famous. We knocked rear gate but were advised to go through front gate only.

Before entering we took biscuits and put our clothes to that vendor.

Ashram had a time for Sundarkand chanting. Madhvendrajee was insistent not to wrap body by other’s cloth though I asked Surendra Pathakji to give him dhoti.

His insistence had a notion not to wear other’s dress which was more a sign of his obstinacy than of hygiene.

Inside the beautiful marbled Ashram had more beauty to the young foreign girls and boys taken the charge of Sundarkan path’s management and they also put Tilak to all(the girl missed me though I was willing for her Tilak’s?)

And those foreigners too sat and recited Sudarkand written in Awadhi! What a great achievenment of the Yogaguru satyanandji and his disciples. I was mesmerized by that and it increased my honour to him more so that he was not anyway deviant to sanatan sanskriti like many other Yoggurus.

I had listened about him but had not much appreciation as to me simple Yoga was ridiculous and for the physical fitness only if that was not a way to join God. Many years back I had seen two young sannyasinis at Chennai at a maithil’s house and I had not good impression but that was changed seeing the Sundarkand path after which a small Prasad was distributed(which just now I have taken for satisfying my hunger when my sister had also called me where I was since morning- in fact busy in replying mails which will hardly make organization and sudden change of dates to Forbesganj sammelan to 26-27 and a meeting with workers for ensuing new years’ day’ programme for Mithila Divas at ranchi on April 13-14).

After we came out of the Ashram I requested both to got o Chandisthan also in that go on a rickshaw for Rs. 5o till return to the parishad office.

Munger is a hilly place and through wide roads of the once capital of Bihar area we reached on the outskirt the Chandisthan where Mother’s eyes were said to be dropped after daksh Yajna. The temple small and beautiful is not managed well and the priests make unnecessary late in the cave which sometime may result in a stampede.

While returning we saw a Mithila Ayurveda Kendra and I recalled my father’s Mithila Ayurveda Bhavan in my hometown, Forbesganj.

Choudharyji was waiting for us and we had soon our lunch and we rested till workers assembled for the sessions.

On 6th April the sessions started with Arbind Choudhary stressed on Youth’s role in the development of Mithila. I took sessions on how to implement a programme – planning, execution and review including financial as paran is part of vrata. Then I explained why Mithila state was necessary for us, Bihar and nation as a whole. I also took some time to deliberate public health, good hygienic habits and answers to specific queries.

After dinner with Dr. Matand Mishra I went to jamalpur as I had to go to Darbhanga for the Mithila Mahotsava on 7th evening.

It was a good chance to talk to Dr. Martand’s son 3ho was planning for the company secretarysahip. I advised him to do graduation and then law as well. It was exhilarating to talk to the little daughter Shambhavi who rwd in neaby Notterdame school said to be forst in India of that seroies.

There I knew from her that headmistresses were called only Sisters there as they were nuns probably. The girl spoke in chaste English on vaied subjects and I tried to give her some tips on science in particular though I was not versed with their syllabus.

After two glasses of milk of his own cow , I was given a lift to jamalpur station where I found the ticket to Darbhanga of 175 km was merely Rs.25.

The train was around two hours late and it was a difficult time to be on the platform in the cool breez with little cloths.
The train came and it was almost vacant and I could find one convenient to sleep on seat changing many coaches

Dr. Dhanakar Thakur
Spokesman,
Antarrashtriya Maithili Parishad