Cuttack: The "rebuttal"

My introduction to Cuttack, or rather vice-versa, was on Jan. 12, 1961. My dad took my mother straight to CuttackMedical, from Hind Talkies, after the 2nd. show. Can't explain why, but that just embarasses me till today :-(

Grandpa's (Aja) house is in Chandini Chowk, where the old bus stand used to be. The major part of all the summer vacations in the 60s, at least the ones that I can remember were spent in Cuttack, at Aja "ghara" (mom would not have it any other way, and I did not have a say).

Aja and Aai (Nanaa & Nani) had umpteem grandkids, and so my being spoilt by grandparently love was out of question. Cuttack being part of the Mughal Bandi (as opposed to our very own sweet lovely BAM being from the Garjaat, why else would an area be called Chand(i)ni Chowk) had left its legacy- the living (drawing) room, at my Aja's place was called Baithak Khaana. Ah, thats where I met many an interesting Katki characters, like Sarat Babu (Aja to me) a Bengali pal of my grandpa's who would come in after 10 p.m to read the "Samaja" from cover to cover, as in his house they subscribed to the Prajatantra (another Oriya daily) only. Of course, Aai would ensure that he got his cup of tea, to add to the experience of paper reading (ugh, in our BAM after 10 p.m, if need be, we serve coffee).

The whole atmosphere exuded an almost eerie (well at that age of mine) romanticism. For e.g. grandpa's immediate neighbor to the left had 3 individuals - 2 sisters and a brother (contemporaries of my mamaas and mausies). The sisters were spinsters, and ran a printing press that they had inherited from their parents. The brother had gone insane, jilted by his beloved (so the story goes), needless to say a bachelor too, and the sisters had jointly decided to remain unmarried, in order to take care of him!

As much as this touched my heart, I personally could never verify if Ajit Mamu (the brother, mamaa to me, of course) was really totally insane. Discretion is always the better part of valor ;-)

The house on the right, once removed from my grandpa's, had this brat of a girl, a year older to me, called Jochhi (an aberration of "Jyotsna"). She studied in Vanasthali Vidyapeeth, Rajasthan and since I studied in a Convent, it was assumed we would be good friends. Guess again!

Anyway, in the Baithak Khaana, over many a sessions, spanning many years, I was informed of things, to name a few - Communism is bad; Naxals are misguided; Dilip Kumar is the best actor there ever will be; Americans are large-hearted; Berhampur is a rough place lacking in culture ;-)

Movies! Ah, my maternal side clan were a bunch of movie maniacs. 1st day, 1st show - naturally, they said. I remember, seeing (being taken to, I should say) "Talaash" (Rajendra Kumar & Sharmila Tagore) at Grand. When I said to them that it was not that great a movie (sincerely meant that), my youngest aunt retorted "Berhampur re se mankoda, Shammi Kapoor movie dekhi dekhi, taste boli bilkul kichhi nahin".

There were servants galore. Ram Nana was the head cook. Fakira only laid the bed at night and picked it up inthe morn. Subhaas' job was to pick flowers and offer it at Kaali Mandir. Narakhaari, a lady only pressed legs and another woman swept the floors in the morning and evening. And these were the major players.

We (lowlife grandkids like me) were supposed to address them with "tumay" (not "tu" like in BAM).

The Durga Pooja bisarjan on the 11th day of Dussehra, was another event (well sometimes CTC was also the detination for Puja break). All the "pratimaas" had to pass thru Chandini Chowk with much fanfare and emotion. Strangers would barge into the front verandah, and lordy sometimes even to the rooftop. Instead of being shooe'd away, they would be served lemonade!!! Anyways, family members had the best seat, from the 2nd floor (1st floor in our parlance). "Nani" a mamaa would ask my mother "BAM re 'medha' kemiti?". Mom would reply, "Bes bhala, sankhyaa re kaum, kintu CTC bhaliyaa, murty ra chehra re ettay madhurjya nahin". "Mom, that's subjective" I would mutter to myself.

So you musta hated going back eh, Hilu?

Well!

As time passed, I was able to ride in a bicycle and explored the city - Purighaat, Kaathjodi kula, Nim Chowdi, Chowdhury Bazaar, Tulsipur, Mohammadia Bazaar, I started tuning into their frequency.

The awesome taste of the Rama Nana's cooking. Mamma Mia! The aloo, baigan, pumpkin (boitaalu - orange colored) chhenchki with rumaali roti, the dalmaa. And if Aja felt like it, Biriyani from Mohammadia Bazaar would be ordered.

Dolamundai lassi.

My Aai would always always make her signature paan, and send 20 (each had a clove stuck to it) in a silver batuua for my 2 older brothers and dad.

The Katki mixture and singhara (samosa), that mom would buy as we were returning to BAM, as the bus to BAM meandered thru the whole city starting from Chandini Chowk.

Heck, one could never get Cuttack outta mom, and if she loved it, it couldn't have been all bad.

And if u ever have spent your childhood summer vacation in a place, just once ..., well I spent many at Cuttack.

CUTTACK, why I love that place too! There are a few exceptional situations though like -

1. BAM vs CTC in a soccer match.

2.

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97.

98.

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U get the idea ;-)