Yesterday,
I stepped out of the house in the morning for office. It was bright and sunny,
but not warm. Sun was there, but his presence was not very strong. As soon as I
got on the road, I could smell the cow dung from somewhere. It felt as if there
were a few cows grazing around in a cowshed and the air was filled with the
smell of their dung. If you are wondering, what I am talking about and how can
I like the smell of cow dung, let me tell you, it is one of the most common
thing used to plaster the courtyard and the earthen kitchen floors in villages.
It is a coolant too and it keeps away flies and insects. People who have been
to their grandparents in the Konkan region of Maharashtra will immediately
identify with what I am saying.
The smell
took me to my great-grandmother’s village, called Maldoli, near Chiplun,
Ratnagiri. My mother and her cousin sister grew up in this village for a few
years after their birth. Both these sisters have a special bond with the
village, the house and their grandmother, so much that my aunt named her
daughter Rama, derived from the name of her grandmother, Ms. Ramabai. I visited
Maldoli in my school days and could very well understand why these ladies were
mad for this place. Upon entry the house had a big courtyard and a big cowshed
on the left, where cows, buffaloes were reared. Upon entry in the house, there
was a place called ‘padvi’, where one kept the shoes and a big swing was there
for the kids and adults to sit. Then inside room was called ‘maajghar’ (hall),
where there was a cupboard and mirror and had lot of place for the guests to
sit and talk and also sleep at night. On one side of maajghar was another room,
where the ladies of the house gave birth to kids and were kept in that room for
3 months with their babies. It was very cozy, dark and small room.
To the left
of the maajghar was the devghar (god’s own room). There were many gods in there
and my panji (great grandmother) did pooja every single day with lot of home
grown flowers and we got goodies everyday in form of Prasad. That room appeared
so pious and sparkling to me that I often spent time sitting there looking at
the gods. Swaipakghar (Kitchen) was to the right of the maajghar and it had the
earthen chimney and not the modern ones like today. My great-grandmother cooked
delicious food all the time of the day and mostly there were rice varieties. My
favorite was metkut bhaat (rice and a powder made of different dals and a few
spices). And yes, how can I forget the big cauldron in which the butter was
churned manually with a help of a big rod and tasty buttermilk was prepared? After
having meals, either panji or the maid cleaned the surface of the kitchen with
cow dung within no time. It brought a cooling effect and a nice sweet smell
with it!
To the left
of the kitchen was a small bathroom and it had one huge black rock on which we
sat and took baths. There were no taps or geysers. Water was heated in huge
vessels, using wood and then it was given further for bath. There was a
constant supply of cold water from a nearby stream and I haven’t tasted any
other water as sweet as it till now. I never fell ill by drinking that
non-boiled water, which is a rarity in cities now. There were no fans or
television till the late 80’s, but it never seemed to heat up in peak summer
also. The house had earthen tiles as roof and in summer the area between the
house and cow-shed was covered with thatched roof so that more people could be accommodated
and festivals could be celebrated. And
there was a huge mangrove, away from the house. The trees were laden with
Alphonso mangoes and there was never ever a dearth of mangoes when we went
there in summer. We ate mangoes all the time and for all meals. There was a
place called ‘maadi’ (upper terrace), where the mangoes that were plucked from
the tree were kept and we could go there and just pick up any mango in any
quantity of our choice. There was a extra room in the house too which was
usually given to the teachers who came to teach in the school there. They came
for a year or two and every two years, there were new tenants.
I remember
the cows and buffaloes, the dogs and the cats that were like family members. Every
morning, the home servant called Pandya, milked the cows and buffaloes and got
fresh milk to panji. She then made the most delicious tea ever with jaggery and
tea leaves and milk. Sugar also came much later in the village. And I do not
remember having seen a television set in the village that time. Hardly one
house somewhere had it! I also remember my mom telling me a story about how a
tiger once came from the jungle nearby and sat opposite to my great-grandfather
looking in his eyes. He had come to eat the cows and buffaloes, but thankfully,
he didn’t harm anyone and left in some time after sitting along for a while. Oh,
I have goose bumps, even now, when I think of it!
Further down
to the house, there was a small piece of land, where there were jackfruit trees
and further more the toilet, which was built very late. When we stood in the
courtyard of the house, on the other side, we could see the industry lights of
an area called Lote Parshuram. There was only one condiments shop which was
down the village. Biscuits, chocolates, Pepsi colas, ice-creams were a rarity
there and all these things were a huge hit in the village. There came only one
red bus per day to Maldoli from Chiplun and the roads were of mud, orange and
no tar roads. There was a water body, where we could go sailing and we also
went up the mountains to see the waters. It was very peaceful and serene up the
mountain there from where the whole village and the nearby areas could also be
seen. I also remember catching the kaajva (glowworms) in my own hands at night.
There was an eerie silence at night, with no road lights too. There was no
electricity needed that time. All the chores were completed in the day time and
later with the help of oil lamps or kandil (lanterns). I have also slept in the
big courtyard looking at the stars and the wide open sky. Have never really
watched the sky like that later in life…
Now, the
house is no more there. It collapsed one fine day and the big pink and grey stones,
which were used for its construction and which made the house cool even during
summer, were stolen. Other things also were taken away as the house was locked
for many years. Thankfully, my panji was not staying there since the early nineties
and the gods were duly taken home to Chiplun by my mother’s cousin much before.
He now looks after the mangroves in Maldoli and manages it. My panji passed
away too in late nineties. She was the most tolerant and loving person, I have
ever come across. She never got angry on anyone; she always welcomed the
strangers and the relatives with equal gusto and a smile. She never got tired
in her good health. Later as the age advanced, she grew pale and become
bed-ridden. May God rest her soul in peace.
I miss that
place even more after writing this. I want to visit it once and see for myself
what has remained of the house where we all gathered, enjoyed, played, laughed
and ate together once upon a time.
My mom's cousin, Ms. Anjali Karandikar, who has also been with mom in this beautiful Maldoli adds a few points about her grandparents here which were not known to me. Thanks mavshi!
- ओटी was part of the house between Padvi and Majghar.
There was a cot (baaj) where Ajoba used to sleep and used to hang his
coat on khunti. There was a small desk and a small cupboard. Ajoba used to
smoke and used to put विडी bundles in the
cupboard.
- Ajoba passed away on 10th
May 1982. He was 75 yrs. old.
- Aji passed away in Feb
2004. She was 94 yrs old.
- I don't remember Aji
stepping out of the house. She used to sit on stairs near entrance of the house
or occasionally in the back yard. I don't remember her going to temple in
village or visiting someone. Every evening we all (exceot Aji, Ajoba)
used to go for walk upto "moda". She used to stay home and keep
dinner ready. Even without stepping out of the house, she used to exactly
know the trees on which mangoes are ready to be picked up and how many are
there and used to instruct Pandya and others about it.
- Aji got married when she
was 12 and Ajoba was 16. They used to play together after they got married.
- Many women in village used
to come and ask Aji about home remedies on fever and other common diseases.
They also used to come and ask for dahi, tak, mangoes etc. She has never said
No to anyone.
