Vidur’s Travel Diary – 10 : Dabra

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           MAY 04 , 2012           01.55 A.M.

After Orchha visit on February 29 , 2012 , I returned to Dabra in the evening . Next day on March 01 , 2012 , it was party on the occasion of House – warming of Shri Ashok Tiwari .

As I had nothing to do any thing particular , I started roaming in the city and started thinking about my numerous Dabra visits . Dabra is a non – decrepit town in Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh . It is not a historical place of repute . It has no significance in history of even Madhya Pradesh either . Dabra is just the ancestral town of my wife . This town is situated in between Gwalior and Datia / Jhansi . My wife’s grand – father , in search of greener pastures , went there in his younger days , bought huge tracts of land there and became permanent resident of Dabra , leaving his native place Ghortap in Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh .

 

Map showing location of Gwalior district in Madhya Pradesh

My wife spent most of her childhood there in the house , which her grand – father built . P

hotos of the house given below is the slightly altered version of the original house .

Ancestral House of My Wife at Dabra

Ancestral House of My Wife at Dabra

My Wife in Her Father’s Room

Gallery Leading to Aangan of old House

The facade and exterior of the house is changed . Photo , which I have posted above , shows the interiors of the old house . As I have stated in my earlier blog and if I am remembering correctly , I visited Dabra for the first time in 1977 / 78 . My wife’s grand – father was ill and I went to see him . Since then I had gone to Dabra many times .

As time passed and as family grew in numbers , every nuclear family of my in – laws started leaving old house and moved to the newly constructed mansions . Three swanky and huge mansions now stand in their farm land .

Road Leading to Tiwari Farm – Dabra

3 New Mansions As Seen from the Road

Bungalow of Shri Ram Sevak Tiwari

Bungalow of Shri Ram Sevak Tiwari – Side View

Bungalow of Shri Rang Nath Tiwari

Bungalow of Shri Rang Nath Tiwari – Side View

Bungalow of Shri Ashok Tiwari

Bungalow of Shri Ashok Tiwari – Side View

I don’t have photos of my wife’s grand – parents and her mother . But I do have few photos of some of her family members and I am posting them here .

With My Father – In – Law

My Wife With Her Father In front of Dabra House

With My Wife’s Brother Shri Deen Dayal Tiwari

With My Wife & Her Brother Shri Rang Nath Tiwari

With My Wife & Her Brother Shri Ashok Tiwari

With Shri Rang Nath Tiwari & My Wife’s Nephew Manoj

With My Wife’s Nephew Rakesh

With My Wife’s Nephew Brajesh

With My Wife’s Nephews : Rakesh & Santosh

With Shri Rang Nath Tiwari & My Wife’s Nephew Vivek

All these photos were clicked on various occasions . As I have stated earlier Dabra is a small , dusty and sleepy town . In a way , it resembles my own native place Deoria . I am posting few photographs of Dabra town here . I am starting with the Kanya Vidyalaya , where my wife studied .

Kanya Vidyalaya – Dabra

Main Road – Dabra

Main Road – Dabra

Another Road of Dabra

Another Road of Dabra

Main Road – Dabra in The Night

Main Street of Dabra During the Night

With the passage of time many things have changed in Dabra . The metamorphosis are striking . Town is now bigger . Roads are better . Swanky buildings and bungalows have sprung up in every nook and corner of Dabra .

There are changes in my wife’s family also . My wife’s grand – parents are long gone . My wife’s mother is also dead . Her eldest bhabhi too , died few years back on April 26 , 2010 . Whenever I visit Dabra and I see old Dabra house , I remember her . For me Dabra town and Dabra house came to be associated with her only . Due to huge age difference , I couldn’t talk much to my wife’s grand – parents . But her bhabhi was different . She was jovial , humane , very affectionate and was always there for us with smiling face . Whenever I used to visit Dabra , either alone or with my wife , she always stood at the main gate to welcome us . I can , even today , visualize her standing there with eyes wide open with joy and a pleasant smile on her face . After few day’s stay , when we prepared to leave Dabra for our journey back home , she always came to the Dabra railway station to say us goodbye . As our train started chugging out of the station , I can visualize and do remember her frail figure standing on the platform . I still remember her tear – filled eyes glued to our face , as if  saying us to come soon and expecting us to return again . For me ,  she was not only my sister – in – law but in every aspect , she was my mother – in – law . With her demise , and that too at quite young age , significance of Dabra , for me , changed completely . It will never be same again for me . I associate Dabra with her existence and for me this equation is not going to change ever . I have her picture and I am posting it here .

My Wife’s Bhabhi [ Seated at Left ]

Old house of my in – laws will soon be demolished . With its demolition several old memories will also be gone forever . Some old workers and family – helpers will also cease to exist or have already faded away . I specially remember an old maid , Mathuro . She has already faded away with time .

I don’t know whether I would be again visiting Dabra or not . Whether it will be too soon or it would be many years away . Times have changed . Dabra is changed . Younger generation has taken control and they are firmly in saddle . Older generation is slowly fading away .  A girl – child’s affection for her ancestral home does not ebb with time . So for my wife’s sake , I have to accompany her to Dabra , whenever there is some occasion / function . But this will happen only if I outlive her . But if I die before her , I don’t know whether my sons will take her there or not .

So now onwards , every visit of Dabra is perhaps , the last visit .

Remembering these lines of Agyeya , I ended my Dabra visit , took afternoon flight from Gwalior and reached Mumbai on March 02 , 2012 .

पार्श्व गिरि का नम्र चीड़ों में , डगर चढ़ती उमंगों सी ;

बिछी पैरों में नदी ज्यों दर्द की रेखा , विहग शिशु मौन नीड़ों में ; 

मैंने आँख भर देखा , दिया मन को दिलासा ; 

पुनः आऊँगा , भले ही बरस दिन , अनगिन युगों के बाद ;

क्षितिज ने पलक सी खोली , दमक कर दामिनी बोली ;

” अरे यायावर ! रहेगा याद ? “

………………………………………………..अज्ञेय 

[ Tenderness of mighty mountains reflected in pine trees ,

Upward moving pathways symbolizing my enthusiasm ,

River , flowing deep down like a line of pain ,

Tiny tots of birds sitting silently in their nest ,

I saw everything with contentment ,

Consoled myself , I would come again ,

After a year or may be after ages ……….

Horizon opened its eyes , lightning dazzled in the sky ,

As if saying ………………

O Wanderer ! Would you ever even remember ? ]

VIDUR

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA

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