Visiting Lar After 22 Years

DEORIA – UTTAR PRADESH – INDIA           JUNE 30 , 2013           08.30 P.M.

Yesterday on June 29 , 2013 I visited Lar , a small town in Deoria district . It was a visit which happened after almost 22 years . So naturally when I was passing through the rain – washed roads of Lar , several floodgates of memory suddenly got opened and I was inundated with myriads thoughts , various feelings – some fresh , some a little bit obfuscated .

Main Road Lar – Deoria

I vividly remember my first visit of the town , which I visited 39 years back . My father died in February 1974 and then I started managing my ancestral properties . In that connection I paid visit to Sohagara , a village in Bihar on the bank of river Gandak , which is the village of my forefathers . It was noon time in April 1974 . I alighted from the bus in the blistering heat and proceeded for my onward journey to Sohagara . Since there were no pucca roads or any vehicles to ferry me to Sohagara ,  I started my journey on foot .

I passed through the market . It was first time that I saw Lar town and the bazar , which is situated on the both sides of a narrow pathway . I crossed the bazar and took the road connecting Lar to Chanuki Ghat . After crossing Gandak river I set foot on the dusty road of Sohagara village .

Chhoti Gandak River- Sohagara is on the right of the river

Main Road of Sohagara

It happened 39 years back but visuals are still fresh in my memory as if it all happened recently . After that day it became almost a monthly ritual to pass through Lar for onwards journey to Sohagara . In those days I had no friends or acquaintances in Lar . Barring a Mithai / tea shop near Bus Station , I had no place to even sit for some time .

After few years , around 1985 I started working in social field . Now  my visits to Lar became more frequent . From monthly visit to the town , it became almost weekly . I started interacting with people . During my those social service days , I got to know Shri Bhanu Ji and various other people of Lar .

Suddenly life took an unknown turn . It took another route ; a route less travelled , a route not well-known , a route very daunting , a road full of pitfalls . I left Deoria for Mumbai [ then Bombay ] in 1989 and after that my association with Lar was snapped abruptly . I was not able to visit Lar . I did visit Sohagara but I always took another road through Majhauli . Relationships , friendships and all the connections got frozen and they remained in frozen state since then . Lar did remain in my memory but as I said earlier everything remained frozen , dormant .

I was busy in Mumbai . Running acting institute is not an easy task . It took most of my time . Because of the nature of my work , I got used to internet and became active on various social networking sites . Suddenly and unexpectedly life again took another turn and a turn for better . Bhanu Ji’s son Suryendu Kumar caught hold of me through facebook . Ice started melting suddenly . As if ice – age ended and warmth of  life was there again for everyone to feel . Relationships came out of deep-freezer and once again got fresh lease of  life .

In June 2013 I reached Deoria for my annual trip and Bhanu Ji and his son Suryendu Kumar came to meet me . They were kind enough to invite me to inaugurate the new session of their school , ANJANEYA PUBLIC SCHOOL .

I readily accepted the invitation . I started in the morning from Deoria , reached Lar around 8.30 . The town has changed drastically . Chanuki Mod , which was a desolate corner 39 years ago , is bustling with activity and is changed beyond recognition .

I had tea at Bhanu Ji’s house . Then we proceeded for Matiyara .

Fate is strange . Destiny is mysterious . They play curious games with hidden hands . Once again I was travelling on the same road , which I took 39 years ago for my journey to Sohagara . When I left Deoria , I thought that I would never be able to see the road again . But as I said , destiny plays strange and curious games . 39 years ago it was blistering heat of April and I was walking on the dusty road . And this time it was wet , rain – washed June and I was travelling in a car . But the road was same .

Anjaneya Public School , Matiyara , Lar , Deoria

I am happy that I agreed to go for the function . It was nice to meet bright boys and girls of ANJANEYA PUBLIC SCHOOL . It was heart-warming to meet some old acquaintances . It was nostalgic to travel on the same road after 22 years .

On behalf of all the students and staff of VIDUR Acting Institute , which is known as Vidur’s Kreating Charakters  , I wish the boys and girls of ANJANEYA PUBLIC SCHOOL a very bright future .VIDUR Editing Studio , VIDUR Club and VIDUR Theatre would also like to wish them well in their glorious journey ahead .

VIDUR

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA

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In Search Of My Roots In Bihar

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA                 JUNE 17 , 2011                      11.55 P. M.

This blog is personal in nature , definitely very personal . People who generally visit my blog space , are not going to find it very interesting. But I am writing it for the posterity , for the future generations of my family. Youngsters of my family should know about our roots and traditions and should get familiar with the family history and the place of our ancestors, even if it is through the photos.

Map of Sultanpur District of U.P.showing Amethi

We originally hail from Amethi, Sultanpur , a district in Uttar Pradesh. then known as United Provinces of Agra & Awadh. We were Raj Guru of a particular clan of Thakur chieftains of Amethi, known as Amethiya Rajputs. Few centuries ago during British era , a branch of Amethiya Rajputs , in search of greener pastures , left their native place Amethi and came and settled in Sohagara village in the erstwhile Saran district of Bihar. This district is now known as Siwan and is situated on the banks of Ghaghara river a.k.a. Chhoti Gandak.

Map of Siwan District of Bihar showing Guthani Block of Sohagara Village

[ On the South-Western corner of the map is Guthani Block. Sohagara and Bishunpura villages come under the jurisdiction of Guthani Block  and are situated on the banks of Ghaghara ( Chhoti Gandak ) , where borders of Bihar end and borders of Uttar Pradesh begin. ]

Amethiya Rajputs bought land in Sohagara and settled there. Later on , a branch of their Raj Gurus also followed them and came and settled in Sohagara. They also bought large swath of land and properties and made Sohagara their home , completely forgetting Amethi of Sultanpur district.

Main Road of Sohagara Village , still pristine

Another Road of Sohagara Village

[ I clicked these two photographs when I visited Sohagara recently .  These two village roads are still pristine and primitive .]

Chhoti Gandak River- Sohagara is on the right of the river

[ My wife is partly seen in this photo in yellow sari , taking water from the river before worshipping our family deity ]

I don’t know how many centuries had gone since my forefathers came and settled in Sohagara. How many wet monsoons came and drenched them , how many thunder and lightning frightened them in dark nights, how many grey , dreary and dull winters came , tormented them and then went away , how many scorching summer greeted my forefathers with all the furies …. I don’t know but I know for sure that they survived in their new adopted land. Far away from Amethi , my ancestors made Sohagara their home and gradually prospered.

This Brick House is being made , Where my Ancestral House used to be before1873

This Brick House is being made , Where my Ancestral House used to be before 1873

[ Two photographs , which are given here , show a house under construction . This house is being constructed on the plot of land , where my ancestral house stood once. My forefathers lived in that house , which was made of mud and tiles. ]

We trace our known family history from Ram Charitra Chaturvedi. He was my great-great-grandfather. He was the person who left Sohagara with his two grown up sons, Shrikrishna Chaturvedi and Raghunandan Chaturvedi , came to Sonbarasa in the erstwhile Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh and settled there. This part of Gorakhpur district is now known as Deoria. Of his two sons , the elder one , Shrikrishna Chaturvedi was my great-grandfather.

This incident of leaving Sohagara happened in 1873. So once again my family came to Uttar Pradesh. From Amethi of Uttar Pradesh to Sohagara of Bihar and then again to Deoria of Uttar Pradesh, it was like completing a full circle. But leaving one’s place is not an easy thing for anyone. So what was the cause of this migration ?

Our family tradition says that Sohagara was frequently attacked and plundered by some nomadic tribes. Those aggressive and barbarous nomads used to burn crops and loot the valuables. My forefathers , to eliminate the tyranny once and forever, fought them once and in the ensuing battle which was fought with lathis , spears and trident , a pregnant tribal woman got killed. Before her death, she cursed our forefathers that the clan of Chaturvedis would never prosper in Sohagara. After that fight and their subsequent defeat , nomadic tribes left Sohagara . They never returned. But King of Majhauli , who was the tax-collector and owner of the village , wanted to punish my forefathers for the killing of the tribal woman. So my great-great-grandfather , after consulting his well-wishers and after giving due consideration to all the pros and cons, left Sohagara in 1875 for good and made Sonbarasa his new home in Deoria district.

Map of Deoria District of U.P. showing Salempur where our Village Sonbarsa is located

Thought they left the Sohagara village and started living in Sonbarsa, they still kept their agricultural land in Sohagara and even bought agricultural land in another nearby village Bishunpura. Our family members used to go there and used to manage the agricultural property. This happened till my time , precisely till 1989 , before I left Deoria and came and settled in Mumbai. There after my visits dwindled.

My land in Bishunpura Village of Bihar , village is being seen in the foreground

My land in Bishunpura village in Bihar, village is seen in the foreground

I visited Sohagara this year , in June 2011 after a gap of almost 15 years. Vast swath of agricultural land , which was maintained and held by us till 2000 , have been sold. Sohagara and Bishunpura , both the villages , were managed by my family even after Ran Charitra Chaturvedi’s migration from the village in 1873 , But alas ! everything was disposed off during my tenure . I am not blaming anyone . I was also part of the sin and crime. We started selling the property at the time of my younger sister Neelima’s marriage in 1993 and within 7 years everything was sold off.

Ancestral property is like heritage and we are supposed to be only the trustees and not the owners of that property. As our forefathers bequeathed the property to us , it is one’s pious duty to maintain that property and bequeath it to their progeny. From 1873 to 2000 , these villages were maintained for almost 127 years and now they are gone and gone forever. My great-grandfather Shrikrishna Chaturvedi , my grandfather Kunj Bihari Chaturvedi and my father Lakshmi Kant Chatuevedi took every care to maintain these villages. But today , after 138 years of the migration of my great-great-grandfather, as I write this blog after visiting Sohagara , I am sorry to say that I was unable to maintain and take care of this heritage. I betrayed my ancestor’s trust and faith . I don’t know what would I say to them when I will face them after my death ? How would I face them , when I will meet them after my death ?

The house in the photo , is the residence of Ram Nageena Singh , a burly scion of Amethiya Rajputs who came and settled here. For four generations of my ancestors this house served as the residence cum administrative headquarters. After almost a century , it still stands there calmly and bears silent testimony of my forefather’s toil , strife and difficulties , which they faced while maintaining these lands. I have spent many days and nights in this house , when I used to visit these villages during Summer. Some times my stay was for a week or even for a fortnight at a stretch.

House of Ram Nageena Singh at Sohagara , Purab Patti

Sohagara is a beautiful village. It is still quite primitive and pristine . It has grand Shiva temple , believed to have been built by demon king Banasur.

Shiva Temple of Sohagara built by Demon King Banasur

The Lingam in Sanctum Sanctorum , My Wife & Sister paying Obeisance

Apart from this Shiva temple , Sohagara also has a ramshackle temple of my family deity. Family tradition says that a lady of my family committed Sati after the death of her husband. Later on in her memory a temple was built on the same spot where funeral pyre was lit . I don’t know who will visit these temples after my death. May be my family deity will wait endlessly and that too in vain for my future generations to come and pay obeisance. Who knows what will happen ? May be her temple will be forgotten in future . May be none from my family will visit her . May be this dilapidated place will succumb to the vagaries of nature’s fury and in some distant future will completely vanish from the earth. Or may be rampaging waters of Ghaghara will change its course and engulf the place during some monsoons and there will be no trace of even the very place. No one knows .

Loss of Sohagara is painful . It is not only loss of property but it is loss of a whole tradition , loss of our clan’s history and family folklore .

Ramshackle Temple of my Family Deity , My Wife & Sister at the left

Ramshackle Temple of my Family Deity Kul Devi , my wife is inside

Me & My Wife in front of Ramshackle Temple of my Family Deity , Kul Devi

I started writing this blog after my Sohagara visit , when I was still in Deoria. I could not complete it because of my hectic schedules. Then I returned to Mumbai. As I was returning to Mumbai after 15 days , my schedules went haywire and I couldn’t complete the blog . I am finally completing it today and posting it on my blog space.

VIDUR

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA

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