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I
waited a lifetime to find my true worth in my
own eyes instead of in the eyes of others. How
barren all the years spent in Great Britain,
Germany and Canada trying to be what I thought
others wanted me to be instead of being simply
who I was. I brought my wife Parvin and son
Sheraz to visit my ancestral home, "Katowna", a
small village approximately thirty-five
kilometres from Patna. I wanted my son, born in
Canada to have a glimpse of Patna, where I
received my early education, and the village
where I was born. Recorded history of Patna
begins in the year 490 BC. From that time, the
city has had continuous history, a record
claimed by few cities in the world. During its
history and existence of more than two
millennia, Patna has been known by different
names: Pataligram, Pataliputra, Palibothra,
Kusumpur, Pushapapura, Azimabad, Bankipore and
the present day Patna.
Villagers in India manifest a deep loyalty to
their village, and so is true with Katowna,
identifying themselves to strangers, harking
back to my family residence typically extends
into the distant past. A family rooted in a
particular village does not easily move to
another, and even people who have lived in a
city like myself for generations or two refer to
their ancestral village as "OUR VILLAGE". This
is what I told my son, a total stranger to this
kind of environment. Villagers share use of
common village facilities - the village pond,
grazing grounds, mosques, temples, burial
grounds, schools, sitting places under large
shade trees and wells. Perhaps equally
important, fellow villagers share knowledge of
their common origin in a locale and of each
other's secrets, often going back generation.
Interdependence in village life provides a sense
of unity among Muslims and Hindus residents of
the village. Hindu festivals such as Holi,
Dipavali (Diwali), Durga Puja and Muslim
festivals of Eid-ul-Fitr and Bakrid bring
villagers together. Even Muslim join in the
friendly splashing of colored water on fellow
villagers. Hindus and Muslims within a village
address each other by kinship terms. A woman
born in village is known as a daughter of the
village while a bride is considered a
daughter-in-law of the village.
Sheraz was visibly moved with all the love and
affection he received from the people of Katowna.
How long it took me to look in the mirror and
see the only eyes that matter, the only eyes
that truly appreciate and understand me. In them
, finally, I have found all the respect and
approval, all the love and esteem I sought and
desired. Now everything I receive from others as
a gift, not a need. A memory we will cherish for
all the years to come.
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Comments: |
Wonderfully written piece.
To me, you capture the essence of
Bihari culture in your post.
Many thanks. - Thakur Vikas
Sinha, Powai, Mumbai - Oct. 30, 2006
Beautifully written!!! Thanks. -
Neeru - Nov. 1, 2006 |
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