As I grow old, I miss Pitajee my father, more and more
Let's take a walk down my memory lane starting with the earliest, with the man, who possibly had the max impact on my life.
Born on Ist December, 1910 into a well -to- do Civil Services and Zamindar family of central UP comprising three brothers and two sisters. He was named Ch. Pratap Bahadur, but affectionately called 'Rajjan' at home.There was a difference of more than 10 years between him and my Tau( his older brother), but less than 2 years between him and Chacha ( his younger brother). His relationship with Tau was marked more by reverence and respect, and with Chacha with affection and friendship.The three Chowdhry brothers lost their sisters, who were both, according to Bhabbi my grandmother rare beauties ( no photos of them in the family album though), failrly early, soon after their marriages, in a dreadful Plague epidemic.
Pitajee often recalled how he and "Kunwar" ( Chacha) were taught by a Maulvi Sahib who stayed with the family ( with seperate arrangements for his messing ofcourse) during their childhood. The Maulvi apart from teaching them calligraphy and Persian language, also related tales of wise and brave men.Maulvi Sahib was a great man and their good friend, philosopher and guide. Incidentally, Pitajee learnt to read and write the Devnagri script only after entering service. Before that it was only Urdu and English, and Babba could not write or read Hindi till he died at the age of 90!!
Pitajee was a born sportsman - excelling in Horse Riding, Shooting, Hockey and Boxing. One heard tales of his acute rivalry over riding with Chacha when they were both being brought up and taught the family sport by Babba ( grandfather who finds mention in my earlier blog), himself a keen rider whose prowess and stamina on the horse back, was phenomenal.Pitajee told us that as a 'Shaandaar' Tehsildar,( head of a segment of the revenue district in British india), Babba would set out on his inspections- riding miles and miles, changing horses from post to post ( since the animals tired out but not the rider). These 'Muffussil Dauras'( rural) inspections must have been great fun- with tents being pitched near a river or canal, complete with the kitchen, cooks, bearers, cows for fresh milk, bonfires in the evenings, and possibly Shikars early mornings. Babba's young sons often accompanied him on such inspections when they were on vaction from their schools and colleges. I have an old picture of one such camp site which vividly displays such camps, which I can't lay my hands on, but shall try to upload with a future blog.
Bhabbi would often recalled how Rajjan and Kunwar( Chacha)who were the best of friends at most times, were at loggerheads over the their choice of horses to ride( quite often the same animal in their father's stables), and over pieces of meat with the biggest "Haddi" in the mutton curry cooked by the phenomenal family Chef, Ramdin Maharaj, while sharing the "Thali" at meal times.I too had the good fortune os savouring Ramdin Maharaj's mouth- watering Mutton Kormah, when we visted Faridpur our native "Kasba" not village( as Bhabbi emphatically described it).What never struck me as curious then, but does now, is how Ramdin Maharaj, a Brahmin made the non veg fare for the Chowdhry household, which he served for his entire life time!
Both Chacha and Pitajee considered themselves to be superior to the other in horse riding skills. Alas, I never got the chance to see them together on the horse back! Pitajee was also the star performer in the local hockey tournments in Jhansi, where he spent the better part of his younger days. Bhabbi would recall with glee how her Rajjan would be often brought home on his team mates shoulders, after having scored a crucial goal. Pitajee had the priviledge to Captain the local team in Jhansi in which KD Singh Babu the brother of the Indian Hockey Legend Dhyan Chand also played. In Pitajee's view, Babu was a greater player of the game than Dhyan Chand.
I took to riding like a fish to water while training in NPA in Mt Abu but nevr got the chance to play the game of hockey that seriously.
In moments of relaxation , Pitajee would fondly recall his happy Hockey days in Jhansi and the delicious " Doodh Jalebi"in "Kulhars" treats from the local Halwai shop as the instant energisers at half time, during the gruelling 1 hour games in the evenings. I think Pitajee studied in Jhansi till High School and then moved on to Allahabad, the Mecca of higher education for the affluent sections of UP society- first to the Kayastha Pathshala( also called KP College), and then to the Hindu Boarding House House of the Allahabad University, which was considered the best in a 'macho'sort of way, than the more famous Muir ( later called the Amara Natha Jha Hostel), where only 'sissies' studied and lived.Pitajee strongly felt that while Muir produced only book-worms, Hindu has produced some of the finest all rounders from the prestigeous Alld Univ. BTW,yours truly also got affiliated to the 'Sissies' Amranatha Jha Hostel for my MA degree, to which Pitajee never objected( I am a third generation product of the Alld. Univ).
A bit surprising that that none of Babba's sons took to Cricket in which he had excelled. He played against visiting teams from England ( precurser to the Test Matches). Pitajee told us that " Laalajee", as he called his father, had hit the highest Sixer on the Muir Central College Cricket grounds. The ball had reached the top storey of the Muir Tower which stands to this day as the central edifice of the Science Faculty of Allahabad University and also adorns the university emblem.Babba was also reputed to be an outstanding fielder.
More on Pitajee's sportsmanship. He is supposed to have K.Od a Negro Boxer in the Alld. University inter- unit Boxing Tournment. I still possess the Bronze medal he won for that.Continuing the family tradition, I won the Alld University Silver Medal at he same tournment while in my MA final in 1967. Earlier, I had invariably won my weight in Boxing tourments in which I participated in School. Pitajee always came to watch the finals. I remember his coming to my Corner of the Ring, after the first Round (in which I was trailing in keeping with my Coach's startegy to preserve my energies to go for the kill in the third and final Round). "Anil,go for it now - Don't wait for the third round", he whispered to me.I took Pitajee's advice and hammered away! My heart jumped with joy when the blue light went up after the judges verdict came in and the referee raised my hand to signal that " Blue" was the winner. Pitajee took my friend Ruby Kohli, whom I had vanquished and I for an Ice-cream treat after the tournment. I was then in Class VII.
Discipline was the next strongest trait of Pitajee. He was physically tough and strong . Not tall- about 5 ft 6/2 in.As kids, by brother and I particularly admired his calf muscles. Vigorous riding and hockey perhaps had a lot to do with it. He was adjudged the best Sergeant in an inter unit UTC competition in the Univ. So impressesd was the British Army officer who had come to judge their performance in parade and drill that he suggested 'Sandhust' to him as a career option. Babba was fine with it, but Bhabbi turned it down.
So Pitajee was content to carry on with the Law Degree from Alld. University.He didn't make it to the State Judicial Service exam ( Munsifi as it was then called). This he did to emulate his elder brother who was held in great amiration by the entire family. But Pitajee was not Tau, a very studious and serious minded person. Pitajee was all for sports and finer things in life like music, painting and gardening which must have left little time for books, I guess. But he had a sharp and logical mind and soon established a good legal practice in Moradabad (I think ),as a junior lawyer under a successful Advocate, Tau's friend.But Bhabbi who was a powerful influence in the lives of her dutiful sons, persuaded him to give up practice, because it was an 'unethical' profession- Lawyers she said had often to lie in courts! This decision Pitajee sometimes regretted later in his life when he found that some of his less gifted colleagues and friends had built up roaring practices. Pitajee married Sushila, my mother, the daughter of Dr Sidh Gopal Gurha, Civil Surgeon, Bareilly, when he was doing his LLB and was 21 years old. Maa was 16!
My memories of my father are surrounded by the fragrances of " Ittars", especially Mogra, his favourite which he loved to wear, "Baba 120" Zafrani Patti which he ate with the "Desi Desawali" Paans, always made at home( never from a Paan shop), well starched and ironed clothes, and shining shoes.His 'Gutka' Ramayan, which he read and the Diary, which he wrote every day were the other hallmarks of Pitajee.He was a stickler for time and punctuality- forever looking at his watch.Extremely gregarious, who loved the company of friends and neighbours. He had a passion for gardening( which I have inherited) and music, especially Indian classical.Post retirement, he never missed his morning walks with his friends, pre and post lunch short naps and dinner at sharp 9 PM alongwith the Enlish news over AIR on his transistor radio which he carried to the dining table.
Although he held important postions in the UP revenue administration, he never acquired any landed property, but chose to live in a rented bungalow in Alld. till the end of his life. In the Deptt which he finally headed ( Registration), known to be traditionally very corrupt, he was known for his impecable honesty, impartiality and accessibilty.
One day on his return from tour to Lucknow the state capital, he told us that he shall not be going to office the next day, and that he had sought voluntary retirement beacuse the CM wanted him to do something which his conscience did not allow. We were all shocked because he was just 57 years old and had another year of service left. But knowing how resolute he was in such matters, we did not argue with him. This should be seen in the backdrop of the current propensity of bureaucrats to cling to the chairs, especially after reaching the top of the ladder. But the likes of my father who were made out of a different alloy are raely to be found in the Indian bureacracy now!
I am adding five scanned photos with this blog from the family album- two of Maa and Pitajee after their wedding, and one which was taken after his graduation. The photo of an older Pitajee was taken when he took over as Inspector General of Registration UP. I am also adding a picture of our handsome and debonaire Chacha, Pitajee's younger brother and good friend. Chacha had joined the Royal Indian Airforce as a fighter pilot during World War II, but left as a young Flt. Lt., when he was medically grounded on account of a defect in his vision.
That's all for this blog.
Would love to see some comments on this one.
Love and good luck to all
Desi Maali
Pitajee often recalled how he and "Kunwar" ( Chacha) were taught by a Maulvi Sahib who stayed with the family ( with seperate arrangements for his messing ofcourse) during their childhood. The Maulvi apart from teaching them calligraphy and Persian language, also related tales of wise and brave men.Maulvi Sahib was a great man and their good friend, philosopher and guide. Incidentally, Pitajee learnt to read and write the Devnagri script only after entering service. Before that it was only Urdu and English, and Babba could not write or read Hindi till he died at the age of 90!!
Pitajee was a born sportsman - excelling in Horse Riding, Shooting, Hockey and Boxing. One heard tales of his acute rivalry over riding with Chacha when they were both being brought up and taught the family sport by Babba ( grandfather who finds mention in my earlier blog), himself a keen rider whose prowess and stamina on the horse back, was phenomenal.Pitajee told us that as a 'Shaandaar' Tehsildar,( head of a segment of the revenue district in British india), Babba would set out on his inspections- riding miles and miles, changing horses from post to post ( since the animals tired out but not the rider). These 'Muffussil Dauras'( rural) inspections must have been great fun- with tents being pitched near a river or canal, complete with the kitchen, cooks, bearers, cows for fresh milk, bonfires in the evenings, and possibly Shikars early mornings. Babba's young sons often accompanied him on such inspections when they were on vaction from their schools and colleges. I have an old picture of one such camp site which vividly displays such camps, which I can't lay my hands on, but shall try to upload with a future blog.
Bhabbi would often recalled how Rajjan and Kunwar( Chacha)who were the best of friends at most times, were at loggerheads over the their choice of horses to ride( quite often the same animal in their father's stables), and over pieces of meat with the biggest "Haddi" in the mutton curry cooked by the phenomenal family Chef, Ramdin Maharaj, while sharing the "Thali" at meal times.I too had the good fortune os savouring Ramdin Maharaj's mouth- watering Mutton Kormah, when we visted Faridpur our native "Kasba" not village( as Bhabbi emphatically described it).What never struck me as curious then, but does now, is how Ramdin Maharaj, a Brahmin made the non veg fare for the Chowdhry household, which he served for his entire life time!
Both Chacha and Pitajee considered themselves to be superior to the other in horse riding skills. Alas, I never got the chance to see them together on the horse back! Pitajee was also the star performer in the local hockey tournments in Jhansi, where he spent the better part of his younger days. Bhabbi would recall with glee how her Rajjan would be often brought home on his team mates shoulders, after having scored a crucial goal. Pitajee had the priviledge to Captain the local team in Jhansi in which KD Singh Babu the brother of the Indian Hockey Legend Dhyan Chand also played. In Pitajee's view, Babu was a greater player of the game than Dhyan Chand.
I took to riding like a fish to water while training in NPA in Mt Abu but nevr got the chance to play the game of hockey that seriously.
In moments of relaxation , Pitajee would fondly recall his happy Hockey days in Jhansi and the delicious " Doodh Jalebi"in "Kulhars" treats from the local Halwai shop as the instant energisers at half time, during the gruelling 1 hour games in the evenings. I think Pitajee studied in Jhansi till High School and then moved on to Allahabad, the Mecca of higher education for the affluent sections of UP society- first to the Kayastha Pathshala( also called KP College), and then to the Hindu Boarding House House of the Allahabad University, which was considered the best in a 'macho'sort of way, than the more famous Muir ( later called the Amara Natha Jha Hostel), where only 'sissies' studied and lived.Pitajee strongly felt that while Muir produced only book-worms, Hindu has produced some of the finest all rounders from the prestigeous Alld Univ. BTW,yours truly also got affiliated to the 'Sissies' Amranatha Jha Hostel for my MA degree, to which Pitajee never objected( I am a third generation product of the Alld. Univ).
A bit surprising that that none of Babba's sons took to Cricket in which he had excelled. He played against visiting teams from England ( precurser to the Test Matches). Pitajee told us that " Laalajee", as he called his father, had hit the highest Sixer on the Muir Central College Cricket grounds. The ball had reached the top storey of the Muir Tower which stands to this day as the central edifice of the Science Faculty of Allahabad University and also adorns the university emblem.Babba was also reputed to be an outstanding fielder.
More on Pitajee's sportsmanship. He is supposed to have K.Od a Negro Boxer in the Alld. University inter- unit Boxing Tournment. I still possess the Bronze medal he won for that.Continuing the family tradition, I won the Alld University Silver Medal at he same tournment while in my MA final in 1967. Earlier, I had invariably won my weight in Boxing tourments in which I participated in School. Pitajee always came to watch the finals. I remember his coming to my Corner of the Ring, after the first Round (in which I was trailing in keeping with my Coach's startegy to preserve my energies to go for the kill in the third and final Round). "Anil,go for it now - Don't wait for the third round", he whispered to me.I took Pitajee's advice and hammered away! My heart jumped with joy when the blue light went up after the judges verdict came in and the referee raised my hand to signal that " Blue" was the winner. Pitajee took my friend Ruby Kohli, whom I had vanquished and I for an Ice-cream treat after the tournment. I was then in Class VII.
Discipline was the next strongest trait of Pitajee. He was physically tough and strong . Not tall- about 5 ft 6/2 in.As kids, by brother and I particularly admired his calf muscles. Vigorous riding and hockey perhaps had a lot to do with it. He was adjudged the best Sergeant in an inter unit UTC competition in the Univ. So impressesd was the British Army officer who had come to judge their performance in parade and drill that he suggested 'Sandhust' to him as a career option. Babba was fine with it, but Bhabbi turned it down.
So Pitajee was content to carry on with the Law Degree from Alld. University.He didn't make it to the State Judicial Service exam ( Munsifi as it was then called). This he did to emulate his elder brother who was held in great amiration by the entire family. But Pitajee was not Tau, a very studious and serious minded person. Pitajee was all for sports and finer things in life like music, painting and gardening which must have left little time for books, I guess. But he had a sharp and logical mind and soon established a good legal practice in Moradabad (I think ),as a junior lawyer under a successful Advocate, Tau's friend.But Bhabbi who was a powerful influence in the lives of her dutiful sons, persuaded him to give up practice, because it was an 'unethical' profession- Lawyers she said had often to lie in courts! This decision Pitajee sometimes regretted later in his life when he found that some of his less gifted colleagues and friends had built up roaring practices. Pitajee married Sushila, my mother, the daughter of Dr Sidh Gopal Gurha, Civil Surgeon, Bareilly, when he was doing his LLB and was 21 years old. Maa was 16!
My memories of my father are surrounded by the fragrances of " Ittars", especially Mogra, his favourite which he loved to wear, "Baba 120" Zafrani Patti which he ate with the "Desi Desawali" Paans, always made at home( never from a Paan shop), well starched and ironed clothes, and shining shoes.His 'Gutka' Ramayan, which he read and the Diary, which he wrote every day were the other hallmarks of Pitajee.He was a stickler for time and punctuality- forever looking at his watch.Extremely gregarious, who loved the company of friends and neighbours. He had a passion for gardening( which I have inherited) and music, especially Indian classical.Post retirement, he never missed his morning walks with his friends, pre and post lunch short naps and dinner at sharp 9 PM alongwith the Enlish news over AIR on his transistor radio which he carried to the dining table.
Although he held important postions in the UP revenue administration, he never acquired any landed property, but chose to live in a rented bungalow in Alld. till the end of his life. In the Deptt which he finally headed ( Registration), known to be traditionally very corrupt, he was known for his impecable honesty, impartiality and accessibilty.
One day on his return from tour to Lucknow the state capital, he told us that he shall not be going to office the next day, and that he had sought voluntary retirement beacuse the CM wanted him to do something which his conscience did not allow. We were all shocked because he was just 57 years old and had another year of service left. But knowing how resolute he was in such matters, we did not argue with him. This should be seen in the backdrop of the current propensity of bureaucrats to cling to the chairs, especially after reaching the top of the ladder. But the likes of my father who were made out of a different alloy are raely to be found in the Indian bureacracy now!
I am adding five scanned photos with this blog from the family album- two of Maa and Pitajee after their wedding, and one which was taken after his graduation. The photo of an older Pitajee was taken when he took over as Inspector General of Registration UP. I am also adding a picture of our handsome and debonaire Chacha, Pitajee's younger brother and good friend. Chacha had joined the Royal Indian Airforce as a fighter pilot during World War II, but left as a young Flt. Lt., when he was medically grounded on account of a defect in his vision.
That's all for this blog.
Would love to see some comments on this one.
Love and good luck to all
Desi Maali
