A Smilestone of Life
On Children’s Day
My Birthday and World Diabetes Day -
Rajiva Shanker Shresta
Our priest Shanti Bajey tells me that he well remembers my birthday as per horoscope since it falls on Vaikunth Chaturdashi - 5th November this year. Next day is the Kartik Purnima, when the Banaras Ghats are illuminated with thousands of diya on the occasion of Dev Deepawali. I asked my Facebook friend Dr. Diwaker Pradhan, reader in Banaras Hindu University to enlighten me on the significance of the day. Earlier he had shared Benares, Ganga Aarti Ceremony from the YouTube. I had once opportunity to attend the evening Aarti along with my wife Ranjana, Raman and nephew Nilabh accompanied by Bijaydai. We were there in Chaukhambha with the family of the Uday (circa 1934) editor Durga Prasad Shrestha Dai in December 2006 for performing my late Buba’s Gaya Shraddha.
Next morning after a holy dip at Panch Ganga Ghat, I had witnessed the Aarti to the Sun rising - with the day break from the temple there also seen in the video clippings of BHU Kulgeet on YouTube with lyrics by Dr. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar sung by Dr. Revati Sakalkar in Raag Darbari for their Kashi Darshan. Diwaker writes that all the 84 banks of the Ganga are illuminated on Dev Deepawali. Though not celebrated officially but has become a public function for over ten years when the Kashi Naresh, King of Banaras first lighted diya in memory of the martyrs. Boatmen earn handsomely this evening as even a small boat fetches Rs.5,000/- for an hour that attract the tourists. A stage is constructed on the Ganga for the Kashi Naresh and the Royal and Gorkha soldiers salute the martyrs. People gather at the ghat with diya lighted right from their home. Earlier fire crackers were burst but no longer since it was banned in 2010 due to blasting of explosives amid Aarti.
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On Children’s Day
My Birthday and World Diabetes Day -
Rajiva Shanker Shresta
Our priest Shanti Bajey tells me that he well remembers my birthday as per horoscope since it falls on Vaikunth Chaturdashi - 5th November this year. Next day is the Kartik Purnima, when the Banaras Ghats are illuminated with thousands of diya on the occasion of Dev Deepawali. I asked my Facebook friend Dr. Diwaker Pradhan, reader in Banaras Hindu University to enlighten me on the significance of the day. Earlier he had shared Benares, Ganga Aarti Ceremony from the YouTube. I had once opportunity to attend the evening Aarti along with my wife Ranjana, Raman and nephew Nilabh accompanied by Bijaydai. We were there in Chaukhambha with the family of the Uday (circa 1934) editor Durga Prasad Shrestha Dai in December 2006 for performing my late Buba’s Gaya Shraddha.
Next morning after a holy dip at Panch Ganga Ghat, I had witnessed the Aarti to the Sun rising - with the day break from the temple there also seen in the video clippings of BHU Kulgeet on YouTube with lyrics by Dr. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar sung by Dr. Revati Sakalkar in Raag Darbari for their Kashi Darshan. Diwaker writes that all the 84 banks of the Ganga are illuminated on Dev Deepawali. Though not celebrated officially but has become a public function for over ten years when the Kashi Naresh, King of Banaras first lighted diya in memory of the martyrs. Boatmen earn handsomely this evening as even a small boat fetches Rs.5,000/- for an hour that attract the tourists. A stage is constructed on the Ganga for the Kashi Naresh and the Royal and Gorkha soldiers salute the martyrs. People gather at the ghat with diya lighted right from their home. Earlier fire crackers were burst but no longer since it was banned in 2010 due to blasting of explosives amid Aarti.
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Children’s Day, 14th November, is my official birthday, i.e., date of birth recorded while being admitted in class VI in Sir Tashi Namgyal High School with M.A. Sir B. N. Singh* as the Head Master in 1956. My Buba* and Thulo Mama* had difficulty getting the exact date in English calendar. So, they gave the Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru’s* date of birth celebrated (this year his 125th) as the Children’s Day for Chacha Nehru loved them very much!
Meethi meethi baton se by Lata-ji, I remember best for children this day, was once rendered by fellow-students from Paljor Namgyal Girls’ School playing mouth-organ in a function held in our school while Zubaida had also performed on Bol re Kathaputali dori. Who knew that inviting girls later also during the inauguration of the Tashi Namgyal Academy auditorium around this time of the year 1961 was precursor towards converting it into co-education institute and the first public school here in Sikkim.
Meethi meethi baaton se bachna jara
Duniya ke logon mein hai Jadu bhara
Khub cheez hai ilam jise
Koi chor bhi le na sake
Bharle khajana sara jamana
Jag mein rahega tera naam sada
(Shaikh Mukhtar’s* Quaidi No. 911 - 1959 lyrics by Hasrat Jaipuri* and music by Dattaram* filmed on Meena Kumari* and Daisy Irani)
The other song that haunt me still:
Munna bada pyara,
Mummy ka dulara
Koi kahe chand,
Koi aankh ka tara!
Hanse to bhala lage
Roye to bhala lage
Mummy ko uske bina
Kuchh bhi achcha na lage
Jiyo Mere Lal
Tumko lage meri umar
Jiyo Mere Lal,
Jiyo Mere Lal!
(Musafir -1957 music by Salil Chaudhary* sung by Kishore Kumar* filmed on Kishore Kumar, Kamini Kaushal* and Nasir Hussein*)
Before this, we were still in Banaras with our family business Harishankerlal Ramshankerlal Nepali established in 1887 at Chaukhambha running well, more popularly known as Nepali Kothi. One evening Buba had taken me to show Raj Kapoor’s* classic Boot Polish (1953) screened at the Chitra cinema hall nearby Chowk. Not only the scene with the following song sung by Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle written by Shailendra* with music by Shanker* Jaikishan picturised on John Chacha - veteran actor David Abraham* with children that included Naaz and Ratan is still fresh in my mind but also the taste of hot gulab jamun in the interval that chilly winter evening in my mind as well. I can get the scene from the film refreshed on YouTube but not the taste and the moment of my childhood days we father-son shared together:
Nanhe Munne Bachche Teri Muththi mein kya hai
Nanhe Munne Bachche Teri Muththi mein kya hai
Muththi mein hai Takdir hamari
Muththi mein hai Takdir hamari
Hum ne Kismat ko bas mein kiya hai
Hum ne Kismat ko bas mein kiya hai
Bhole Bhale matwale Ankhon mein kya hai
Bhole Bhale matwale Ankhon mein kya hai
Ankhon mein jhoome Ummeedon ki Diwali
Ankhon mein jhoome Ummeedon ki Diwali
Aanewale Duniya ka Sapna saja hai
Aanewale Duniya ka Sapna saja hai
Children thank John Chacha singing;
John Chahcha tum kitne Achche
Tumhe Pyar karte sab Bachche
Humein batado aisa Kaam
Koi na kar sake hamein Badnam!
But the best to share here this day is the one by the legendary Mohammad Rafi* with lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni* on music composed by Ravi filmed on the comedian Johnny Walker* from the Devendra Goel’s* Door ki Awaz:
Hum bhi agar Bachche hote
Hum bhi agar Bachche hote
Naam hamara hota Gabloo Babloo
Khane ko milte Laddoo
To Duniya kahati
Happy Birthday to you!
It was quite a surprise while attending a meeting of the Legislative Assembly Secretaries held at Raipur, Chhattisgarh in 2005 as the opening line for the welcome address that morning by the host was Happy Birthday wishes to me. It was first and last ever in my entire career of 35 years to remember and have a felicitation like this to an officer on such an occasion. To celebrate it my counterparts from Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh had come with the same brand of whiskey I had my favourite for them to spend thrice more cordially enjoying that evening, indeed!
To celebrate Life on my Birthday, I salute the Nation having born here around the same time the country became independent and remember Hasrat Jaipuri’s lines Shanti Devi Mishra singing to Naushad Ali’s* music for Sajid Khan in Mehboob Khan’s* Son of India of my early days in the Darjeeling Government College joining NCC classes to learn rifle shooting and was prepared to war-front and fight for the country following the Chinese aggression (1962) that had put my family members to some worry:
Nanha Munha Rahi hoon
Desh ka Sipahi hoon
Bolo mere sang
Jai Hind, Jai Hind, Jai Hind
Jai Hind, Jai Hind!
---
Meethi meethi baton se by Lata-ji, I remember best for children this day, was once rendered by fellow-students from Paljor Namgyal Girls’ School playing mouth-organ in a function held in our school while Zubaida had also performed on Bol re Kathaputali dori. Who knew that inviting girls later also during the inauguration of the Tashi Namgyal Academy auditorium around this time of the year 1961 was precursor towards converting it into co-education institute and the first public school here in Sikkim.
Meethi meethi baaton se bachna jara
Duniya ke logon mein hai Jadu bhara
Khub cheez hai ilam jise
Koi chor bhi le na sake
Bharle khajana sara jamana
Jag mein rahega tera naam sada
(Shaikh Mukhtar’s* Quaidi No. 911 - 1959 lyrics by Hasrat Jaipuri* and music by Dattaram* filmed on Meena Kumari* and Daisy Irani)
The other song that haunt me still:
Munna bada pyara,
Mummy ka dulara
Koi kahe chand,
Koi aankh ka tara!
Hanse to bhala lage
Roye to bhala lage
Mummy ko uske bina
Kuchh bhi achcha na lage
Jiyo Mere Lal
Tumko lage meri umar
Jiyo Mere Lal,
Jiyo Mere Lal!
(Musafir -1957 music by Salil Chaudhary* sung by Kishore Kumar* filmed on Kishore Kumar, Kamini Kaushal* and Nasir Hussein*)
Before this, we were still in Banaras with our family business Harishankerlal Ramshankerlal Nepali established in 1887 at Chaukhambha running well, more popularly known as Nepali Kothi. One evening Buba had taken me to show Raj Kapoor’s* classic Boot Polish (1953) screened at the Chitra cinema hall nearby Chowk. Not only the scene with the following song sung by Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle written by Shailendra* with music by Shanker* Jaikishan picturised on John Chacha - veteran actor David Abraham* with children that included Naaz and Ratan is still fresh in my mind but also the taste of hot gulab jamun in the interval that chilly winter evening in my mind as well. I can get the scene from the film refreshed on YouTube but not the taste and the moment of my childhood days we father-son shared together:
Nanhe Munne Bachche Teri Muththi mein kya hai
Nanhe Munne Bachche Teri Muththi mein kya hai
Muththi mein hai Takdir hamari
Muththi mein hai Takdir hamari
Hum ne Kismat ko bas mein kiya hai
Hum ne Kismat ko bas mein kiya hai
Bhole Bhale matwale Ankhon mein kya hai
Bhole Bhale matwale Ankhon mein kya hai
Ankhon mein jhoome Ummeedon ki Diwali
Ankhon mein jhoome Ummeedon ki Diwali
Aanewale Duniya ka Sapna saja hai
Aanewale Duniya ka Sapna saja hai
Children thank John Chacha singing;
John Chahcha tum kitne Achche
Tumhe Pyar karte sab Bachche
Humein batado aisa Kaam
Koi na kar sake hamein Badnam!
But the best to share here this day is the one by the legendary Mohammad Rafi* with lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni* on music composed by Ravi filmed on the comedian Johnny Walker* from the Devendra Goel’s* Door ki Awaz:
Hum bhi agar Bachche hote
Hum bhi agar Bachche hote
Naam hamara hota Gabloo Babloo
Khane ko milte Laddoo
To Duniya kahati
Happy Birthday to you!
It was quite a surprise while attending a meeting of the Legislative Assembly Secretaries held at Raipur, Chhattisgarh in 2005 as the opening line for the welcome address that morning by the host was Happy Birthday wishes to me. It was first and last ever in my entire career of 35 years to remember and have a felicitation like this to an officer on such an occasion. To celebrate it my counterparts from Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh had come with the same brand of whiskey I had my favourite for them to spend thrice more cordially enjoying that evening, indeed!
To celebrate Life on my Birthday, I salute the Nation having born here around the same time the country became independent and remember Hasrat Jaipuri’s lines Shanti Devi Mishra singing to Naushad Ali’s* music for Sajid Khan in Mehboob Khan’s* Son of India of my early days in the Darjeeling Government College joining NCC classes to learn rifle shooting and was prepared to war-front and fight for the country following the Chinese aggression (1962) that had put my family members to some worry:
Nanha Munha Rahi hoon
Desh ka Sipahi hoon
Bolo mere sang
Jai Hind, Jai Hind, Jai Hind
Jai Hind, Jai Hind!
---
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