SIKKIM IN PHOTOGRAPHS

Recently sanjoy had been to Sikkim with his younger brother surjit.Here are some of his photographs he wants to share with his blog viewers.Few things are important when you go out for a sight seeing or a tour.1.Love for nature 2.Mentality 3.Adjust to all sorts of adverse condition including food 4.A good companion 5. your physical and mental health status.Top photos:1. photograph is Tsomgo lake 2.Girls getting ready to perform 3.Kanchenjunga from Gangtok.

LAND OF PEACE AND TRANQUILITY----SIKKIM

Sanjoy with his younger brother Surjit had a wonderful time at Sikkim.Some of the photographs are up loaded for the viewers. A nice place to visit if you love cold weather, snow and good people.Alcohol is almost 25% less price than  other places of India.If you do not have money to go to Switzerland then visit this place.Many people of India think its like Bhutan, another country.All the vehicle number plate carries the logo"IND" .

Orissa Post

WAR AND PEACE

WAR AND PEACE:

·         We are now following double standard in every aspect of life. Like we call ‘Hell’ for the rape victims but we enjoy a film with naked and rape or sex scenes. We talk big in award meetings about woman torture but burn our own bahu for dowry. We talk about cleanliness but throw peanuts and plastic packets in side train and bus. We hold broom stick for the first time in life just for a photograph and made mockery of ‘clean India’. Everybody shouts against alcohol and cigarette but every corner of any town or city has a medicine and alcohol shop. Everyone talk against violence and prostitution but both are glamorized in the film industries which are liked by majority. We are following double standard in every aspect of life so how can the war and peace escape from it? India is Gandhi, Buddha, & Vivekananda country; some say a ‘peace loving country’!! Lets watch how much we are doing and world is trying to do to bring peace in this world. “नौ सौ चूहे खाके बिल्ली हज को चली”. If an inferior gets riches, he demands an umbrella to be held over his head at midnight. That’s exactly what is happening in India and few other countries.

Just read the following table and decide whether this peace prize “NATAK” to continue or stop. If tomorrow a human rights prize in name of “Osama” comes up what will be your reactions? Just watch the “Sahara’ jersey being worn by one and all playing any form of game!!But the owner of Sahara is in jail and none of those sports person neither helped him nor is stopped wearing the “Sahara” jersey.Poor fellow now a “Besahara”.

Coming back to our original topic of War and Peace read the following and read the efforts made by different country to bring peace in this world. Yes if you say more arms and ammunition means more peace I surrender under your feet.

LADIES AT WORK.

                                       Mother is busy at work as the children are left in creche to play.

BREAKING NEWS

Breaking News: (SSN)

In a press release at a huge gathering near Jantarmantar, it was disclosed that Maun Mohan Singha, Naubina Petu-naik,and JoyLata   have joined BJP in spite of objections from  Kaupil Gibal and Digahara Singh. Experts are breaking their head over this issue. Why this sudden change in political scenario in India is difficult to perceive. Some say one wants to escape from the dark colour of coal and the other from the mining tunnels and the other from sandal wood smell. But the political analytics have a different opinion lead by Arjun Go-swami.

One finished a century old political party in few years, hence he has been entrusted to try and repeat that with BJP in 5 years. He has to carry on the secret service of one foreign lady. The party president realized that the only way to revive that old party is to finish the BJP.

Regarding the second politician who has joined the non-secular party(as per him) who could not pronounce properly in Odiya even after 15 years , said “Sala—Bala—Mahila-Chatri—Mananku Namashkar”in a women’s college annual function, is surrounded by BIC(cbi),Mines tunnels and Tich(chit) funds wants to escape to Switzerland for treatment, has taken this unilateral decision. He has laid down more foundation stones than the number of hairs on his head. This is also a big political move to destroy BJP party before this pot bellied politician by proxy merges in to the hands of foreign powers.

The third is a lady who fell sick like other politicians once she saw the black coats and jail gates of Bangalore. All three will unsettle the BJP party for good, much to the delight of those two sakunis of the oldest party—Gibal and Digahara bhi.

The final decision will be taken by Namdev bhi after he comes back to his mother land from foreign visits after cleaning different air ports of the world in his ‘swacha avijan’ mission but he may rue his decision for not being present when these 3 were inducted to the party.

(This is not for serious persons but those with a sense of satire)(SSN—sanjoy—satire—news)

FATHER'S CYCLE

                                              Father's cycle and the morning glory in my garden.

PLAYING FOR FUN:

PLAYING FOR FUN:

There was only one University in Orissa during 60s.That was Utkal University. After 1967 two more were added, Sambalpur and Berhampur Universities. The Students used to say proudly during different interviews--“I am from Utkal University”, because that name had a good reputation not only in the National but also in the International level. Due to good administrators and some very good dedicated teaching staffs, the education standard and character building of students were at par with other universities. No road block or student’s unrest for tough question papers. The students who could get admission to Ravenshaw College were considered to be fortunate enough to be part of that famous and prestigious college of Orissa under Utkal University.

Teachers’ of different colleges who were interested in sports and games used to play along with the students in the practice and friendly matches during Sundays and Holidays. They used to coach the students for different games along with the PTI teacher. It was really difficult to get 11 College students as players who could hold the bat correctly or hit the ball or bowl properly .Many did not participate due to financial constrains and being hit by that hard ball. A team selection match would be arranged a week before the intercollegiate match under the supervision of college officials. The new pads, cricket balls, few Kashmir willow bats would be purchased with the available cricket budget for that year at the last moment. The bats have to be oiled with linseed oil or else it would have no punch or it may break in to two pieces if someone played a cross batted shot.  Tail Enders were asked to use broken or rejected bats. After the team selection the team with maximum of 12 to 13 players would leave for Cuttack by train or state government bus. For many years Cuttack was the only venue for intercollegiate tournament which was played after Puja vacation in colder months. The teams were put up in the different college hostel’s common room or verandah. The PTI would be the team manager or a newly appointed lecturer would accompany the team but stayed somewhere else not with the team.

                                 Breakfast consisted of one small size Tushar sliced bread and half a dozen of small size plantain .Lunch on match days consisted of six pieces of slice bread and mutton curry with more potato than mutton piece or egg curry in disposable saal leaf container plus two plantains. On non playing days rupees five were paid to each player for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Drinking water was available from a newly purchased earthen pot kept near the players open air pavilion or one had to help himself directly from the municipality tap. The mode of transport from hostel to ground was either walking or in rickshaw. Rickshaw fare was very cheap in those days at Cuttack.

The Matches were played at village ground near Barabati Stadium, Ravenshaw College, Medical College, Engineering School and Stewart College grounds. All the matches were played on matting wickets. The final was a two days affair where as other matches were of one day duration, with maximum of fifty over’s for each side but no limitation of overs for bowlers. Majority of the college teams were getting out within ten to twenty overs. College teams from Cuttack, Berhampur, Regional engineering college, Rourkela; Burla Engineering colleges were the top teams. The spectators were mostly road side passer bye or school and college students. Their numbers were little more than the number of spectators one would find in a present day Ranji trophy match.  Some of the talented players were not only good in studies but also in debate, as singers, in athletics, cricket, and football but also in college drama. A student participating in university team for two different games used to get a college blue, a prestigious recognition indeed during the college annual day celebration.

Inter college cricket matches were fought fiercely by the teams, even though there was nothing to gain financially except the pride for the college. Science students were finding it very difficult to participate in sports and a game because, missing practical class means a huge loss of internal assessment marks. NCC was also compulsory for students.

One particular year the star attraction during the inter college cricket tournament was the visit of first lady in space Valentina Tereshkova and Yuri Gagarin in an open jeep at Cuttack. Few of the players who had come to play cricket, had dream come true experience of shaking hands with the astronauts at Ravenshaw College square.

In a semifinal match, an over confident Ravenshaw college team met Khalikot College team of Berhampur at village ground of Barabati forte near the present Barabati Stadium. That team from Berhampur was an unknown entity –a dark horse. Khalikot cricket team had many new players. Few of them were with a south Indian back ground. They batted first and got out for 78 runs. Ravenshaw had many University and few state level players, who were over confident. The captain of Ravenshaw College team told his openers to make it for no loss. He invited all his team mates for the evening Tiffin party at college square. Unfortunately the team got all out for exactly 78 runs. That was a tied match.  The Khalikot team captain knew the rules well and asked the Ravenshaw captain to go for a toss of coin to decide the winner. There was lots of argument and confusion regarding that tied match. The players were about to go for a fight when better sense prevailed. A replay was suggested by the Ravenshaw college team members but Khalikot captain did not bulge an inch. Lastly official were called with rule books and the match was decided on toss of coin. Ravenshaw lost it. That year Burla Engineering College became the champion.

The Utkal University team used to represent the students of Orissa. Some outstanding players from the university team used to be selected in later years for the state Ranji Trophy team. The university team constituted of players mostly from Cuttack colleges and few more from Engineering and other peripheral colleges, who performed exceedingly well during the intercollegiate matches.

That year the team had to go to Banaras for the all India Inter University Cricket Tournament. Those who were selected for the Utkal University team were very much excited because majority of them had not seen Banaras and BHU campus. During that period the best way for a student to visit a new place was through playing different games. Train journey was the only mode of travel, which used to take almost 36 to 42 hours to reach Banaras from Orissa via Howrah.

 Like any other outside tournament a luggage boy would accompany the team with a big trunk containing few pads, bats, and gloves etc which were commonly used by all the players. The trunk was used as a sitting tool for players while in train or in railway platform. The team had to take its own cricket ball for the matches and also for practice. At times two to three years old moth eaten cricket balls were sent along with the team, which hardly kept its shape after 10 overs. When the university supplied balls were exhausted, new ball were purchased from the local shop with lots of hesitation on the part of the manager. At times the captain of the team was also the team manager because teachers were reluctant to accompany the team with a shoe string budget. The extra players were asked to put Vaseline and rub the ball at night for the next day match. One of the playing eleven player with thick hairs would be asked to apply generous amount of oil on his hairs so that while passing on the ball he would apply some on the ball. Due to poor and uneven out fields a ball would lose its shine, shape and thread within a short span of time.

One Prince was selected that ‘Yuri Gagarin year’ for the Utkal University team.  He became a central cabinet minister after few decades during congress rule at the center. Few of his team mates became IAS officer, some doctors, engineers, professors and bank managers in later part of their life. Few are still alive, some are in sick bed, and others are either dead or not traceable. The other team members used to enjoy his (Prince) presence in the team, because of him from time to time, baskets of choicest fruits and sweets were brought for his ‘highness’ at different stations on the way from Howrah to Banaras. With in no time the container would get emptied without his knowledge as if those players had come from a famine stricken areas? The ‘prince charm’ would just smile and would not say a word of disapproval.

There were two groups of players one, who were sophisticated and came from well to do family and other group came from peripheral colleges and un-smart shabbily dressed students. During the team’s stay at BHU campus hostel, some players would find it exceedingly difficult to communicate in Hindi while giving order for their food in the mess and during marketing. Trying to bring a souvenir or two for their parents from Gadhuli market of Banaras, some of them took the help of some of their team mates. Few of them managed with ‘odiyadized’ Hindi words much to the amusement of senior players and the onlookers but they were able to communicate what they wanted to say.

 Majority of the players became home sick and ran short of money and were happy to have lost the semifinal match narrowly. The manager left the team in the midway to bring more money because he never thought that team would win so many matches. Remember no money transfer or ATM during those days.

With dirty stinking cloths and socks stuffed inside the bed holder the players made their two and half days home ward journey via Calcutta. Bed holder was used for keeping dress, boots, towels, bed sheets, pillow, books and one can say everything except a cricket pitch. No one carried a separate suitcase as the name of the bed holder was “Hold-All”. The luggages were kept in left luggage room of Howrah platform and the players would rush to Chowringhee. They would have some mutton raganjosh lunch at Anarkali Hotel, sweet dish at Kalpataru restaurant and noon show in an air-conditioned Metro or Light house cinema hall. That last part was the star attraction for many of the players. They would board Puri Express for their last lap of the journey. No reservation those days, so the coolies used to keep seats at a price for the players by entering the compartment at Santragachi shunting yard before the train entered the Howrah station.

Those days inter university matches were of three days duration and were treated like first class matches and many of the Indian famous ex-test players were picked up from University level; Dilip Vengsarkar was one of them. But slowly the university matches lost its charm as fake students started playing as students for different colleges and universities. Now a day no good student can afford to play any game due to the present education system. Even if he or she is interested and has talents for extracurricular activities they have no time to breathe even, due parental pressure, tuitions after tuitions and career building dreams.

Like other sports, cricket too had no financial support. Sponsorship was never hard off during 60s and 70s.The present generation of cricket players are lucky because an average player can make a living out of it just by playing few first class matches and a few  club level games.

Today’s cricket owes a lot to the players of those by gone days, who played the game with true spirits but with much hardship. They played for the desire of playing it and love for the game and not for money, otherwise the game would have died slowly and cricket would not have been what it is today. It’s the foundation stone laid down by those mad cricket lovers, and dedicated players which sustained the game or else cricket history would have taken some other turn in India. Let’s salute those players who made cricket what it is today.

--Concluded

Sanjoy Kumar Satpathy

Ex- University, Ranji Trophy, SAIL and Zonal Player of Cricket.

ODIYA SHORT STORY

Recently published in Suryaprava news paper.

Vasectomy task and target (satire)

AN EVENING AT IG CLUB

A family dinner time at IG club ,Rourkela.After sanjoy left Rourkela that group is fragmented.Top photograph:LtoR RKDash,BBPanigrahi,GoutamPani,Gita Dash and Meena.Bottom:LtoR>Binny,Kalyani and Binapani

UNSUNG PEOPLE OF THE WORLD

KORBA

sanjoy and sanjib were invited to deliver their lecture at Korba hospital in the year 2005.Here they are seen with the group of doctors and in front of a nice Jubilee park.

HAATA OF BANGIRIPOSHI

A weekly  market(Haata) on every Wednesday from 12noon to 5pm.Local fresh products are available in the market.Mostly the tribal people go there for country liquor and to watch and put money on cockfights.

THE UNFORGETTABLE BANGIRIPOSHI

Our long cherished dream of seeing Bangriposhi and the foot hills of Simlipal, the glorious Kingdom of PurnaChandra Bhanj became a reality, when we boarded the 12921 bound express on the 3^rd of October 2014. My wife, sister and my travel happy elder brother made a nice foursome and had visited many beautiful places in the past together. Our train reached in time and taking a little break in the mango orchard, we proceeded to Kalabadia. We had no hotel reservation as there are no hotels in that locality. On the way to Pandhda our eyes were fed with the scenic beauties of nature in the form of lush green paddy field some turning to golden yellow, the silently flowing river Katra and a few humps and bumps here and there made our spine straight.                                                                                   

When we reached Kendmundi, the time was already up for going to attend the nature’s call near a small pond full of Lily flowers.  So, we four along with our auto driver relieved ourselves in the open air as the sun was setting down behind the Simlipal hills. We were surprised to see one old man of 85years riding a bike with a young lady on the rear seat. Later on we came to know that the lady was his 4^th wife. There at the village Pandhda after few ‘chokuli pitha’, mudhi and aludam we slept on the floor. The snoring of our elder brother was frightening at night, except him none could sleep.

Next morning at 5 am, we were inside our Bajaj Auto on way to Simlipal hills, another breathtaking place in India. A Bisoi Dhaba is the only place which boasts of a lavatory fitted with a commode in the district of Mayurbhanj. The auto stopped there and we relieved our self after a cup of steaming hot tea from a road side Dhaba. The commode charges were added to the price of tea. Our elder brother took some freshly fried local fish. The beauty of Bangriposhi hills is simply fascinating and breathe taking. From our auto we could see the bared mountains due to deforestation by the wood mafias of nearby state Bengal. The golden yellow paddy fields all around us were simply magnificent. The river Budhabalanga with its pebbled bed and crystal clear water was following us wherever we went in Mayurbhanj. Our driver, a Mayurbhanj tribal boy “Bitun” was not so fluent in Odiya but took us to some very interesting places there including Simla Siva temple. We were lucky to be in a place where the Queen of Baripada passed her urine during 18^th century while on her way to Khiching. A nice monument was built by the local people as a respect for her majesty and a reminder to the tourist as the pleasure of open air toilet. From there we went straight to see the tiger enclosure where a female royal Bengal Tiger called Khaire once lived, as there are no more real tigers in the forests of Odisha. For tourist dummy tigers are shown from a distance. Next morning, our auto driver took us along the Katra River to the Bhim Kund water fall. The roads all through this mountainous country ran like a black and brown serpent with plenty of pot holes. There was no traffic jam, no blowing of horns, and no overtaking of vehicles. The long journey was a sheer pleasure for all of us and it did tire us a lot except our elder brother.

We first reached the Bangriposhi Haat and had a sumptuous lunch in a road side Dhaba. From there, we went to our village Pandhda to stretch ourselves a bit and enjoy the fresh air scented with the fragrance of some wild flowers.  In the afternoon, our driver took us for a village ride and showed us a few important places of Mayurbhanj like Panisole, Dhangidisole, Bhalulata, Baghjhampa and Bahadaguda. One among those places was on a hill top, where a huge stone is being worshiped as a ‘Linga’ by the local people. The work was still going on and once it is completed, people say that would be the ‘Tenth Wonder of the World’. Indeed, it looked like that to us, because the stone seemed to be touching the sky overhead. We also had a good view of the Kendumundi village, popularly called ‘Mundi ‘.

The night at Bangriposhi with the huge blue moon at its full glory was simply amazing. The warm air and the buzzing of mosquito songs forced us to retire to our string bed covered with stinking mosquito nets.

We couldn’t believe how fast those two days passed away. Now, time to return home and be with ground realities of life. Bye, bye Bangriposhi. Thanks for giving us so much pleasure. We would come back with more of our relatives from Delhi,Dubai and USA next time.

sanjoysatpathy