The Himalayan Griffon at Corbett

I must say I am exceedingly lucky to have not only seen a Himalayan Griffon but was at a touching distance!! It so happened I was at Corbett in Kumaon, and also so happened that a Himalayan Griffon had injured itself and was in care at a local resort. I need point here that the forest officials have been quite callous and don’t seem to be concerned or shall I say bothered, it is individual or group effort and care that see these incidents have positive end. And finally, it so happened that on the day of my visit the Vulture was set to be released. Wow. So here I was incredibly excited and facing the Himalayan Griffon. What a massive bird. It seems that the vulture had started to like the place and refused to budge out of the confinement despite much prodding by the volunteer in protective gear. The bird surely is aggressive. They left the door open and I trained my camera standing at a distance…minutes passed it won’t come out and so I went near the door and lo the bird hops out and few long strides was up and away, in the melee I forgot to take the picture. Geez. But must say the bird truly is a beauty, what an amazing sight. Some of these vultures have wingspan as long as 10ft. My good luck was on a long leash, the bird alighted on a tall tree few hundred metres away. So we crept up to the tree, and I got some really wonderful pictures. Later the bird was seen soaring the sky thousands of feet up, how exhilarating indeed.

The Himalayan Griffon Vulture (Gyps Himalayensis) inhabits in mountains of the higher regions of the Himalayas, the Pamirs, Kazakhstan and on the Tibetan Plateau between 1500 and 4000 metres of elevation. It performs altitudinal movements during winter, and frequent lower areas while the young birds wander down onto plains (the above is a juvenile). The Himalayan Griffon Vulture is the largest of the genus Gyps. They feed only on carrion and gather around carcasses located by soaring and gliding over large areas with their keen eyesight. They find mention in the history of the Tibetan culture as the dead bodies were left to be fed by these Vultures during the very cold periods of the year. The frozen soil did not allow burying the dead. I am sure we are aware of practices by Parsis, but those are mostly White-rumped or Indian Vulture (long billed). 

Gumani Pant: the voice from Kumaon hills

I was at Ramnagar in Kumaon region of Uttrakhand state tucked in the feet of Himalayas along the Shivaliks. Few enquiries and some luck I was at the door of seventh generation of poet Gumani Pant. The elderly man was taken by surprise. We talked about general things, I was handed some books to refer. The one that caught my attention was Says Gumani by Charu Chandra Pande. Other source includes Gumani Kavi Virachit Evam Bhasha Kavya by Devidutt Pande and Gumani Neeti by Rebadutt Upreti.

Gumani Pant (1791-1846) was one of the earliest voices from Kumaon, apart from his dexterity with Sanskrit he was the originator of khariboli in Hindi verses much before Bharathtendu Harishchandra –to whom it is credited. Gyan bhaishajya manjari is work of Gumani on medicine, dealing with maladies and philosophy in the form of couplets in Sanskrit. His Panch Panchashika is a theological work based on the philosophy of the Upanishad. Gumani witnessed rule of three sets of rulers during his lifetime –the Gorkhas, the British and the Tehri king. Apart from felicity with different languages Gumani’s versatility is reflected in the choice of subjects, from sublime to ridiculous, here he see jest as one of his friend slipped and fell (must add the English translation is wanting)

Yo brahmand chadi udi kamar ki dwi tuti pada

Akhan meh athi dah ye bhakath ch meri khabar ko karon

O ija babjyu kaka sun sabbai mishri khana su daiyo

Layavo dudh sithab pran udni ha ram yo meh maryu

Oh the universe behold my waist has broken into two

My soul breaks away and takes wing

My eyes burns, Oh is there no one to look after me

Mother, father, uncle  …hear O hear

I’ve fallen, I’ve hurt, don’t you see?

Give me sugar candy to eat

Oh quick I say, fetch milk, hurry –

Otherwise I will die, Oh Ram, I am done!

This poem is whispering of fruits called Kafals (myrica esculanta) that yields small pea size stone fruit. The colour of the ripening fruit is pink, which gradually turns darker.  

Khana layak indra ka hum chiya bhulok ayi pada

Prithvi me lag yo pahad hamri tthathi rachi dev lai

Yeso chithe bhichari kafal sabai ratha bhay krodh lai

Koi aur buda khuda sharm lai neela dhumaila bhaya

We are created for indra, the king of gods

But unfortunately dropped down below

Among the mortals here

And even here, on this planet alas!

We are made to dwell on these rugged hills

How unfair is the play of the destiny

Thinking thus in their hearts against god’s injustice

All the kafals turn red in fury

And yet others, who were old and haggard

Turned dusty blue in utter shame.     

Gumani lived during the period of turmoil as the colonialism was taking its root in the subcontinent. Colonial Britain was spreading its tentacles through East India Company, he verses makes the irony a satire

Yo angrej kahan se aya kon wathan meh rahta hai

Kahan aye ke raj kare sab lok isi ko chahath hai

Hindustani boop isi ka tej na koi sahta hai

Jo honi na rahe hue bin suno Gumani kahta hai   

Where from does the British hail? Which homeland is his abode?

And where does he reign? People even try to seek favour from them

No Indian prince can face his fierce might  

Says Gumani, it was thus ordained: whatever is to happen will happen   

Here is one poem that talks of good times and opulence

Kela nimbu akhod dhadim rikhu naring adho dahi

Khaso bhath jamoli ko kalkalo bhuna ghadera ghaba

Chuyda sangh uthyol dhudh bhaklo thyu gaay ko dhanodhar

Khani sunder mauniya daphduva gangawali roaniya

Banana, lemon, walnut, pomegranate, sugarcane, orange, ginger and abundant curd

Arum in dried leaves, tender stalks and corns, aromatic rice baked beaten flat or boiled

Thick delicious milk of cows and granular butter indeed

Big cakes of rice powder fried in clarified butter

That is what they eat, the people of gangawali

According to UNESCO’s list of languages Kumaoni is placed under unsafe category -which requires consistent conservation efforts. Kumaoni is one of the Pahari language (other being Garhwali), and is very much influenced by now extinct Khasas language.  It has many dialects (about 20 recorded) that change with the region.  

Jim Corbett: a hunter turned conservator, naturalist, a writer, a magnificent fellow

If Corbett Park is the oldest wildlife sanctuary in the country, it is a tribute to Jim Corbett. The man had a colossal presence in Kumaon region, born in Nainital (1875-1955) he was instrumental in initiatives for conservation effort.

I was reading these interesting observations “All birds and all animals have their own language and though –with few exceptions –one species cannot speak the language of another species, all the jungle folk understand each other’s language. The best three of the exceptions are, the racket-tailed drongo, the rufous-backed shrike, and the gold-fronted green bulbul. To bird lovers the racket-tailed drongos is a never ending source of pleasure and interest for, in addition to being the most courageous bird in our jungles, he can imitate to perfection the calls of most birds and of one animal, the cheetal, and he has a great sense of humour. Attaching himself to a flock of ground feeding birds –jungle foul, babblers, or thrushes –he takes up a commanding position on a dead branch and, while regaling the jungle with his own songs and songs of other birds, keeps a sharp lookout for enemies in the way of hawks, cats, snakes, and small boys armed with catapults, and his warning of the approach of danger is never disregarded. His services are not disinterested, for in return for protection he expects the flock he is guarding to provide him with food. His sharp eyes miss nothing, and the moment he sees that one of the birds industriously scratching up or turning over the dead leaves below him has unearthed a fat centipede or a juicy scorpion he darts at it screaming like a hawk, or screaming as a bird of the species he is trying to dispossess does when caught by a hawk. Nine times out of ten he succeeds in wresting the prize from the finder, and returning to his perch kills and eats the tidbits at leisure, and having done so continues his interrupted song” ….. later in same chapter he writes “I don’t know if racket-tailed drongos can learn to talk, but I do know that they can learn to whistle tunes. Some years ago the Anglo-Indian station master of Manakpur Junction…supplemented his income by teaching drongos and shamas to whistle tunes. Trains halted at the junction for breakfast and lunch and it was a common sight to see passengers running over to the station master’s bungalow to hear his birds, and returning with a cage containing a bird that whistled the tune they fancied most. For these birds, plus an ornate cage, the station master charged a flat rate of thirty rupees”.  (from the book Jungle Lore)  

Here he capsulate years of field knowledge of tracking into easy understanding “all animals that run down their prey have big toes as compared with their pads, and all animals that stalk their prey have small toes as compared with their pads”….. “if you look at the tracks of a house dog and cat, you will see what I mean by big toes and small pads in the track of the former, and small toes and big pads in the track of the latter”. Aha that we should look out for next time as first step towards identifying tracks, and then extend that to jungles. Corbett also gives insight into identifying poisonous and non poisonous by the track.   It is quite an interesting read. Another reference is found in book The Man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag “…when a leopard or tiger is walking at its normal pace only the imprints of the hind feet are seen, but when the normal pace is for any reason exceeded, the hind feet are placed on the ground in advance of the forefeet, and thus the imprints of all four feet are seen. From the distance between the imprints of the fore and the hind feet it is possible to determine the speed at which an animal of the cat tribe are travelling.” 

 

                            I came to know about Sultana daku in 1997-98 from ‘punditji’ who runs a sweet shop in alley of Karol bagh. There were three elderly people running the shop those days, averaging an age of 80, the owner who sat at the counter in Gandhi cap, the waiter cum does-everything-else man and finally the cook. Now though the waiter survives aging 85, still serving delicious, rather subtle sweet sandesh, from palm jaggery and milk concentrate. The shop has a long history; started in 1940 it has seen many ups and downs. Nehru and Patel, yes Jawaharlal and Sardar, were regulars. Till three decades back the shop supplied sweets to power that be, including Pranab Mukerjee (who now is President of the country). I have spent hours and hours of lazy afternoons in this shop, mostly reading some books I carried. In the meanwhile Punditji regaled me with the stories from the past, of Sardar Patel who once came rushing in his jeep and asked punditji to come with him, and then he takes off…the problem being he keeps repeating the stories.  One of the stories he narrated was about Sultana daku. Punditji hails from Nainital, when he was about 10, the family went for a pilgrimage trek to haridwar, for darshan. They hid the currency coins in flour that they carried to prepare food on the way, as was the custom those days. They were attacked by the dacoits and things looted, as they were ruing their fate came Sultana daku riding on his horse and demanded what happened. On hearing he not only compensated for their loss but also gave them his share as offering to god. Another story of how Sultana looted only rich, in this case a moneybag named Karak singh, and the daring tactic he used apart from his benevolent nature towards poor made him part of local folklore. Sultana notified the fellow the hour he would come to loot, and came dressed as a cop in the guise of protection and cleaned up the coffer!!

Corbett has devoted a chapter in his book My India on Sultana daku appropriately titled Sultana: India’s Robin Hood. Eminently readable the chapter ends on a poignant note that reverberates in the mind for a long time. “ I could have wished that justice had not demanded that Sultana be exhibited in manacles and leg irons, and exposed to ridicule from those who trembled at the mere mention of his name while he was at liberty. I could also have wished that he had been given a more lenient sentence, for no other reasons than that he had been branded a criminal at birth, and had not had a fair chance; that when power was in his hand he had not oppressed the poor; that when I tracked him to the banyan tree he spared my life and lives of my friends. And finally, that he went to his meeting with Freddy (the cop in-charge of catching him), not armed with knife or a revolver, but with a watermelon in his hand”.

The book My India opens with a dedication that includes “…in my India, the India I know, there are four hundred million people, ninety per cent of whom are simple, honest, brave, loyal, hard working souls whose daily prayer to God, and to whatever government is in power, is to give them security of life and of property to enable them to enjoy the fruits of their labours. It is of these people, who are admittedly poor, and who are often described as ‘India’s starving millions’, among whom I have lived and whom I love, that I shall endeavor to tell in the pages of this book, which I humbly dedicate to my friends, the poor of India.”             

  

  

White-tailed Lapwing: the migrant of Sultanpur

 

 I have so far written about Red-wattled and Yellow wattled Lapwing –Vanellus plovers, both are quite common though found in different terrain one preferring water bodies while the other dry shrubby. White-tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus) is a migrant that breeds in Baluchistan to further north into Russia. This bird winters in the vicinities of water bodies in North West part of India. This one was spotted in Sultanpur Bird sanctuary in Haryana. Get down at FICCI Chowk Metro station, proceed to bus adda and catch a bus/shared auto towards Farruqnagar, it’s on the way. During winter it’s teeming with migrants, and is a great place to spend the day. So here I was, on a sunny crispy morning, there is a prime spot that not many are aware. As you enter take the right turn, though it’s against the sun so may not be good for photographing. Walk further and the terrain turns bleak, shrubby, walk still and cut into left, a narrow path through acacias and you have a marvelous view of the lake, what’s more a lone tree provides a vantage cover. After few hours of training my binoculars, trying to identify and locate (omg where is the elusive Baikal teal…hard luck boy!!), few hours and I was flipping through a book of poetry I was carrying. It’s about that time that this dainty little bird landed few meters from me. Within moments it was searching for grub in all likely and unlikely places, turning mud, scrutinizing the fallen leaves and so on. What a fragile looking busy bird. Surreptitiously, I took out my camera (very appropriately placed for 70-300mm lens) and was busy clicking. Just about that time a solid ant found it an opportune time to give me a solid bite!! So here I was feverously defending my butt, startling the bird and alerting all the birds in the region, one more click and the bird was gone, a wave of birds flew away from me, ending my brief rendezvous with White-tailed Lapwing.

The enchanting world of Qawwali

The first reference of Qawwali to me was school day festivals in north India where Qawwali was obligatory presence, later I saw these in popular Hindi movies. Though last few days I realize that many popular references may have trivialized Qawwali (Hindi movie Director Vishal Bhardwaj owes an apology to Qawwal community. He should be ashamed of himself) and worst may have ghettoized it in popular imagination of people. Nevertheless it does have exhilarating presence in our culture.      

 Qawwali epitomizes what is described as milijuli tehzeeb or sanskriti –an expression of syncretic culture, as a means which brought people together irrespective of religion or traditions or even class. It is a unique musical fusion and over the period blended into local styles. Qawwali is so energetic that it is molten force in motion. It is as if the poem has leaped out into another poem another space. Qawwali in its egalitarian self is aligning powerful with powerless. In its spiritual self it places love above god, it’s all pervading. It is said that one who dies during a qawwali his soul has travelled to other places, leaving the shell of his body behind.

Qawwali as a form of music has its roots in Arab and predates Islam but in its present form is very much Indian subcontinent in its origin. Qawwali has references in style of singing of Qawwals, Qaul (Arabic) is an "utterance (of the prophet)" and Qawwal is someone who often repeats/sings a Qaul. The Qawwal or traditional performer sang Sufi music in shrines and took devotees into trance only through their voice. The accompaniment is always bare minimum, a quintessential harmonium and clapping of hand, then ofcourse tabla. It slowly builds up to trance inducing heights offering unique spiritual experience, the ideal goal being that of mixing as one with the divine.  One essential aspect of Qawwali which differentiates it from any other form of music is that the singer is aware of the audience and therefore constantly gauges and responds, he will repeat, innovate, stress on those part that seems to evoke intense response.  It is the strand that builds the electrifying energy, a live wire to and fro that is unique with amazing space for originality.  The crests and troughs of energy flowing in a language that is simple and easy to associate, in a setting approachable, among the crowd, makes Qawwali a very compelling social and intensely personal experience.   

        

I came across these lines from one of the websites “The qawwal often dwell on one phrase or sentence, indicating both the obvious and hidden content by emphasizing and repeating various words and syllables, taking the audience into the discovery of hitherto not obvious meanings. A spinning wheel thus changes from a household instrument into the wheel of life or the wheel of hope depending on the shift of emphasis in one sentence. Repeating a sentence until all meaning is exhausted and it becomes meaningless. Through this technique, semantic reality is negated and a purity of form is created. It is often this element that transcends linguistic barriers”.

Qawwali is part of Sufi mysticism and is believed that Amir Khusrau (1253-1325) brought innovation in its form and content, very much influenced by Persian ritual sama –mystical musical gathering. The word Sama is still used in Central Asia and Turkey to refer to forms very close to Qawwali, and in Indian subcontinent the formal name used for a session of Qawwali is Mehfil-e-Sama. The great Amir Khusrau was instrumental in popularizing, improvising and bringing uniqueness into Qawwali.  It was on account of this contribution that Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya gave him the title of Mufta ul Sama. There is evidence that qawwali predates Amir Khusrau, the great Sufi Masters of the Chishtiya and Suhrawardia Orders were admirers of the qawwali and the Saint Hazrat Outubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki is said to have died in 1236 while in a musical trance induced by a Qawwali. Nevertheless it cannot be denied that Khusrau’s contribution was nothing short of seminal, indeed he used local language sometime even seamlessly combining different languages like for instance this one I came across: Zihal miskeen makun taghaful, Duraye naina banaye batiyan where each couplet has the first misra in Persian and the second in Brij Basha which so effortlessly flow into each other. Prolific Khusrau composed many such verses in both Persian and the local dialect of Brij Bhasha. By doing so, he laid the nucleus of Urdu poetry. One can say Amir Khusrau was the founder of Urdu language. In her book “The Book of Nizamuddin Auliya”, author Mehru Jaffer writes: “… Khusrau published his first volume of poems before he turned twenty. He wrote panegyrics on seven successive kings of Delhi, introducing a new genre in poetry, that of the historical epic. Khusrau also introduced a novel strain into the existing Persian tradition of poetic forms of the masnavi by recounting certain events of his own time in long poems. His style of lyrical poetry and ghazals contains many elements that in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were to become characteristic of the Indian style...” Khusrau’s contribution to cultural framework of northern part of Indian subcontinent was quite significant, indeed in many ways it’s foundational.  The more you know more amazing it gets, I am shocked that he only has a passing reference in school syllabus!

Qawwali had a mesmeric pull over the masses, in the bhakti tradition of 11^th century that was prevalent in north India it was easily accepted. Qawwali is ecstatic in nature, it is spiritual as well earthy therefore enjoyable. It is exotic yet relatable and inclusive. Sufi music lends itself not only to a religious interpretation but it is a cultural interpretation as well. In many sense Qawwali follows a tradition of Takhrar loosely argumentation (“it is the opening of an argument. This is not just the opening of an argument in surrender but through surrender there is a re-discovery of the self. So there is a re-positioning of the self as well which is happening. You lose the self at one level and at another level you recover a different self altogether” Madan Gopal Singh).

This brief write-up on Qawwali will not be complete without mention of great Nusrat Fateh Ali khan, the legendary Pakistani Qawwali singer who brought fame and notice to Qawwali as an art form.  There are many unsung heroes too who carry the legacy and tradition of Qawwali, trying their best to preserve and conserve this increasingly neglected art. 

 

(The picture herein was taken at Understanding Qawwali, a one day symposium. The Qawwals are nephews of Nusrat Fateh Ali. The other picture is of weekly Qawwali at the Dargah of Sufi saint Hazrat Nizammuddin Auliya’s that is performed every Thursday, quite appropriately between the tomb of Auliya and Khusrau. The painting of Auliya and Khusrau was taken from Jashne-e-Khusrau exhibition at National Archives). 

From my scribble pad

A horse is a wonderful animal

It tips and tops on its toes   

One step here, one step there

A graceful bow and still for applause

All in all a dancer in repose

A singer in silence         

 

     

The Brown-headed Barbet of Sunder Nursery, Delhi

 

 About a decade back Sunder Nursery next to the Humayun tomb near Nizamuddin Dargah was a nondescript place. Ideal for birding, acres of land right in the bustling city was probably the best kept secret.  Now though there is frantic ‘beautification’ going on. Keeping building and surrounding in clean and aesthetic condition probably is needed but unkempt gardens and spaces always has its charm and surprises. I am for loosing oneself in wild gardens! Sunder Nursery is now closed for ‘renovation’, I managed to sneak in, and spend about half a day of undisturbed birding. Cheers to that!  Having spent last few years in and near Western Ghats, I was constantly listening to White-cheeked Barbet (Megalaima viridis). My last sighting of Brown-headed Barbet (Megalaima zeylanica) was at Chinar bird survey, this one I think is louder, or is it the Delhi affect! What really was surprising was this bird wasn’t really troubled by my presence.  Though I was dressed in my surreptitious best and covert in movement, I was sure the bird was aware of my clumsy attempts. It chose to play ball. It came quite near me to peak into the hole in the tree, after few seconds looked into my camera and said cheese. How crazy can it get? This was my closest ever Barbet encounter.

Brown-headed Barbet is one of the commonest birds in and around Delhi that is rarely seen but heard very often. Kutr kutr kutr …it goes

Akiko Yosano (1878-1942)

A bird comes
delicately as a little girl
to bathe
in the shade of my tree
in an autumn puddle.

Akiko Yosano is a name I haven’t heard about until few days back when I saw the invitation from Japan Foundation for half a day talk by Maiku Matsudaira.  A prominent Japanese poet in the beginning of 20^th century, she was controversial for her open views on freedom, love and feminine assertion in a society predominantly conservative. She also wrote extensively on needs for female education, a prolific poet, also a social reformer active in the late Meiji period. Her commentaries tended to criticize Japan's growing militarism, and promoted feminist viewpoints. In the meanwhile she also wrote stories for children the focus being on nature. Her poems were mostly in Tangka form (a much older and longer than Haiku). She is also known for her translation of Japanese classics into modern Japanese, a feat that was considered extremely difficult. Akiko Yosano’s real name was Sho Ho and she came from a family of sweet makers.   

 

Some of her poems…(a point of order, since this blog is meant for all age group, I am avoiding poems that are overtly sexual in nature. Also this blog is biased towards Nature)

River of Stars

Left on the beach
Full of water
A worn out boat
Reflects the white sky --
Of early autumn.

Swifter than hail
Lighter than a feather,
A vague sorrow
Crossed my mind.

Feeling you nearby,
how could I not come
to walk beneath
this evening moon rising
over flowering fields.

It was only
the thin thread of a cloud,
almost transparent,
leading me along the way
like an ancient sacred song.

I say his poem,
propped against this frozen wall,
in the late evening,
as bitter autumn rain
continues to fall.
What I count on
is a white birch
that stands
where no human language
is ever heard.

A bird comes
delicately as a little girl
to bathe
in the shade of my tree
in an autumn puddle.

Even at nineteen,
I had come to realize
that violets fade,
spring waters soon run dry,  
this life too is transient

He stood by the door,
calling through the evening
the name of my
sister who died last year
and how I pitied him!

O My Brother, You Must Not Die

And dying in the way of wild beasts,
Calling such death the path to glory?
If His Grace possess noble heart
What must be the thoughts that linger there?

In contrast to Indian subcontinent where month of May is atrocious, in japan it is quite different.. 

In Praise Of May

Some tanka from “Disheveled Hair”

Droplets fall from a young girl’s hair

Congealing on grass

Giving birth to a butterfly

In the country 

Of spring

My skin is so soft

Fresh from my bath

It pains me to see it touched

Covered by the fabric

Of an everyday world

How beautiful they are

The people brushing past me

As I stroll through Gion

To the Temple of Kiyomizu

On this cherry blossom moonlit night!

Scribble from my note pad…

The city ignites every night

Sometimes on its own

It isn’t the same

It doesn’t feel the same

This surely should have subtitles 

People prowl the street

Bartering sights and sensation

Occasional deals of desire

Add on benefits

It depletes every thought   

White-rumped Munia: round is the world

 I was at the coastal temple town and backpacker tourist destination of Gokarna last monsoon, through my window I could see the mammoth Shiva looming in the horizon. In this grandness of world human creates it was easy to miss White-rumped Munia nibbling earnestly in the rain soaked grass lawn beneath the window.   Occasionally taking a break on a rock and preening itself. Engrossed that I was realized much later that I could take god damn pictures! Life, only a few years back, was quite uncomplicated, wherein you could stretch out next to a lake for hours, with nothing but a binocular and that would be it. Every lake had potential to be a Walden!! Now ofcourse there are cameras, there is business of chasing, they even have birdrace! (ah the angst of birdgroups, the arguments and counter arguments, the Yagnavalkyas and  Gargis/Maithris). I have so far steered clear of these, Surveys though are much interesting, the leisure, the pause, the agreeability of little things. Slowly though I have realized that the best company on such occasions is your own. I once spent half a day watching Siberian cranes at good old Bharathpur (by the way for the initiates they stopped coming since 2002). Now who in the right mind would do that? The other day I was at Sultanpur, and riveted to flock of Northern Shovelers among Bar-headed Goose for an hour, who wouldn’t be?

White-rumped Munia (Lonchura striata) is common throughout peninsular India.

Konkani: the enigmatic story of a language that came back from the brink

Imagine a once flourishing language that losses its speakers to different languages and suffers the ignominy of being dismissed as a dialect and then, after decades of effort, establishes itself to its rightful place and honor. It is not only the official language of a full fledged State, Goa, but recently one of its writers is honored with highest literary award in the country (Jnanpith award to Ravindrabab Kelekar for the year 2006). That is the charming story of Konkani language we all should know.  

To be very frank I wasn’t aware of Konkani, except occasionally bumping into someone in Kochi, I used to think that Kamaths/Pais/Shenoys are malayalees. It is much later that I gathered they are Konkanis and are spread across the western coast, even then I took it as one of the languages around. It was while I was cycling on Konkan coast earlier last year that I came across a man running a tea shop, just before Goa on the Karnataka side (somewhere before Karwar), who explained about how Marathi is different from Konkani. Till then I wasn’t aware of these things. It really was an eye opener. I did some research and found that World Konkani Centre is located in Mangalore, and decided will visit it on my way back. That didn’t happen but I did visit it subsequently.

Konkani is an Indo-Aryan language, and is argued as an ancient language, the claim has credence as can be gathered from the reference to the coast as Konkan and that it was the language spoken by the Aryans who moved to south of Vindhyas. Proto-Australoid substratum is very prominent in Konkani, particularly Mundari (of Munda) who were pre-historic inhabitants of these regions. Ancient Konkani prakrit was confluence of Indo Aryan dialects, the Vedic Sanskrit and Dravidian. This archaic form of Konkani is referred to as Paishachi by some linguists. The earliest inscription in Konkani language is of Gupta period. It is found in Arvalem in Goa, ascribed to 2^nd century AD. Another indicator of its ancient origin is the major speakers of this language are Saraswath ‘Brahmins’ (I am using the term ‘brahmin’ as a slang that has absolutely no connection with the original idea of Brahmin as understood in evolved scriptures. This slang is used as casteist reference in contemporary India -necessarily a reference to ritual driven dimwits, very much acknowledged by khap media). These are set of people who seem to have originated from the banks of, now vanished, Saraswathi River and have strong references to ancient traditions. This set of people settled in Gomantak, now Goa. Philologists of repute consider Konkani to be the living form what was probably the ‘Sarasvathi language’ spoken in and around what is now Punjab –on the bank of Sarasvathi and Drishtavathi rivers. Like the ancient Vedic form of Sanskrit language sarasvathi balabasha has affinities with modern derivatives of Sanskrit language, and is believed to have best preserved in Konkani. They thrived for centuries, the decline happened with Muslim raiders and later quite viciously by Portuguese. They dispersed to different places and this was beginning of travails for Konkani language.

It need be noted that their contribution to education and commerce has been quite significant. It was Dr. T.A.Pai who created Manipal –near Mangalore that probably is the only education town in the country!! This community’s presence in Banking sector is nothing short than intriguing. Canara bank, one of the leading banks in the country was started by Ammembal Subba Rao Pai. During the year 2000 A.D, for instance, five out of twenty government owned giant banks were headed by people from this community. They were Andhra Bank-Shri B. Vasanthan, Bank of Baroda - Shri P. S. Shenoy, Canara Bank - Shri R. J. Kamath, Syndicate Bank - Shri D. T. Pai and Union Bank of India - Shri V. Leeladhar. Shri K V.Kamath, MD & CEO of ICICI, one of the largest financial institutions of Asia.

It is interesting to note that a major number of linguistic innovations in Konkani are also shared with Eastern Indo-Aryan languages like Bengali, Oriya which have its roots in Magadhi. Presently Konkani is written in Devanagari, Roman, Kannada and Malayalam scripts, therefore these languages have influenced Konkani locally and thus further differentiation. Recently there are attempts towards standardization and Konkani has accepted Devanagari script officially, though it is resisted by goan Christians who prefer roman script. Credit should also go to Shenoi Goembab (in the picture) alias Vaman Raghunath varde Valaulikar (1877-1946) who through his prolific writings revived Konkani and is regarded as a pioneer of Konkani Renaissance. The contribution of Portuguese missionaries (particularly on grammar) as also other Christians is also very significant (Rev Father Jerome D’Souza part of Indian delegate to UN, made his speech in Konkani).   

This a compelling paragraph from Kamat’s potpourri ….“if one has to see the diversity of today's Konkani language, one should travel the Indian west coast. In Bombay, they speak in Marathi accent whereas in Konkan, they stretch the words so that no outsider can understand!. The Hindus of Goa liberally use the Portuguese words whereas the Christians use it as if it's a Portuguese dialect. In Karwar and Ankola, they emphasize the syllables, and in Kumta-Honavar, they use consonants in abundance. The Konkani spoken by Nawayatis of Bhatkal is very melodious with smearing of Persian. People of South Kanara do not distinguish between nouns of Kannada and Konkani, and have developed a very business practical language. They sometimes add  Tulu words also. The Konkani of Kerala is drenched with Malayalam, and the Konkanis of north Karnataka add Kannada verbs to Konkani grammar. The city-bred use a plenty of English. To write Konkani,  Kannada, Nagari, Roman, Arabic, and Malayalam scripts are used and this way, Konkanis declare themselves as members of world family (Vishwakutumbi). There is no other language with a possible exception of Sanskrit that a language is written in so many scripts”. The fact though is that Konkani unfortunately was compelled to become a language using multiplicity of scripts.  Indeed there is a vast literary output of considerable high standards of Konkani authors in more than a dozen languages including English, Portuguese, Sanskrit, Pali, Marathi, Guajarati, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Singhalese and so on.  Needless to say Konkani suffered, as much as most Indian languages now are since more people prefer English as their language of expression.

    

(the blogger expresses gratitude to Kalaangan –the Konkani Heritage Centre in Mangalore for access to books)  

Stumbling onto vintage Ranjit Lal …and ensconcing into little worlds…

It was fortuitous to stumble upon Ranjit Lal’s Wild City -Nature Wonders Next Door (published in 2008) at Sunday second book mart, Daryaganj for 50R.  It couldn’t have got better than this, ofcourse it took me about six hours of siphoning through books and pensive bargaining on a tight budget. Ranjit Lal undoubtedly is a charming writer and a keen observer particularly of nature. Not a single line is disappointing, but I need point here that though Mr. Lal is critical, and rightly so, of anthropomorphic references he himself falls into it by sometimes referring male and female species as husband and wife, probably in jest but more than few times makes it extremely irritating. This ofcourse in no way dilute the fact that he is one of the most endearing contemporary writers, his heightened awareness and nuanced expressions laced in humour is always a pleasure to read, indeed it is difficult to keep the book down once you start. This book is precious and strongly recommended. I am a keen observer of insects, ants and spiders topping the list. It is an experience to watch the spider weave its web, always difficult to put these amazing feats in writing. Ranjit Lal does it with much dexterity, almost matching the “forgotten son of genius” (Dickenson)!!

“…and watching one do so is always worth the half an hour so it takes. The spider will first crawl up a suitable twig or post and let loose a light thread of silk. This hopefully will snag on some similar post or twig a little distance away and the spider will haul it in until the line is tight. The bridge line is done. The spider will now crawl along this, releasing a thicker and much stronger thread which serves as the basic scaffolding from which the web will be hung. Once this line is in place it will crawl back along this, releasing yet another thread in a loose loop below this scaffolding line. Now it crawls along the loop line and drops another line vertically down from its lowest point waiting for it to snag. Once it does, a basic Y-shaped framework for the web is complete. It continues in similar fashion until a proper radial framework for the web is complete. Then, starting from the centre, it begins spiraling outwards, laying the lines which will form the ‘body’ of the web. Once this is done, it changes direction and starts spiraling inwards along the same route it just came along, but now eating the line it had just laid and replacing it with sticky thread. As it reaches a radial junction, it ‘twangs’ the line so that the droplets of sticky stuff coat the thread equally along its length. As it nears the hub, the sticky silk is shut off for a ‘free zone’ to be formed so that the spider does not get caught in its own web, and the spider settles itself in the centre, awaiting guests to its parlour…”

 Ranjit Lal’s has a way with humour “…many years ago, I used to photograph the sea gulls that flock to Mumbai’s marine drive, right opposite a hostel of women. I hung around the place for hours, armed with binoculars, a camera with telephotos lens et al. If any police constable had asked me what I was doing opposite a women’s college equipped thus, I would have had to tell him the truth: ‘I’m photographing gulls’. You can well imagine the response! ‘Photographing girls? Abbe saala, sharam nahin ata hai? Chokri dekhta hai? Chal thane!. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? Come with me to the lock up!’

Fortunately, havildars in Mumbai minded their own business at that time. Not like the cops here in Delhi, where I now do my birding. Out on the ridge one winter morning with a few friends, we were suddenly accosted by a couple of cops.

‘Kya kar rahe ho? What are you doing?’ they demanded truculently.

‘Chidiya dekh rahe hain,’ we explained eagerly, wondering if we could convert the lathi-loving police into avid munia-watchers. They stared at us incredulously. ‘Chidiya dekhna hain to chidiya-ghar jaiye,’ they promptly ordered. If you want to see birds, go to the zoo!”

That is the charming world of Ranjit Lal that you are eminently invited.  

From the scribble pad…

The city gets a layer of flesh

everytime it inhales

takes everything

distorts the details

and belch happiness

The beauty is a White Wagtail

 White wagtails summer in Himalayas and are common in plains of Indian peninsula during winter. I was at Topchanchi Bird Sanctuary located about an hour’s drive from Dhanbad in Jharkand. The forest surrounds a lake. I walked about 3kms into the deep, not a soul nearby. Unfortunately the birds were wary of human presence, and I couldn’t a get single shot, even common mynas were showing nakharas. Geez. It was while I was having tea at the only shop around, -run by an old man who talked about the golden days of the sanctuary, popular movies were shot here, now it has fallen to disuse and anti social elements (maybe I escaped that one!!), there landed the white wagtail, fresh as milk white with a hint of cream. Giving me ample time to focus and get some good pictures. Cheers to that!!      

To speak is to sing and to walk is to dance: meet the Munda tribes of Jharkand!!

Munda tribes are well known tribes that inhabit jungles of central west part of India. There is a settlement about 20km from Ranchi. I contacted the Tribal & Regional Language Department (TRL) in Ranchi University, few references were given. Basesar Munda was the contact person at Khunti, he arranged for a youngster belonging to the community, Jaganatha took me to the hamlet. Women were selling rice beer at the alley leading to the entrance, people sat scattered around in huddled groups. It was late afternoon. I was introduced to Pandu Munda, an ecstatic old man. Extreme respect is shown as people meet each other. They stretch their hand in sort of Namaste and Japanese bend, and say ‘jowar’. Indeed if you travel around Jharkand-Bihar region people many times use extreme reverence in their speech. For instance they tell a bus conductor “yahan rukiaga”; polite in Hindi is “yahan rukiye”, “rukiaga” is very polite. Contrast this with Delhites saying “yahan roko”, it is an order! 

Pandu Munda was really into music, couldn’t control himself he got up and started dancing! (visit http://youtu.be/2zNY9rypQNQ for Munda dance) Pandu he says means snake, and did a bit of snake act. He explained that songs in Munda are close to nature, and of course expressions of love. Jada rithu, Basanth rithu and Barsath rithu are three seasons on which most songs are based. He ridiculed the Christians (many Munda are converts) for having similar songs for all occasion. Hindus, they use ‘dikus’ (commonly used insult) that is filmi songs. That, he said, has no charm or sense.           

    

Munda tribes are one of the well studied tribal communities’ in India. Encyclopedia Mundarica is a sixteen volume work authored by Reverend John Baptist Hoffman (1857-1928) and other Jesuit scholars that described as “authentic account of munda land”.  Another book “The Munda and Their Country” - authored by anthropologist SC Roy, first published in 1912, is considered authoritative documentation of Munda tribes and is a classic in Indian ethnography.  The book is also referred for judicial matters regarding Munda tribes. Though must add his mention to Birsa Munda borders derogatory, as also there are unnecessarily lengthy, sometimes eulogizing, references to colonial Christian missionaries. I guess it falls into the pattern of pre-colonial sycophant Indian elite, clamoring for favor. Birsa Munda is a respected figure in Indian history as also in popular imagination of people. He fought against oppression and tyranny of colonial Britain. Indeed his name is used in India with reference. This picture is of a statue of him at Ranchi. Another book worth noting is Musical culture of the Munda tribe by Sem Topno.  

         

Munda language (Mundari) is Austro-Asiatic, there is a indication that Munda language was formerly spoken in Gangetic valley. There is a striking point of agreement between the Munda language and Kanauri (which is spoken in the neighborhood of Shimla). That the Kolarian tribes (includes Munda), Khasis of Khasi hills, the Sakei and Semang of Malay peninsula, the Mon-Khmers of Cambodia, the Anamese of Cochin China, the Nicobarese , the aborigines of the Malacca and the Philippines, and several aborigines of Australia all speak allied dialects which seem to an intimate racial contact in the past, if not of common origin. It is conjectured that before the Aryan invasion, the Kols (the Kolarian aborigine tribes, that counts more than dozen tribes, Munda being a major component) occupied much of Gangetic plains. Brahminical texts broadly refer Kol tribes as Asuras (indeed in the context of things Lord Krishna came quite heavily on aborigine tribes!). Mundas do find mention in Kurukshetra war as part of kaurava army, as described by Sanjaya. Aryan warrior Satyaki boasts mundanethan hanishyami danavaniv vasavah (I shall kill these Mundas as Indra killed the danavas). 

Mundas to this day sing songs bewailing good old days…

Sato jugu Kale jugu, Sato jugu taikena

Sato jugu Kale jugu, kali jugu hijulena

Sato jugu taikena, ilige-ko nukena,

Kale jugu tebalena, rengetao goetana

Neaiting sanaiya, ilige-ko nukena

Chakating moninga, rengeteko goetana

Then was the satyug, -now the Iron age

O gone the golden age of old!

Then reigned the satyug, - now the reign of kal

On the earth hath come with woes untold.

Men in that blessed ancient age of gold

Had naught to do but drink their ale

Now that the cursed kali reigns supreme

Dire death from hunger doth prevail

Oh for the days when men no cares did know

But drank their fill of home brewed ale

Woe to this age when men on earth below

Do daily die of famine fell

Many names of north Indian villages can be traced to munda or other kol origin. Munda call themselves Horo. Slowly after age long wandering, after being uprooted by the Aryans, the Mundas settled in the jungles of chotanagpur, what is now Jharkhand –the forest country, finally confined to present district of Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand (indeed the name Ranchi originates from Mundari word aranchi meaning short stick used to drive cattle).  Walled by jungles they have been living in peace for past many centuries. The settlement was referred to as khunkutti hatu, and the boundary was clearly demarcated by the elders, beyond which was god’s land who kept vigilant. Within these demarcated land all property was common property, space of god is uncleared forest within the village (hatu bangako, was called sarnas. The supreme deity is “Sing Bongka” related to Sun). Gradually they became agriculturalist. The cutting of wood from the jungle was done on a chosen day and only some portion of jungle was used, in rotation. The head of the village was Munda, and he never had any superior rights but settled disputes. Even women actively partook in armed ventures under the leadership of Munda, as the situation demanded.  Gradually group of villages came together as group –as pattis, to ward off enemies (the Dravidian tribe Oraons being the earliest). Each pattis was headed by a Manki. They followed an egalitarian system wherein the Munda, even the Manki, was only a chief among equals not a ruler. Unfortunately though, with the passage of time these have become hereditary.  The mankis grouped to elect Raja, the relation was tenuous and slowly the rajas, and even the mankis, got hinduised and got themselves elevated to rajputs and clans, completely breaking the clan trust and values of equality. The Mundas repent their follies…

The thorn we have reaped

Are of the tree we planted

They have torn us and we bleed.

We should have known what fruit

Would spring from such a tree.

With passage of times during the medical period the zamindars started to oppress the Mundas, they sought refuge by converting to Christianity enmass. 

The favourite drink is rice beer or ili, each family brew its own ili. Made from boiled rice which is fermented and mixed with some vegetable roots and is stored for about five days before its ready for use. Dancing and revelry is another of Munda passion, Akhra or dancing ground is generally located in the middle of the basti.

Kote karambu dumang sari

Jige ho lilib litiba

Ho lilib litiba!

Barigara karetalsari tana

Kuram ho dopol dopola

Ho dopol dopola!

Kote karambu dumang sari

Senoge sunaia

Ho senoge sanais!

Barigara keretal saritanae

Bridge monea

Ho Bridge monea

The dumang sounds at Kot karamba

My heart leaps up at the sound,

At the sound

The kartal rings at Barigara

My heart with glee doth bound

At the sound

The dumang sounds at Kot karambu

O haste my dear to the dance

To the dance

The kartal clanks the barigara

O rise my dear from the trance

To the dance.

For Munda work and amusement go together in their life. They say ….

kaji ge durang (to speak is to sing),

senge susun (to walk is to dance)

kumuni dumang (fish traps is a musical instrument)

imagine a set of people for whom every action is song and dance, even the household items are musical instruments!!!

Asar chandu tebalena –

Dola maire roa nalate.

Haturen horoko do oronglena

Sobenka senotanako.

Midtarebu kamiabu panti pantige.

Singido dubuilena,

Dola maire alatalate

Nalabutelakeda

Rurungiabu mandiabu,

Honhopon tenda nuiabu.

Now asarh is here

O come my dear

Transplant the paddy seedlings green

The village call

Obey the call

Out streaming from the house seen

Together we

Will work in glee,

O sisde by side in rows so gay

When sets the sun

We will be gone

And take our wages for the day

Our wages taken

We’ll husk the grain.

Prepare and boil sweet rice for food

Our children dear

Will share the cheer

With us will quaff the gruel good.

(Thanks is also due to Anthropological Survey of India, Nagpur for letting me use the library. It though would help if they open it on time, I lost a day). The picture herein of me sharing rice beer with Pandu Munda and Jaganatha

From my scribble pad…

In the twilight

There is time for happiness

and there is time for sadness 

and then there is a time between happiness and sadness

blurred feeling of life passing by

just about the dusk when the birds row to their home

embrace the setting sun

when the breath slows down 

 and a strange calm sooth the body

.