Significant events were taking place in India and the world .Rise of Adolf Hitler, the uprising of soldiers and workers culminating into Russian Revolution and rise of Lenin, Mohandas karamchand Gandhi return to India from South Africa and Repressive measures of British through the infamous Rawlett Act .were in news.It was about that time my father returned to our village on retirement. Before that he had constructed i a decent three story house in Mala. The house was named “DAYANAND KUTIR”. It is eengraved on woodwork frame of the main door.
That was where I grew from an infant to a child. During those nine years I got glimpses of the activities of Freedom Fighters who crisscrossed the village. A Govt Resin depot at Chanoda ,a small roadside market in the valley, was set on fire by some firebrand activists during the 1942 quit India Movement’. The hustle and bustle that followed was clearly visible from the ridge. March of British Soldiers and the Police to the spot, and the hell they let loose causing suffering to innocent villagers is unforgettable.Elders talked about Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose,the Japanese march,Churchil’s speech and Hitler’s antics.
I have saved the memories of those childhood days as a treasure. From a ridge known as sinola ,with a natural rock platform, we beheld the sprawling valley down below decked with green fields and the beautiful River Kosi on edge . Across that and beyond the river was dusty Kachha motor road at the foothill of the mountain on opposite west.. The road ran from Almora to the terminus at Garoor skirting kausani on its way. Kausani is a pretty hill resort described as ‘switzer land of India’ by Mahatma Gandhi. He Wrote his commentary on Anashakti yog while staying at Kausani. Walking on the jungle path it is just about 4kms from Mala. Beautiful Snow capped peaks of Nandadevi adorned the panaroma . Memories of bright moonlit Valley with rustling sound of the river and occassional roar of a Tiger in the distant forest behind still thrill me.
I shall now continue with my story of Mala which I had left midway. The village is so ideally located that life remains vibrant in all seasons. The year begins with Chaitra which generally coincides with March- April. It was spring with winter left behind . Rabi crop ,mainly wheat becomes ready to be harvested by the end of April. From natural rock stadium at Sinola I enjoyed the attractive sight of Crop spread in wide valley below as a beautiful Golden Brown carpet . Stalks of wheat with ears full of grains swayed majestically with the breeze.
Summer was generally lazing off period except that nurseries of plants for paddy were prepared for transplantation on the advent of monsoon.As it came, water in river Kosi increased. Temporary network of small canals called”gool”was dug up and connected with the river through a permanently existing broader channel on the bank of the river. Fields were fully irrigated and ploughed deep to make the surface pulpy for easy transplantation (Ropai in Hindi and Ropae in Kumaouni). Ropae used to be a grand event. Women in multicolored attires and vermilion on forehead did the planting, singing folksongs orchestrated by a Hurkia (man using a small handheld drum called Hurka) . Traditional special recipes made it a celebration. As the monsoon advanced the river Kosi came in spate. The earlier rustling sound of flowing water turned into a roar which echoed from mountains on east and west.
Came september-october with Fruits like Kakri(cucumber).Darim(pomengrates) , Akhorh(walnuts) and jaameers(a type of lemon in abundance . October- November saw Dushera and Dipawali celebrations. Seengal(made by dough-mix of grounded rice and suji and sweet dahi(curd) and then fried in pure ghee in the shape of jalebi albeit thicker) and Raita ,a mix of grated cucumber and Dahi flavoured with Rai(Mustard with peculiar pungent taste)and coloured with turmeric were gourmet’sdelight
Rabi crop was sown by early November and after that Ramlila used to be staged at nights at Chanoda. Men ,women and children thronged the venue from all surrounding villages. It was a big festival thoroughly enjoyable.
December and January were months of relaxed activity. Men would sit in Aangan,basking in sun and smoking Hukkas and women went into the forest to lazily collect wood for fuel and grass for fodder. They indulged in gossip while children accompanying them collected pine cones. The seeds in the cones are tasty eatables. Special snack “Neembu sana”was enjoyed by all men,women and children wherever they were sitting in mellow sunshine. Neembu sana is tasty snack prepared as a mix of flakes of lemon fruit, radish chips, curd, bhang ka namak and sugar. It was also the period when we witnessed snowfalls too. Memorable days.
Feb-March ,the advent of spring. Pinkish flowers appeared on trees of peaches, Naspati, lemon and jambeer . Scarlet conical bulb shaped flowers gave pomengrate trees an attractive look. Holi celebrations started at Mallika devi Temple on first day of week long festival. All men ,old and young congregated in the temple campus and applied Abir and Gulal on each other. Chorus of Holi songs with symphony of Dholak,Harmonium and flute filled the air. On second and third day Holiyars(Holi singing groups young and old men of the village)went to every house of each mohalla of the village. Mala is a big village divided into two groups of mohallas.One is Mallakhola and the other Tallakhola. Mallakhola is on the top part of the ridge while Tallakhola is towards the base. Each group has a number of Mohallas. Our house was visited on the second day. It was also a special occasion for us as it is birthday of my younger brother Harish according to Hindu calendar. The visitors were served sweets,namkins and sherbet. On thethe fourth day whole village would congregate at at Chandreshwar, temple of lord Shiva sited at across river kosi at its western bank. Holi here too was celebrated in the same manner as that at Mallika Devi campus on the first day. Fifth day was Holika dahan on a small plateau,Dhunkiya, in Mallakhola. Sixth day, chharari, Holiyars assembled at Dhunkiya and marched in procession on the village path from Mallakhola to Tallakhola. They were drenched in colour with faces smeared with Abir and Gulal.I shall never forget the sight of one Bhawani dutt joshi of Tallakhola popularily called Bhavka who would march with colour smeared all over his completely naked body.
I also witnessed an ingenious method of transporting timber by Forest contractors .Once the monsoon was over they would move stones and boulders from the riverbed towards banks making a free flowing channel in the middle . Logs were put to float on the channel towards destination.It was amusing to see monkeys and cats at times take a ride on the floating logs .
I left the village when I was nine year old to join Government Intermediate College at Almora. Soon after the parents and the family also moved to Almora.I shall end this narration with a mention of a weird incident. Even after shifting to Almora we visited Mala during Dusshera every year. Last visit by my father was in Dusshera of 1947. One day he took me to Chanoda with him. We could not leave Chanoda before nightfall. There were some other villagers too with us. we crossed the river and walked on padetrian path among the fields, There was eerie silence except the feeble rustling sound of water flowing in the river behind us. I heard a queer voice coming from behind as if someone was shouting from a boulder in the middle of riverbed. It said”Liladhar ab wapas ye ja( Liladhar come back now)”.I thought others also heard it. I firmly gripped father’s hand and asked who is calling. He said” no one” and asked what was it ?. I felt that he and others were feigning ignorance. The voice echoed in my ears for too long that night before I fell asleep. The voice has remained a mystery to me. All I know is that in the Dusshera of 1948 we visited Mala without our father. He was no more.
