Reviewer: Janaki Nagaraj
Name of the Book : Chai, Chai
Author: Bishwanath Ghosh
Publisher: Tranquebar Press
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #860,209 Paid in Kindle Store
No. of Pages: 214 pgs.
Disclaimer: I got this book from the Publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
Blurb
Bishwanath Ghosh had alighted from his train at Itarsi station to stretch his legs and grab a glass of tea before he resumed his journey.
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Review
Excerpts from the book that I could relate to -
“India can have no better symbol for national integration than the railways. The railway reservation form doesn’t ask you anything beyond your name, age, gender and address. The journeys are not just about the leveling, but also about getting acquainted with each others culture, especially food habits.”
This is so true as I learned more about people by traveling with them than by just knowing them as neighbours. By the end of those grueling 45 hours we would have become very close friends, promising each other to stay in touch for a long long time. Well, promises are meant to be broken :)
“And unlike me and billions of others, he did not carry the burden of proving anything to anyone. He was what he was – a simple man who claimed no special powers when he could easily have, living in the midst of people whose faith in religion can make them completely blind to reason.”
“Even the simplest of lives must have a routine. Or maybe, it is the routine that makes lives simple.”
Such profound words for the Phalaahaari Baba whom he met in Mughal Sarai, the birthplace of India’s 2nd Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri.
About Benaras – “Technically, I was standing by a colourless river in a small town in UP, watching people go about their business. But the moment you identify the river and the twon, the earth under your feet becomes worthy of worship. Unlike other places whose history is measured in years, Banaras has defied time: its history is as enchanting as, and entwined with, that of the gods.”
This is what everyone who has been to Benaras say…the town never changes…this is somewhat refreshing in today’s time.
“Eating roasted peanuts, or moong phali, is a great pastime in itself, just like munching on popcorn at the movies. But there’s difference between popcorn and peanuts; you much on popcorn only when you go to the movies, whereas when you start munching on peanuts, life itself becomes a movie and you become a passive spectator for that entire duration, additively cracking open one shell after the other and putting the nuts into the mouth.”
While talking to a friend about his former classmates, girls in particular, this is what he observes – “Girls were expected to migrate to a land called Marriage and become its faceless citizens. Their identities merged with that of their husbands, making it almost impossible for any former classmate to trace them out.” So true even in this day.
“On the face of it, a sword-wielding queen and a gold medal-winning hockey wizard might appear to be belonging to two remote eras. But, Dhyanchand, in spite of the larger-than-life statue in Jhansi, is neither relevant nor remembered in present day, cricket crazy India. The towers of cellular phone companies, many of which are promoted by cricketers, stood taller than his statue and dominated the horizon of Jhansi.”
This poem about the statues of Khajuraho is amusing -
On encountering a woman who by circumstances would have taken to prostitution – “This was a strange encounter: people usually spend an hour with a human being who had turned into a prostitute, but I had just spent an hour with a prostitute who was also human being.” Wish all the people could think like this and make the life of prostitutes much better.
India had most number of mills which provided employment to the men…sometimes to the men of whole town. The mills were the life line and towns grew around these mills. Trade unions with their fight with the management gradually put an end to the mills across the country. “I have always wondered if there would have been trade unions or calls for strikes, had this been a woman’s and not a man’s world. had managements and trade unions been headed by women, I am sure they would have arrived at a mutual comprise during standoffs to ensure that the kitchen fires kept burning. Women rarely talk big or raise slogans: they are always in touch with what you call the ground reality.”
I liked this book because the author has introduced some history, a personal history relevant to the place he visited. The language is very simple, the anecdotes are subtle and at right places without making this a boring read. Reading this book was personally nostalgic for me.
“India can have no better symbol for national integration than the railways. The railway reservation form doesn’t ask you anything beyond your name, age, gender and address. The journeys are not just about the leveling, but also about getting acquainted with each others culture, especially food habits.”
This is so true as I learned more about people by traveling with them than by just knowing them as neighbours. By the end of those grueling 45 hours we would have become very close friends, promising each other to stay in touch for a long long time. Well, promises are meant to be broken :)
“And unlike me and billions of others, he did not carry the burden of proving anything to anyone. He was what he was – a simple man who claimed no special powers when he could easily have, living in the midst of people whose faith in religion can make them completely blind to reason.”
“Even the simplest of lives must have a routine. Or maybe, it is the routine that makes lives simple.”
Such profound words for the Phalaahaari Baba whom he met in Mughal Sarai, the birthplace of India’s 2nd Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri.
About Benaras – “Technically, I was standing by a colourless river in a small town in UP, watching people go about their business. But the moment you identify the river and the twon, the earth under your feet becomes worthy of worship. Unlike other places whose history is measured in years, Banaras has defied time: its history is as enchanting as, and entwined with, that of the gods.”
This is what everyone who has been to Benaras say…the town never changes…this is somewhat refreshing in today’s time.
“Eating roasted peanuts, or moong phali, is a great pastime in itself, just like munching on popcorn at the movies. But there’s difference between popcorn and peanuts; you much on popcorn only when you go to the movies, whereas when you start munching on peanuts, life itself becomes a movie and you become a passive spectator for that entire duration, additively cracking open one shell after the other and putting the nuts into the mouth.”
While talking to a friend about his former classmates, girls in particular, this is what he observes – “Girls were expected to migrate to a land called Marriage and become its faceless citizens. Their identities merged with that of their husbands, making it almost impossible for any former classmate to trace them out.” So true even in this day.
“On the face of it, a sword-wielding queen and a gold medal-winning hockey wizard might appear to be belonging to two remote eras. But, Dhyanchand, in spite of the larger-than-life statue in Jhansi, is neither relevant nor remembered in present day, cricket crazy India. The towers of cellular phone companies, many of which are promoted by cricketers, stood taller than his statue and dominated the horizon of Jhansi.”
This poem about the statues of Khajuraho is amusing -
“Wave your magic wand,
Turn us into stones.
So that we get embedded
in the walls of Khajuraho.
We can make love in peace
For another thousand years.
The sun would not flinch at us
neither would the rain,
And no ugly human
to cry, ‘What a shame!’
They would only gape and wonder:
‘Does this pose have a name?”
On encountering a woman who by circumstances would have taken to prostitution – “This was a strange encounter: people usually spend an hour with a human being who had turned into a prostitute, but I had just spent an hour with a prostitute who was also human being.” Wish all the people could think like this and make the life of prostitutes much better.
India had most number of mills which provided employment to the men…sometimes to the men of whole town. The mills were the life line and towns grew around these mills. Trade unions with their fight with the management gradually put an end to the mills across the country. “I have always wondered if there would have been trade unions or calls for strikes, had this been a woman’s and not a man’s world. had managements and trade unions been headed by women, I am sure they would have arrived at a mutual comprise during standoffs to ensure that the kitchen fires kept burning. Women rarely talk big or raise slogans: they are always in touch with what you call the ground reality.”
I liked this book because the author has introduced some history, a personal history relevant to the place he visited. The language is very simple, the anecdotes are subtle and at right places without making this a boring read. Reading this book was personally nostalgic for me.
.
Rating
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