Godmen I Knew

Brig Rattan Kaul

WHILE the Nation marched into the 50th War of Independence, the Godmen were slipping like my memory of the year of Independence. The only flag I had remembered then was with three White Stripes and a plough, the only PMI knew was a tall spectacled man with a Karakul topi standing atop a derelict Bedford and the only head of the country I knew was a young and handsome Yuvraj and not Governor General of India. But I know Godmen who came in contact with me and I loved to see or hear them My Godmen were infrequent visitors to our house and one could only know of their arrival by their particular voice, sound of bells, peculiar actions or as how they appeared suddenly 'Narayan jee' (he never gave his name). came on Saturdays singing 'Shrimad Narayan Narayan' with his nasal voice which stopped once I presented myself in front of him for his blessings Narayanjee, always clad in saffron clothes, had suddenly stopped visiting once I left for my military. training. I still see his face, hear his voice, every Saturday during my prayers, 35 years after I saw him, singing 'Shrimad Narayan-Narayan'.

"Poundrich always, on his return to his home, crossed our house around 5 p.m. greeting, with a loud cry 'Poundrich' and a smile when he saw me peeping through the window. I never knew his name, religion but everyone said he was highly educated and picked up Poundrich' once his visit to the country of 'Pound' for higher studies did not materialise

'Naga Jee' came on Tuesdays and with his knee bells jingling, one knew of his arrival three blocks away. away. His appearance though frightening, was unmistakably outwardly A smile on his face, a Vibhuti Tilak on my forehead and blessing hand over my head is all that he left in my memory I always wondered the coordinated jerks of his knees to hop bells from one knee to another.

'Kunj Rishi' (Key Saint) had keys of all sorts, sizes and shapes Clad in a 'pheran' with a white turban he would make me sit in front of him, recite few Swaras in Arabic, rotate his key bunch and tell me what I will be; good education, banishment from home and he a wardiwallah (uniform), which I was for 33 years.

'Nanda Kak' was Rev Nanda Lal Jee for many, but I knew him as I knew him-'Nanda Kak Clad in Khaki breeches with a solar hat and yielding a thick rosewood stick, he would change his aggressive stance to a benevolent smile on seeing a five year old in me, while his stance towards my cousins of same age and elders was indifferent. Always in a hurry, in a garbled voice he would say' good boy keep on studying. While to others he was Nanda Lal Jee, he meant more than that, though I never changed his name in my mind.

'Mandir Baba' at Ganpatyar was definitely a Madrassi, South of Vindhiyas. He would shoo me away from the mandir courtyard when I started playing with a cork ball and a homemade bat. Mandir Baba was more benevolent as I grew, gave me extra prashad and always enquired about my studies. Alas the day I left for my training, in freezing January, he was down with a stroke due to biting cold. He lasted a few days-35 years ago, but yet his 'Mandir Main' asking devotees to donate for the temple hundi rings my ears.

Many more Godmen are enshrined in my memory with fond memories and I always feel that their blessings kept me going in my childhood, adulthood, during wars and many close encounters. However, the Godman I dreaded most never showed his face, for he only came at night at about 3.00 a.m.; possibly in my dream, knocked at the door, made garbled sounds and moved around menacingly. A few seconds of this scene and I would dive for cover, put a pillow over my head, cover up with a sheet and breathlessly await his departure; which he would after a few minutes. If ever I kept a secret in my younger days, it was his regular intrusion in my dreams for a few years. He stopped coming into my dreams for all these years, till I saw a resembling face on page four of my morning brush with Times of India. 0

[The author is Vice President, Cimmco Birla Ltd., residing at ,,,, Sector-29, Arun Vihar, NOIDA].  

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Courtesy: - Brig. Rattan Kaul and July 1999 Koshur Samachar