Today while watching a movie, I happen to become bit nostalgic, in fact curiously nostalgic. The movie was about two kids of age eight. This movie made me think about my earliest childhood days, the days I don't exactly remember but I do recollect few things, in parts, in pieces, in a chaotic manner though. Conversation with mom and dad helped me recollect and also to an extent appreciate some events. This post is about those two years of my life, in a place called Gulbarga, which is located in the Northern side of Karnataka state.
I was six when we moved to Gulbarga. I had completed Lower Kindergarten in some small school in Bangalore. If you wish to know, Gulbarga is lot different compared to Bangalore. Its fairly under developed place - I dont think there was a single tarred road when I was there. People speak Kannada language with a different accent - its actually nice to hear them speak. Mondays were very auspicious, so auspicious that my school had holiday on Monday rather than on Sunday. Things like that. I don't think I experienced difference between Gulbarga and Bangalore much - as I was too much of a mama's boy back then.
I was admitted to this school called St. Mother Teresa school. It was a new school but had quite good strength. I had to cross a railway track ever day to go the school. Mom use to take me and bring me back from the school. She says that I didn't like school, not because it was far, but because I didn't like studying nor doing home work and stuff. A neighbor's daughter was my class mate and she (the lady) had become friends with my mom. I vaguely remember attending a party at her super big house which some how comes in my early morning dreams. I also remember a pigeon in their place. I some times wonder that I would meet them some day by total chance and perhaps end up talking to them for hours - just a feeling.
My sister was admitted to a different school which was considered as a really good girl's school, but it was far from home. Dad decided to rent a house on the other side of the railway track so that the distance to my sisters school and also my school would reduce. Indeed that was a very good move as I made more friends in that locality. Moms says that she was happy about shifting to a better house, she talks about that house and our then neighbors once in a while.
Among few things that I remember very well is about my first cycle, getting me that cycle was considered as the greatest victory of my mom over my dad, but recently she surpassed it - we got renovation done at our place, most importantly the kitchen. I don't remember exactly know how I felt after getting the cycle, must have felt damn good, must have been one of the best moments, but I do remember dying to go home from school as fast as I could so that I cycle on the fields. I remember deliberately skidding, doing stunts and ripping with that cycle- that was kind of liberating, probably the first time I experienced a sense of solitude.
Another thing I will never forget is the Holi celebration in Gulbarga. Our neighbors, taking complete liberty rather more of authority, just barged into our place in the early morning to apply colours on us. That was a real culture shock for us - as, such things used to happen only in Television programs. I remember nearly swimming in holi water for rest of the day. I remember to have had great time that day. I also vaguely remember telling my mom about the whole experience - Knowing her, I think she would have scolded me for being so crazily involved .
Like any parents, my parents were also very excited in capturing things that I did. We didn't have a camera then but we had a Tape-recorder to record voice. I remember reciting stories, rhymes and many more which were recorded with great enthusiasm by my mom and dad. They had great fun in listening to those recordings again and again. It seems I used to demand for new toys for every recording - bloody business minded boy I was back then itself.
I remember few things about the school. Fighting, I mean wrestling, was the only sport most of us indulged in. I remember quite well that we had series of clashes after having lunch. I remember we having sports day as well. That was perhaps my first experience in winning something. I had got a book and a small tiffin box for coming second in a race. One of the weirdest thing, that I still wonder, is about the picnic that we went from the school. Can you guess where they took us to? Zoo -No, a hill - No, a water fall - No! We went to Central Jail. I faintly remember roaming around the jail seeing the criminals. I also remember having packed food with my other school mates and teachers under a huge tree. I had few friends, perhaps one or two in my class, with whom I was during the trip. I remember one more thing, that was regarding the school annual day function. I was part of a group dance, I must have also practiced for it but on that day of function my costumes (dance uniform) were missing because of which I wasn't allowed to perform. I remember being very disheartened about it and hated the whole function, especially after seeing the dance in which I was suppose to perform.
Dad took us to many places in north Karnataka during our stay at Gulbarga. One place I remember in particular is Gol Gumbaz which is in Bijapur. Its a tomb by an Islamic ruler in which you can hear echos of any sound you make seven times. That was a very amusing thing to me back then. Dad use to take us out every Sunday evenings for movies or to places of interest, however I hardly remember any place in Gulbarga except a lake called Appan kere. I could recollect that lake immediately while seeing google maps today.
I perhaps remember little more than what I have written here but those would require little extra digging. In this fast moving times, where we are too indulged in our day to day activities and very much in our future, a bit of distraction, of remembering the past, especially those times we hardly think can be very joyfully interesting. I must say that I got strange satisfaction in digging about this part of my childhood, I have now developed some kind of an aspiration to visit Gulbarga, explore the place we lived in and see how it is currently.
I was six when we moved to Gulbarga. I had completed Lower Kindergarten in some small school in Bangalore. If you wish to know, Gulbarga is lot different compared to Bangalore. Its fairly under developed place - I dont think there was a single tarred road when I was there. People speak Kannada language with a different accent - its actually nice to hear them speak. Mondays were very auspicious, so auspicious that my school had holiday on Monday rather than on Sunday. Things like that. I don't think I experienced difference between Gulbarga and Bangalore much - as I was too much of a mama's boy back then.
I was admitted to this school called St. Mother Teresa school. It was a new school but had quite good strength. I had to cross a railway track ever day to go the school. Mom use to take me and bring me back from the school. She says that I didn't like school, not because it was far, but because I didn't like studying nor doing home work and stuff. A neighbor's daughter was my class mate and she (the lady) had become friends with my mom. I vaguely remember attending a party at her super big house which some how comes in my early morning dreams. I also remember a pigeon in their place. I some times wonder that I would meet them some day by total chance and perhaps end up talking to them for hours - just a feeling.
My sister was admitted to a different school which was considered as a really good girl's school, but it was far from home. Dad decided to rent a house on the other side of the railway track so that the distance to my sisters school and also my school would reduce. Indeed that was a very good move as I made more friends in that locality. Moms says that she was happy about shifting to a better house, she talks about that house and our then neighbors once in a while.
Among few things that I remember very well is about my first cycle, getting me that cycle was considered as the greatest victory of my mom over my dad, but recently she surpassed it - we got renovation done at our place, most importantly the kitchen. I don't remember exactly know how I felt after getting the cycle, must have felt damn good, must have been one of the best moments, but I do remember dying to go home from school as fast as I could so that I cycle on the fields. I remember deliberately skidding, doing stunts and ripping with that cycle- that was kind of liberating, probably the first time I experienced a sense of solitude.
Another thing I will never forget is the Holi celebration in Gulbarga. Our neighbors, taking complete liberty rather more of authority, just barged into our place in the early morning to apply colours on us. That was a real culture shock for us - as, such things used to happen only in Television programs. I remember nearly swimming in holi water for rest of the day. I remember to have had great time that day. I also vaguely remember telling my mom about the whole experience - Knowing her, I think she would have scolded me for being so crazily involved .
Like any parents, my parents were also very excited in capturing things that I did. We didn't have a camera then but we had a Tape-recorder to record voice. I remember reciting stories, rhymes and many more which were recorded with great enthusiasm by my mom and dad. They had great fun in listening to those recordings again and again. It seems I used to demand for new toys for every recording - bloody business minded boy I was back then itself.
I remember few things about the school. Fighting, I mean wrestling, was the only sport most of us indulged in. I remember quite well that we had series of clashes after having lunch. I remember we having sports day as well. That was perhaps my first experience in winning something. I had got a book and a small tiffin box for coming second in a race. One of the weirdest thing, that I still wonder, is about the picnic that we went from the school. Can you guess where they took us to? Zoo -No, a hill - No, a water fall - No! We went to Central Jail. I faintly remember roaming around the jail seeing the criminals. I also remember having packed food with my other school mates and teachers under a huge tree. I had few friends, perhaps one or two in my class, with whom I was during the trip. I remember one more thing, that was regarding the school annual day function. I was part of a group dance, I must have also practiced for it but on that day of function my costumes (dance uniform) were missing because of which I wasn't allowed to perform. I remember being very disheartened about it and hated the whole function, especially after seeing the dance in which I was suppose to perform.
Dad took us to many places in north Karnataka during our stay at Gulbarga. One place I remember in particular is Gol Gumbaz which is in Bijapur. Its a tomb by an Islamic ruler in which you can hear echos of any sound you make seven times. That was a very amusing thing to me back then. Dad use to take us out every Sunday evenings for movies or to places of interest, however I hardly remember any place in Gulbarga except a lake called Appan kere. I could recollect that lake immediately while seeing google maps today.
I perhaps remember little more than what I have written here but those would require little extra digging. In this fast moving times, where we are too indulged in our day to day activities and very much in our future, a bit of distraction, of remembering the past, especially those times we hardly think can be very joyfully interesting. I must say that I got strange satisfaction in digging about this part of my childhood, I have now developed some kind of an aspiration to visit Gulbarga, explore the place we lived in and see how it is currently.
