Alan Lane
Doyang Burra Bungalow
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Do you have a chai story of your own to share? Send it to me here, please : indianchaistories@gmail.com.
My name is Gowri Mohanakrishnan and I'm a tea planter's wife. I started this blog because one of the things that I wouldn't want us to lose in a fast changing world is the tea story - a story always told with great seriousness, no matter how funny - always true (always), maybe a tall tale, long, or short, impossible, scary, funny or exciting but never dull.
You will find yourself transported to another world! Happy reading!
Cheers to the spirit of Indian Tea!
Meet the writer:
I was a Crossley engineer in Assam during the mid-1960s, and
one of the gardens where I regularly carried out overhauls of the Crossley
engine was at Doyang TE, which at that time was managed by Octavius Steel in
Calcutta.
I initially stayed at Doyang TE with the Manager (Mr A C Gohain) in 1965 at the burra-bungalow, and this was at the time of the ‘war’ with Pakistan.
At that time, whilst staying with Mr Gohain, we used to go out in the evening, after ‘kamjari’(work) for a trip around the garden looking for jungle-moorgis or Kalij pheasants to shoot for the ‘pot’. Doyang was a rather ‘jungli’ garden at that time, with loads of wild pigs, and the leopards and tigers that preyed upon them.
Because of the ‘war’ the Assam Tribune newspaper had headlined that Pakistan had dropped by parachute ‘gorillas’ (instead of guerrillas) and so we would also keep a look out for the hairy beasts. Mr Gohain’s 12 bore shotgun would not have been much use against them I am afraid!
There was no electricity at the bungalow in the evenings during 1965, as all the lighting was done by Petromax lamps. The ones in the lounge and dining rooms were on counterbalanced chains from the ceiling, so that you pulled the lamp down, pumped up the base after having first lit the methylated spirits in the bowl around the mantle. After the flame took hold and the mantle started to hiss and glow you pushed the lamp up from the base and it would hang in whichever position you wanted it to be at.
One night, at around 4am, I woke up feeling goose pimples and saw a hideous face looking down at me. I swung my fist at it, but there was nothing there. Unfortunately that put me off trying to sleep again, and when Mr Gohain saw me at ‘palang ka chai’ time (early morning tea in the bedroom) I mentioned this to him. He told me that a planter from many years before, had hung himself in that room and other visitors had reported the same thing as I had seen. Needless to say, I never stayed at that bungalow ever again! I made sure that I stayed at either Jamguri TE or the Golaghat Club for subsequent visits.
Later, I learnt that the Manager had not committed suicide but had been beaten to death in the bungalow by the garden labour – thus the damaged face that I saw!
I initially stayed at Doyang TE with the Manager (Mr A C Gohain) in 1965 at the burra-bungalow, and this was at the time of the ‘war’ with Pakistan.
At that time, whilst staying with Mr Gohain, we used to go out in the evening, after ‘kamjari’(work) for a trip around the garden looking for jungle-moorgis or Kalij pheasants to shoot for the ‘pot’. Doyang was a rather ‘jungli’ garden at that time, with loads of wild pigs, and the leopards and tigers that preyed upon them.
Because of the ‘war’ the Assam Tribune newspaper had headlined that Pakistan had dropped by parachute ‘gorillas’ (instead of guerrillas) and so we would also keep a look out for the hairy beasts. Mr Gohain’s 12 bore shotgun would not have been much use against them I am afraid!
There was no electricity at the bungalow in the evenings during 1965, as all the lighting was done by Petromax lamps. The ones in the lounge and dining rooms were on counterbalanced chains from the ceiling, so that you pulled the lamp down, pumped up the base after having first lit the methylated spirits in the bowl around the mantle. After the flame took hold and the mantle started to hiss and glow you pushed the lamp up from the base and it would hang in whichever position you wanted it to be at.
One night, at around 4am, I woke up feeling goose pimples and saw a hideous face looking down at me. I swung my fist at it, but there was nothing there. Unfortunately that put me off trying to sleep again, and when Mr Gohain saw me at ‘palang ka chai’ time (early morning tea in the bedroom) I mentioned this to him. He told me that a planter from many years before, had hung himself in that room and other visitors had reported the same thing as I had seen. Needless to say, I never stayed at that bungalow ever again! I made sure that I stayed at either Jamguri TE or the Golaghat Club for subsequent visits.
Later, I learnt that the Manager had not committed suicide but had been beaten to death in the bungalow by the garden labour – thus the damaged face that I saw!
Doyang Burra Bungalow 
Do you have a chai story of your own to share? Send it to me here, please : indianchaistories@gmail.com.
My name is Gowri Mohanakrishnan and I'm a tea planter's wife. I started this blog because one of the things that I wouldn't want us to lose in a fast changing world is the tea story - a story always told with great seriousness, no matter how funny - always true (always), maybe a tall tale, long, or short, impossible, scary, funny or exciting but never dull.
You will find yourself transported to another world! Happy reading!
Cheers to the spirit of Indian Tea!
Meet the writer:
Alan
Lane, a 'cha ka baba', was born in Bombay. His contribution to
Indian Chai Stories goes beyond the written word: he keeps a large
number of people all over the world connected with their roots in India.
In his own words, 'My wife and I still have lots of connections with
India and we are, as you may well say, ‘Indophiles’.' Alan and Jackie
Lane live in the UK; they left India a little over fifty years ago. Read the story of
this cha ka baba's return to the tea gardens of Assam as a Crossley
engineer here: Indian Chai Histories.
You will find more stories by Alan here.
Another delightful spooky tale. I’ve always had a healthy respect for spirits and Alan’s experience has strengthened my belief.
ReplyDeleteAlan great to hear from you on this blog. your contribution to The Camellia Planters' magazine has been great . I am sure you would put in and share your experiences of those good old days here. I look forward to it.
ReplyDeleteA spooky one indeed... is Mr. A.C. Gohain mentioned in your story, Abani Gohain?
ReplyDeleteNo, he was my maternal grandfather, Arun Borpatragohain..Parag
DeleteSpooky one indeed...was your manager at Doyang, Mr.Abani Gohain?
ReplyDeleteMy father joined tea in Doyang in 1968 and I was born here 1970. Mr. Grewal was the Manager then.
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed this spooky tale!
ReplyDeleteEven I heard this story before from one of my old Aya at doyang..as it was my first garden after became a planter wife ..my husband joined doyang when it was under octavious steel and the owner of the property was mrs padma kanoria year around 1998..those r the days when I was very new to assams tea life..thoe I am a dooars planter daughter very much familiar with tea life still Assams tea life is different for me by language, dress and tribes..and my story teller was my bungalow aya we stayed at dhoyan for long 6 years and have so many memories with this garden .. thanks Alan for sharing the story and the bungalow pic ..and I'll love to see more pictures of this garden or bungalows ..if anyone have please share ..
ReplyDeleteThis was a very dear bungalow for us. The Burra Saab and his wife, Vimal and Ashima Dutt, were like family, and we spent many merry evenings in conversation around the large round table on the front verandah. I wonder if it was there as early as 1965?
ReplyDeleteDoyang was indeed a jungli place, even in 1979 when I blew in on the March wind as a new bride! I can never forget the telephone number...Furkating 29; nor the trains, whistling and trundling behind chhota bungalow, particularly in the dead of the night.
I hope the ghost is finally resting in peace!
Scary!
ReplyDeleteMr AC Gohain was my grandfather!
ReplyDeleteThe bit about the "gorillas" was the best! I suppose if we compiled all these stories, there would a super long running web series!!
ReplyDeleteGreat story there Mr. Lane
Great reading and interesting anecdotes Mr Lane, I am a planters Son based at Jamguri the immediate neighbour of Doyang.
ReplyDeleteI am a member of BACSA (British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia) and the association puts out a twice yearly magazine named Chowkidar. In a recent issue of the magazine, a fellow member Richenda George, has advised me that the tea planter murdered at Doyang Tea Estate was an Arthur Whitten, who was killed by disaffected labour in his bungalow on the 27th June 1924 and was buried in the Golaghat cemetery.
ReplyDeleteScary but thrilling tales..
ReplyDeleteGood to read the many interesting recollections about Doyang TE Manager's bungalow. To take the infamous history of that bungalow forward, the wife of the Manager of Doyang TE died in strange circumstances in that very bungalow in the early 1970's. My father, Mr PK Basu, was Visiting Agent of Octavius Steel & Co and used to regularly visit Doyang TE in the 1980's and stay at the burra bungalow; he never had any spooky encounters there. Incidentally, the famous ornithologist, EP Gee was once Manager of Doyang TE..
ReplyDeleteDuring the year 2010 I had been there as manager of Doyang TE , at that time on of the Bungalow servnts narrated the story , besides that 2nos burial grave was there o north east corner of the Bungalow campus. I also come across one old megazin that Doyang Manager Bungalow called as Hunted Bungalow
ReplyDeleteLoved reading the story
ReplyDelete