Hari Bal Ki Jai Ho

by Ranu Taragi

The night chowkidar assigned to our bungalow struck the gong five times, sending out ripples of sound to break the quiet of the misty and damp winter morning. I kept count and a smile broke out on my face as I snuggled in deeper in my quilt. Ah! Another hour before time to wake up and tackle a brand new day of kamjari. A chorus of chirping birds from the garden seemed to share my happiness. They were early risers and very joyful about it too.

These were all regular sounds …the watchman announcing the hour was reliable, - well, there was the odd occasion after payment and weekly bazaar when he lost count, confusing you as well! Later in the day the factory siren would blow at fixed timings, alerting you. The garden activities ran smoothly, structured around soothing sounds which were familiar.

It was mostly quiet. An occasional tractor loaded with tea leaves chugging past. Perhaps the sprinklers swishing rhythmically. Then a motorbike racing past…alright…that would be the factory assistant returning home for lunch! A group of pluckers chattering as they moved in and out of the tea sections. No matter which tea garden you moved to, there were sounds you recognized and these helped you settle in.

A tea estate in Cachar. Pic by Gowri

Inside the bungalow the sounds were gentle. A musical tinkling bell to summon the bearer to Memsahib’s side, at the dining table! Discreet murmurings from the kitchen and pantry, as the cook instructed the gardeners regarding which fresh vegetables to fetch, for that day’s menu. The harshest sound could be the cry of the huge wall lizard, as it called “ tockay….tockay.”

The weekly holiday would make us head for the nearest township and the cacophony would be deafening. Very attractive, but only in small doses. It was a pleasure to retreat to the comfort of the plantation, laden with the shopping. Annual holidays to the hometown meant a couple of weeks of frantic socializing and purchasing as there was the struggle to fit in maximum activity. At times it left you exhausted and it was a relief to reach the bungalow and be greeted and pampered by a well trained staff.

Once again there was plenty of time and space to connect with nature and its treasures. The cinema halls and shopping malls got delegated to back seat, and indulging in board games or croquet rounds brought in a satisfying sense of companionship, amongst family and friends. Going on picnics and gearing up for various pujas were the highlight for the workers. Their communities follow traditional guidelines quite strictly and joyously.

Today, faced with serious health issues, the world is being forced to step back and retreat indoors. That frenzied lifestyle and crazy pace is off the platter. Roads are empty of honking traffic and pollution levels in the air is low. No desperate need to move about with one eye on the clock. But the environment reeks of stress and fear. Time to reflect, connect and focus our way to a safer and happier world. Each one of us is looking forward to stability as we hope and pray for the good health of all.

The word ‘stability’ brings to my mind an experience from when we were posted on a tea estate in a remote area of Assam. Just behind our bungalow lay a river bed and then a workers’ settlement on the other bank. The belt is prone to frequent earthquakes. One afternoon the tremor was severe and very noticeable, but what made us jump out of our skins was altogether different.

A deafening noise spiraled up from the village settlement. It was disorienting till one figured out the cause. Men, women and children had all emerged into the open. Armed with ladles and spoons they were enthusiastically beating them against household utensils and metal cooking pots. Loud cries rent the air….Hari Bal Ki Jai Ho !! It was a traditional way to acknowledge, appreciate the majestic strength of Lord Krishna. Also, a way to ring in positive energy and ward off negativity.

On the 22nd of March, India emerged out on the balconies and terraces of its homes in the evening, and appreciated the services of all the people who were attending to essential services  at the risk of their own health. Bells, kitchen thalis, gongs and claps rang out to express gratitude. A wave of positive energy swept across the land uniting all of us, for those few moments.

Amazing that this practice is followed naturally, without any prompting, in our far flung rural areas! Many countries around the world have followed similar practices in the last few weeks.

So much to still explore and learn and relearn from age old wisdom. The coming days will be a busy time for us as we face this unexpected and sudden twist to our lives!

Definitely, many occasions for us to cry out , Hari Bal Ki Jai Ho !

Bal---strength
Chowkidar---watchman
Hari-----Lord Krishna
Jai ho----expression of applause and appreciation
Kamjari---work
Thalis-metal plates     

 Meet the writer: Ranu Singh Taragi

Ranu Singh Taragi, with her husband Naresh

Ranu lives in Dehradun with her tea planter husband Naresh. They moved there after almost three decades in the tea gardens of Dooars and Assam. Ranu has been writing since her college days, and her stories for children have been published in 'Children's World' Magazine and the Hindustan Times. 

Ranu wrote the  first post that went up on Indian Chai Stories. Read all her stories here: https://teastorytellers.blogspot.com/search/label/Ranu%20Singh%20Taragi

Is this your first visit here? Welcome to Indian Chai Stories!  

If you've ever visited a tea garden or lived in one, or if you have a good friend who did, you would have heard some absolutely improbable stories! You will meet many storytellers here at Indian Chai Stories, and they are almost all from the world of tea gardens: planters, memsaabs, baby and baba log. Each of our contributors has a really good story to tell - don't lose any time before you start reading them! 

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. The blog is updated every two to three days. You will find yourself transported to another world!

Happy reading! Cheers to the spirit of Indian Tea!