Sipra's Diary: Experience of First 4th July in USA.

Friday, July 20, 2001

:Experience of First 4th july in USA

***.I came to US first time in May 1999, just in the last millennium and before stepping of the current( 'the then' advent of new millennium').I was very much excited to think of witnessing the Independence day in the biggest democratic country, being physically present. It was West Virginia.
In India 15th August, the Independence Day is celebrated with enormous enthusiasm;  all around prevails a joyful feeling of festivity! All the school children with white dress reach the school premise within 7:45. AM.  The flag is hoisted between 8AM to 8:15with the national anthem 'Jana-Gana-mana', bugle and drum-beat. As the flag goes up to unfurl, a bunch of flowers drop from the folded flag. After the inspiring talks are delivered about the lives and sacrifices of the patriots and martyrs. People/students pay homage to their memory. The ceremony usually ended within 11AM with the distribution of some sweets and snacks. Not only schools and colleges but all institutions, court, offices follow this tradition sincerely.
With this picture in my mind, I dressed up myself and set out with my husband at 7 o'clock. My daughter screamed from her bed in a sleepy voice,
" where are you going? Today is a holiday ;  Here nobody
gets up before 10AM on holiday."                                                                                                                                                        "idle girl!" I murmured in my mind and pushed my husband silently to hurry up. We proceeded towards the City hall, downtown. We walked throughout the lonely and silent road. In every turn of the hilly road, I was expecting curiously to hear the cheering voice of school students and people.
My enthusiasm began to fade when I reached near the deserted city-hall.
It was an 8:30.No trace of any people.

 My husband said,"My daughter was right, you didn't listen to her."
I replied "Perhaps we reached too early; let us wait up to 9-o'clock"
 We walked towards the front side of the city hall and saw the national flag tied up to the pole. The flag seemed to be quite old; no scattered flowers under the pedestal of the flag.

 " Oh, see, the flag has been hoisted before we came"; my husband exclaimed!
  I said,"never! we reached here before 8: AM".

My husband commented :
"It seems the  city-mayor did  it yesterday night to avoid getting up from sleep early morning on holiday."

I laughed  & laughed to hear his comment, breaking the morning silence.
Actually, my husband wanted to leave the place as he missed the morning tea before coming; and here also he didn't find any hope, as no tea- stall was visible.
I felt for him; so I said  sympathetically,
"let us go to the pole to bow down near the National flag of US; maybe we will never  get the chance of coming on this day!"
" That's a good idea!"  My husband answered cheerfully at the thought of going back to home.
Then we were looking all around in search of any stall for morning tea.
Now I noticed a man with tattered clothes leaning in the corner of the wall of the hall with two empty bottles of liquor  between his stretched legs; he seemed to be heavily drunk. I am scared of a drunkard and mad people. So I turned back swiftly to step down the stairs and leave the place. Near the corner of the stairs under a big shady tree, another man came to our notice who was fumbling the huge trash-can;  I can hear him murmuring and laughing softly; He also seemed drunk and mad both,  .. but divinely a happy man!
In the midway of the street, we saw, on our way back, some well-dressed gentlemen and women coming from the opposite side.
I hopefully said, 'see, people are now started coming; it is 9:35, the celebration will be at 10:00PM, as my daughter told.
But those people entered in a church by the roadside, disapproving my guess.
We came back home with much disappointment.
My daughter, still lying in bed, giggled," I told you, It is a holiday, nobody will be seen before 10:0'clock!  Did you see  anything happening?"
 My husband promptly replied, "yes-yes, only two happiest persons.  of this country : a mad beggar and a drunkard!
My daughter replied," Oh, you will see them always in the downtown.'
I put the tray of steaming tea and toast in front of him.
 My first experience of 4th July often comes back to my mind on Independence Day, with some dismay.
...............................................................

Sipra's Diary: TRIBUTE TO FOURTH JULY

  Thursday, July 4, 2024

       

             Spirit Of 4th July in  America      

       'Oh  say, can you see':what lie ahead,

       Standing under  the pressure

       Of undesired piles of crises

       Are you perturbed or Afraid?

              

      Oh America, what a great test

      Now, that  you need to select

      whether  you would chose  to be hunchback

      Bankrupt father of the opulent immigrants

      Or, a solvent capitalist leader of the Nation,

     To take care of the country with allround vision?

     At the dawn of your young   days

     You famed as a 'nation of immigrants'!

     But long back,you achieved to ride on

     By your own; stood up as savior with valour !

     The  asylum is  too overburdened

     Now to shelter   anymore!

    Oh, Time summons you to pitch deeper

    In the heart of the Nation

    The star spangled banner

    That waves with reminder:

    Each bright star is the symbol

    For each state  that was rescued

   At the cost of blood and 

   Lives of  the  ancestors,

   Who sailed  through the stormy ocean,

   Crossed the desert and mountain,

   Marched bruised,on prickly thorn,

   To bestow peace and freedom to the Nation!

Oh Nation !

What treasure  do you restore

For the ancestors  as tribute?

Can you  promise  to retain

Their pride, power, prosperity and peace?

How much to expect

From this 'Humpty Dumpty' diverse nation?

Are they willing to chant  together

 In chorus tune again:

 'God  bless  America!' 

     

Sipra'S Diary:>>>"CAN EYES BE STINKY "?

 

                 Can eyes be ever"stinky" ?  Do eyes have smelling power?

...Sure. Why not?  If ears and nose can  posses   more powers besides   merely hearing and smelling ,what holds  back  the eyes?   When we  hear the sound of thunder or   some barking  , We can visualize  who is the creator of noise : the sky or a dog nearby .   Similarly we can distinguish the odor of  dead rotten rodent  or fragrance  from   roses from a distance.  

There is  such great cooperation between our five senses   that often  they give proxy aptly for the other one, if required.  Among our five senses e.g. smell,  touch, taste  listening. and seeing , eyes are not only most powerful but also most cunning  among five senses..

... "so  eyes  are opened now"- is a well known cliche;  when somebody  becomes aware of his  mistake ; it  means clearing the  ignorance  of slumber, wisdom dawns ;  light  of   true knowledge is  reflected  through eyes. 

Personally, I think eyes acted  as first 'brain' in collaboration with other five senses. It was like the big boss(figuratively) of any corporate company.

 At  the beginning there was only one eye on the center of facial  top.  It was not enough   to protect own safety or  surveying around broadly.  So later on , two eyes on the two sides of nose appeared. The   'First eye'  still  exists on the   center  of  our forehead; it  gradually   became invisible  under   skinny  cover ; It is now known as  "Third  Eye".  It is very powerful. It  has intuitive   power;   It has the ability to  apprehend the near future.  The   ancient Yogis  of  India concentrated  deeply   and meditate   on this   Third Eye : with concentrated mind in meditation the Yogi  could  roam  in their 'subtle' body  in  celestial sphere....Without any rocket; it is hard to  even  imagine for us !

But ,  let me come back to the point of  'stinky eye'.   We are all aware of   strong   unfriendly  evil looks   that  glanced from stinky eyes

Eyes can convey any message efficiently; they  own this power far before the origin of  language . All emotions ,:love or hate, fear and jealousy, joy or sorrows, enthusiasm  or lethargy are reflected  in eyes without speech; mental state used to be reflected                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Eyes of babies are full of innocence ; Just opposite to  devils' look that glitter in greed .

The character or mind of a person  can be studied from the glance of eyes . Eyes are the mirror of mind.   This is why snap-shot  of eyes are recorded   in   the  airport  customs-checking  for  the verification of   identity.

I remember one day young couple visited us with their son who was about three years' old.  The kid was touching and playing with the decoration pieces from my show-case almirah; by chance  he dropped and broke some esoteric piece . Though I was   little sad at the behavioral pattern of the unruly boy , I patted the  little boy and said ,"It is fine ,don't worry!" His mother pointed a chair for him.and asked  to sit quietly .  Suddenly the boy cried loudly and embraced  my waist  ;I asked worriedly,"What happen ,why are you crying ?"   

The boy complained with tearful eyes ,"My mother is beating";  

I laughed and replied ,  'Your mother is sitting  on the other side of the center table, far from you ; how can she beat you?  I don't see  her even to  touch you !"

He   still continued  crying and  embarrassed   the  poor mother  by divulging , 

" Yes believe me ,  she is beating me with her eyes! She will punish me severely  after  I will be going back to home!"

... Thus Secret of eye-messages  of embarrassed mother divulged to us all!........

Eyes enjoy  lions'. share  in   cases of love affair . "Love at first sight "  between couple happens  not only in Romantic  novel  but   also random  in our regular   practical life. 

Whether platonic love or satanic, momentary or eternal, marital or extra-marital, facebook or whats' App, even latest  bumble or tinder love,  eyes   as cupid  act  multiple roles . Eyes not only dupe   others   with   pretension   but also become victim of  deception  as   sometimes forget  the  warning ,"all that glitters is not gold.' 

 Most women from fourteen   to  late forty's  in their lives have become  victim   several times to  some stinky eyes . Sexy glance from an undeserved person is always shunned with hatred  by women  as they  sense  emitting  foul smell. Both male or female are well aware  of stinky eyes  as receivers, in the matter of  romance or sex.The  Only  difference is that most women hate and shun it ; while the  male  seem to  be elated  and enjoy it!

Sipra's Diary> "NOW & THEN" [ True story of my Grand father ]

MY GRAND-FATHER.

 My mother was an engaging narrator and told me many incidents about our family so vividly that sometimes I feel I have witnessed it myself. This story is about my grandfather who lived in a village in India in the 1930s. My grandfather had a larger than life persona and as was the norm in those days the designated head of the joint family who all lived together which included grandma, seven children and their wives a battelion of grandchildren of all ages and many househelp.

 Within the household they followed a disciplined regimen and patriarchal social order - however my grandfather made sure there was no dearth of fun and laughter  in house environment. 

   Entertainment in a pre-silver screen world meant impromptu plays and music arranged by the men and boys from the neighborhood in his own backyard but the crown jewel of all entertainment was an annual winter day trip with the 40 or so family members. They would usually go near the local river on a bullock cart for the day but one year my grandfather decided to go a little far away using the newly inaugurated Public bus. This was met with much excitement particularly from the women and children. Women at that time wore long veils to hide their faces from men and stayed within the perimeter of the house taking care and cooking for the family. The furthest they would go out all year was to the local pond,; so a journey by public bus to a place far away from the village was the most adventurous thing that they would do that year.

 On the day of the trip my grandfather took the full family to the bus stop. He had counted the number of heads several times in the backyard before reaching the bus-stop - this was a challenge already. There were veiled heads of the women, the heads of children and other of different heights and no one would stand still in fixed place. 

 The bus came honking and chased by a billowing dust cloud as it made its way through the dirt roads of the village. The children clapped and shouted in joy and ran around in circles on seeing the bus - it was a first bus ride for most of them - it was with a lot of effort and counting and double-counting , recounting by my grandfather and his friend- cum-attendant man-. 

 At last  Once after accommodation in the bus, the veiled daughter-in-laws , who are my aunts, struggled with the toddlers unused to the commotion and movement and other screaming children. Some screamed their lungs out, some settled well on their mothers' laps while some babies just gave up and fell asleep. My youngest aunt, a new mom of two toddlers below the age of two was finding it difficult and embarrassing to manage her long veil that covered her face completely and her little boy and girl both crying for attention on her limited lap space. A kind elderly co-passenger, seeing her situation, offered to take the baby girl off my aunt's lap into hers'. The baby girl was called by the name Putul –[in Bengali meaning 'doll'. ] …. Soon Putul made herself comfortable in the new comforting lap and fell asleep. 

 When the bus reached the stop, my grandfather roared to the driver,

 ………"Stop, E-st--op!" and the bus screeched to a halt making passengers sway violently in their seats. Grandfather with his helper got down first; the children were impatient and nudging each other to get down first; all the aunts with their awkward long veil trying to find their own children. Some grown-up children thronged near the driver requesting to honk just for their entertainment and when the driver complied they all started imitating the noise in their voice ; and the crows from trees nearby also started caw-ing probably on hearing a foreign noise. 

 It was chaos and a logistical nightmare trying to get everyone off the bus in an orderly manner. But baby-girl Putul continued to sleep on the stranger's lap blisfully in spite of the commotion!! Once the family was off the bus and my grandfather had counted them he bellowed to the veiled daughter in laws and grandma - do you all have counted of your own children?...  everything good? ...

My young aunt murmured behind her veil ," "My Putul is left in the bus." Daughter-in-laws rarely spoketo their father-in-laws, let alone in a voice higher than a whisper or a nod. My Grandfather said, "Let it be! " My shy aunt repeated a little louder "My Putul is left in the bus". My grandfather dismissed it by saying "Let it be! I will purchase a new putul ( doll ) for you from the village fair ! Don't be so upset about a toy!. ….Let us proceed towards the spot for picnic .” 

NB:

[ Putul  means a doll in Bengalee language.]

 And proceeded to walk away from the bus in his usual majestic gait using his walking stick.    

Just  then my grandmother intervened with a loud shrilling voice probably heard for the first time in public, "Listen, this Putul is not a toy but our youngest granddaughter who is left in the bus"!

... Another chaos ensued with my grandfather and uncles shouting to stop the bus;  jumping into the bus to take their sleeping daughter like a movie hero and handed her over to my aunt,  leaving the rest of the bus bewildered at all the action. My aunt embraced her rescued baby and kissed her with tearful eyes and thankful glowing face and she was completely unaware that her veil had dropped from the head by the wind and lay around on the ground. 

 My grandfather with angry burning eyes  surveyed  at my grandma and   all the aunts    to  announce with a lot of gravity, "Henceforward",......

 striking his majestic stick “it is my order, that nobody should choose such a silly name in my family !.. hmm!

" N.B 'Putul' in Bengali means a ‘toy –doll’ for the little girls. ************************************************************************************

It is only  hundred yeas ago Indian social system or culture was  so different 

  ...!Family   !

that time  the  word family included not only extended family but also  friends  and neighbors , menials

together---------the 'bonding'  of  communal togetherness was amazing!

 This incident also reminds me that how small changes from regular life used to bring enormous joy to the children in those days! Now most families are composed of one child. And parents buy lots of toys for them one after another and the child becomes bored quickly with the old one. The goal of all parents is how to make own child the happiest one in the world. But my view is that the result of too much care is not always good for the child.; sometimes little negligence rather than indulgence is better fruitful for their future wellbeing.

Sipra'sDiary. :>. "Mystry of the Story That Remained Unrevealed"----June,2026

  

My American friends  in the library or in the Story Circle often used to ask   me  in post 9/11 mishap what was the behavior pattern of muslims in India.   Most of them have the  IDEA  that the relationship between us was very stressful which was not at all.   They were very surprised to hear this from me.

I said   most of Indian muslims were converted  from the  Hindu Indians for several reasons .   Indian Caste system was very rigid .

   The "Shudras" or lower caste  Hindu  adopt Islam religion due to partiality and torture from   the Hindu Brahmins as upper class. During the Mughal rule in India Aurangzeb imposed "jijiya tax " to only the Hindu farmers.  So lot of Lower caste Hindus converted to Muslims  to avoid the "tax" . 

Then East India Company ruled 200 years .  The British also offered many parks and facilities to the Muslims only to win their support who were  Christanized   later .  Native home of my in-laws  family    is in Plassey, situated   on the border of present Bangladesh .    99% farmers of our land are Muslims with good   relationship .  

It is the politicians of democratic country  who used them as "pawn"  for their own benefit .    Even now, India is the only safest place where the Muslims are celebrating their "ID" festival  peacefully  while the whole world is in turmoil!    

#(21)[Mystery of the Story that remained Unrevealed ]

 > picture

 

 [w1092/.  LORD SHIVA  AND  KABA

      

                  LORD SHIVA   AND  KABA

Long long ago.  there lived  a   Hindu king   in  Rajtarangini , near the valley  of  Kasmir,  as came to be known  at present time.  The geographical map of Hindusthan  or India was very much different from now  Pakistan /Afganitan all were included as part of  India or Hindustan. 

The concept of 'country' was too far to be conceived. The land consisted of multiple number of   kingdoms which were ruled by independent   tribal rulers known as kings .They  were often busy  in fighting  between themselves for power and land  ;  the powerful  king used to  conquest   the  weaker rulers and subjugated    their kingdoms  annexed to  his own territory . But there was   also great friendship  among some  of the  kings; they made their bond stronger by setting  matrimonial relationship.  

This   story  happened long  before  the origin of Islam or Christian religion . It happened  perhaps before four / five thousand  years ago,  may be more ancient .Thus strong friendship  and love grew up between two   powerful  kings :  one was  the ruler of the land near to  the  valley of present  Kashmir while the other was  near  Gandhar , now known as Kandahar. In those days Fair was very common  in all these kingdoms  to attract  not only  crowd    or customers   but  it was mainly  important  for  trading  business; Fairs supported the treasury of kingdom  solid , sound and secured.

Fair in Kashmir took place in autumn while in. Gandhar it was in  the month of November. 

 One year , it happened that while the workers of  Kashmir  were cleaning the  huge arena   to pitch tents for the fair. ,they found a black piece of   cylinder-shaped   stone  of rock ; they digged the soil deep. to reach the bottom of the rock; the bottom  was flat triangular shaped platter   upon which the cylinder-rock rested .  The news reached to the king; the king visioned  a  message  from lord "Shiva" in  his dream  declaring:

  " I am "KamaDeba';   I have come to bless the people  of this  kingdom.;   don't cut the adjacent    peepul tree   ;  I  want to  stay under the shadow  of this huge  peepul   tree. "

  But the people of the village demanded to make a temple, carving a peepul tree on it  under the shade of   original peepul tree .The temple was built and the opening ceremony of fair    commenced with the inauguration of the temple  of  KAMADEBA.  .The temple would remain  closed throughout the year but   be opened  only during the time of fair .

This news spread like prairie fire.  When the fair opened in   the land near  the valley of Kashmir ,   People from far and near    overcrowded unimaginably .  Naturally the trading flourished four times more which added   wealth and prosperity to the  royal treasury. All the future years  also went on gloriously .On the  other hand Fair lost its importance and glamour  in Kandaher//  Gandhar ; it began to  dwindle and  plummeted  which    made the king  sad   and unpopular to his   subjects..

It made both of the friends  unhappy . None of them want to loose their  unselfish love  and friendship for  material causes .. .

King of Kashmir  realized  that   the popularity   of fair  was due to the devotional attraction of " Kamadev".

Before it turned  into thorn to poison their  relationship,  he proposed to his friend of  Gandhar  that he intended to  send   "Kamadeva " to his kingdom of Kandahar during  the time of his festival  so that it could   attract crowd and traders  in the fair  .The proposal was accepted  cheerfully by  his  friend .

Now the problem was how to move the huge rock long way ?  The local people  and the king's subjects might become angry if god   "Kamadeva " is dislodged  from the temple  So the Hindu king planned to make a huge   ebony wheeled-chest -box with lock in which great Kamdeva would be placed under the cover  of velvet cloth to be  cautious from  easy sight .   

Thus the wheeled box was easily carried like charriot  in the dark of evening by  some hired outsiders to   the land near    Gandhar    before the opening of the Fair .  It was returned to the temple in the same manner.   In those days communication between people of remote land was too rare to  share . Thus the fact remained unknown to both sides of land except the two kings.

    Fair  of  Gandhar   also became  famous, not  merely for  trading but also  as a pilgrimage for " Kamadeva ".  Lots of  childless  women   became mothers after glancing that mystic Rocky  stone  in the chest box .The duration of Fair was for thirty days It used to end on the day just after new-moon.  

The women, both rich and poor ,   became so much biased in their belief that they spent  there  in tents   eating   only  one time some simple fruits and water .The cause of fasting  might be due to    scanty supply  of abundant  food for huge  crowd, or the belief that fasting (or controlling appetite, physical craving )  would shower blessings and better result! 

The two kings continued their   friendly  relationship throughout their life..   Even   the legacy ran uninterrupted through  several generations for  few hundred years .

 But time never stands still  on one place for longer period.   Following the  natural law  the land changed  its geographical features   within few hundred years  due to   natural calamities like earthquake , land -slide , ice-melting, storm , flood , forest-fire etc; Somewhere   mountain raised peak on the plain,  whereas   green pasture turned into desert ; ,  some river dried  and lost their identity  in  the unknown  region, whereas some new river originated. 

Society in ancient time  was   ruled   on   the basis of  "might was  right " principle.  Powerful   king   won over the weaker kingdom   and sometimes  used to become dictator .   The  new  victorious  king shifted   "Kamdeba'    in   wheeled charriot    near to his   own kingdom  which was   little far  from the previous one . 

Time rolled on changes; changes through merging and breaking; through formation and dissolution .   With  civilization ,  lands  were introduced with different names , races, religiosn and languages . Any  language connected to its  land   had reached to its present stage through evolutionary changes.

It is inferred that    "Kabaa"   of Islam Religion  is  like metamorphosis  form of   "Kamadeba ";    "KamDeba" is a Sanskrit word ;   which  was not easy  to pronounce   for   many. So   in course of time   only  " KABAA"  remained,  shedding the middle portion  of he word                  Kamde-ba.

The stone-god without image in chest-box, velvet cover of cloth , Kaba in Mecca ,the season , pilgrims  altogether  have  much relevance with  this  above story. 

                   CHEST_BOX

      :" KAMA"means Sex.  Deva  =. God.  

         KAMADEBA=. God of Sex

  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Sipra's Diary: "MYSTIC REALM".... [.From my debut >"EYES ARE NOTORIOUS"]

 MYSTIC REALM

Memory, a crafty device of mind with mysticism

Captures the events of moment from flowing time

And treasure invisible pictures in the secret chamber of mind .

What a unique divine gift! nobody can steal or shift ;

Prince or pauper all can equally  treasure:[ invisible to others!].

Relishing the luxury of leisure,

Basking on those which inspires,

And ruminating on fond memories ,

Defying the irresistible time .

One can roam back and forth in memory-lane

 In spite  of being  powerful yet Time is prisoned,

To any mind , whether  strong  or fragile !  

Some memories surge with sensual appeal,

Some lark in the dark while some slip or flee.

Only episodic emotional moments

Spur flush-bulb memories!

But sweet or bitter, doesn't matter

As I glimpse like an onlooker:

Ecstasy of joy, scorching pain, or malignant malice

All softened through the passage of time, 

What remains is mostly  metamorphosis!

Blessed are the human with memory- as -portable paradise!

                                                  The End

 

Sipra's Diary: "SHOOTING STAR"> [True Story ]photo

                                                                                                                     

photo of shooting star [but not able to attach, sorry.

 

                                  SHOOTING  STAR ( True Story ) Sipra Roy

 

W: 735

Ever since I was a little girl, shooting star always remained in me,  still now, as awe and wonder, simultaneously  the automatic music  is played  in mind, following the star:

"Twinkle twinkle  little star/ How I wonder what you are / Up above so high/like a diamond in the sky."

 The moment we used to see a shooting star in childhood, we always impulsively pointed at it and screamed "look, look at the shooting star! "

 

Most of the kids of my age believed one must close eyes to wish which might be granted by god. Star was thought as symbol of magic, dream and fulfilling wish and hope. Shooting star gives a certain glow to the night sky. when a speck from its body come down to the earth.

 I could never close my eyes for "wish" as my friends ; instead I gazed and arduously wish to get  that particle, to own that particle,  which never happened. With much pain and wonder I asked my mother, "Ma, why that shooting star always lost in the midway of the sky and never reached the land?"

Mom answered," because it burns and become ashes which mixes with air .It looks like a star falling but actually a piece of rock and dust, metal known as meteor. When two heavenly bodies  collide their tracking, small part is separated, then like a spark it comes downward but through the airy layer the spark often burns out to ashes before touching the earth's ground. It is not a star at all , but an illusion. "

 

I was never happy with this answer.

 

"Ma had you ever seen it to touch the earth  in your childhood  ?'

 

'Yes not me, but my grandmother witnessed it.'

 

 'Really? Then tell me  ma ,   please! '

 

  It is a true story told by my mother.  She came to know from her grandma.

 

 Great Grandma had a habit of taking bath at night before going to bed in their family owned  pond, adjacent to their house .One night she saw some bright flashing particle  (a shooting star) dropped near by their pond at the time of taking her bath. 

 

She was terrified; the night was dark the pond was surrounded by tall palm trees and low mud wall. She was extraordinary courageous. She watched it for at least half an hour. She noticed some flickering light; at first golden yellow and  then bluish light was prominent .Within half an hour gradually it began to dim. 

 

Great -great grandmother dragged a huge clay bowl from her near-by cow-shed and dropped over  to cover that dimly flamed matter. She did not disclose it to anybody at night. 

 

Next day in early morning she told first to my grandfather who was a doctor. Great great grandma with my grandfather and his attendant, named Haru came to the spot; Haru lifted over that clay-bowl curiously, as he was asked  to do. They saw something look like a lump of meat, still flickering light( like fire-flies )  was  coming out from the pores of the lump. 

 

Haru  brought a long iron spear and shovel from the cow-shade. He tried to move it ; but it  was too heavy to move. he pierced it with the spear; it looked like oily glossy lump of dark brown colored  flesh and still flickering fade blue  flame from the scattered pores. Finally it was covered again with the same bowl. 

 

Grandpa sent an urgent message  to  the superintendent of Calcutta Museum.  Within 10 Am. a special team of British scientists  from Calcutta reached by a zeep and a car. 

By the time the news spread over; a huge crowd from the adjacent villages  gathered around the pond; many  children  and  villagers climbed on the trees to get  a better view. 

The scientists told that they thought it to be  a speck of meteor, made of metal but still not hard enough to be rock With the help of shovel their team laborers  put it on their zeep-car. They left                                                                                                                                                                                    after congratulating  my grandpa a lot for informing them   ..

 

Curious villagers were excited  more to see the team of white British people  which was a rare sight in the village, in addition to that ugly dung dropped from the sky The adults began to discuss   gravely about that odd piece  fromthe sky as inauspicious and went towards the temple to consult with the priest.

"There must be sin ;we should do some 'yagna' to save the village "

  

I learnt from my mother that it was kept in the Calcutta Museum with written history at the bottom. 

My great grand mother kept it secret  at night because the ignorant villagers might relate it to ghost spirit and might claim their own decision under the guidance of ignorant orthodox priest ,instead of calling scientist for research. I appreciate my  courageous great -grandma with such advanced scientific mentality, more than 140/45 years ago! 

Although most of the meteors burn up but some do survive and reach our ground ; they are all journey from space to earth.

As my childhood was over, the myth of wish or hope related to shooting star was lost from memory but it remained still as a piece of beauty, love and wonder. 

It is amazing to think how wonder is the life of shooting star to witness the majestic universe in its journey from space to earth.  !!

---I am really jealous;   I wish strongly  to be  a  shooting star next life.

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