We crossed Teesta and the Torsha river
We came to the Bangladesh border
The same blues and greens and paddy fields
A farmer looked and spoke the same
So close yet so far, 1947 and 1971 both in name!

The MJN Club, resurrected a Western lifestyle of that era, a Ball, maybe polo or poker, Bejewelled ladies and men partying to celebrate a victory, majestic at the very least.
The other buildings housing a Post Office, College, A Jenkins school were all remnants of a luxury that must have been of an incomparable stature. The days when good and bad were black and white, honesty was never at a premium. Folklore has it that Jenkins was an administrator and for his commendable work was gifted a tidy sum of money. He requested a school be made with that money. Suniti Devi did so and named it after him.

Nripen Babu – A treasure trove of information. The stories, anecdotes. The puthi or manuscript of the Markandeya purana. Fragile but strongest. Of kings, the lineage, feuds. Where they came from and where they went and why. The family decimated. The women, all beauties. Family politics of mothers in law and drunken Casanovas sowing their oats wildly. The palace intrigues and subterfuge that come with riches and all its trappings. Legacies. He spoke of job application written by Madhusudan Dutta endorsed by Vidyasagar. Sadly missing from archives.
Freedom fighters. Dialects. The memories were astounding.
A historian. Storyteller. A living tradition of gems, hidden and known.
Two hours was two too less and we tore ourselves away with remorse.
A Switzerland of sorts, the only two seasons this region knows are rains and winter. He laughed cheerily as we sipped tea with a legend. They don’t make em like this anymore!

PS Our journey was not without its share of disquiet. The elephant in the room. Awesome potential but no proper places to stay in, deplorable toilets. The Pranohara mithai was superlative but hardly any food joints. We live in our bubbles ignorant to the serious lack of infrastructure, in this UNESCO declared heritage town. The potential is mind boggling in terms of the history, relics and artefacts, the money spinner it can be. Alas are they deaf the powers that be!

#vibhamitra