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55 A lone pathfinder
Gradually Bhabagrahi spent more time in bed, inside a
mosquito-net. His world had shrunk.
Old age and the illness had their roles to play. Days
became more prolonged. More silent
57 A lone pathfinder
Bidyadhar and Sadhabanis son, Bhabagrahi, who toiled
hard working as a child, put a great effort against all
odds to study, who dared to be different from his
contemporary fellow beings, left this world changing
the life of his children and grandchildren to be better -
better than his own.
The path continues to lead
It has been long since Bhabagrahi passed away.
Seasons have changed their colours innumerable times.
His family tree has grown and spread far and wide.
Children, grand-children and great-grand children now
go to Bhaktibrahmapur occasionally. Its almost a
pilgrimage to visit the home where Bhabagrahi once
lived.
His distinguished life and values continue to inspire his
family and community. In many ways, the path he had
chosen is still leading the way.
A lone pathfinder 58
59 A lone pathfinder
Appendix
Oriya poems Bhabagrahi used to sing to his grand-
children.
(1)
KjK eaQ Wce KCe
-.- -. c.--. -.a--
c.- c.- c.~
-.' -.' -. -c --. -c-
~- o.a .~1
- -s. -c.- c -.-
- .-c. - -
-..- --. a.- c cso
-ac c- .
.a. o.- - ---
-c.c -c -
---c ~ -c. -c~. c.-
-c. -~- - .
aco. aco. c.--. -.a--
-~- -.-c. ---
.a. o.- -oa -.-~-
aco. - - ---1
A lone pathfinder 60
--. -- .a. ---c --.-c
--~ acc c..
-.c. ac- -~- -.-
-a- o.- c..1
a-.- .a acc.c
c-c.c --
~.~ ..a- ~-- -c.c
-.' -.- -- --1
- -.- -- .c.
-c.c <s- -c-
.a.- - - ~--
c.- a-- -c-1
-- c.-- ---c c.--
--.-< ~.- -.a
aco. aco. c.--. -.a--
- ~-- c.a .
(2)
a .c -c. <- ac-- ~
ac-- .o.-c ac ~
acc.c-- . -.- --.--
c- -c.c -. ~- c.-
---~ a- -cc - ca~
-,- c.. -- a.- --~
c. a- -
---c cac c.. - --.. --
61 A lone pathfinder
(3)
a.-c ac - -.c. -- ~c.c
c --.-c - c e.~
-..- c~ -. ~ a- --. --~
-..- ~. -o-~ ~--- - -c
co --.- -s.a . c.c
-.~ --.- -c -.c. ac- -..c
c-o.a o --.- -a -e
a.-c .~ ac . c.~ ac
c- --c -.- - -
-- a-s -co.< c.~ - a-
~~ -- < ~o~ ~-c -c.c-
a- -- -. ~ -a < .--
c- ~ o.a c.~ ~- --.-
a c.-.c. --c-- < . --.-1
A lone pathfinder 62
Epilogue
Late Bhabagrahi Kar is my grandfather; I called
him Budha-bapa (old-father) as many grandpas are
called in that part of the world. I miss him a lot.
I found his life an extra-ordinary for various reasons. Even
being the only one child, he had to work in his childhood,
far away from his family, leaving his studies in school.
But he grew up taking the challenges of life, without
being succumbed into it. He studied, worked as a tax
collector, raised a family in difficult times, was a good
father and a valued grandfather (I know this), published
book, was accommodative and flexible to change, and
in many ways different from his contemporaries.
I thought I will write his story for my son Shreyan. He
should know his roots, and all the great-grand children
of my budha-bapa. I also wished that my grandfathers
life-history may make a good reading for many who are
not related to him. At the least as a biographical story
of a common (or uncommon!) man who lived in 20
th
century Odisha, pre and post Indian independence.
So it began.
Majority of these was written between 2 to 4 January
2005, in Wolverhampton, while I was grieving the
massive loss of human life by an earthquake and
tsunami on 26
th
December, 2004. May be the massive
emotions connected me to my own loss, to the death
of my grandfather. At the time of his death, I was
away in medical college, and came to know about
63 A lone pathfinder
his death days after by a letter (postcard) from my
father.
I had spent many years with my grandfather in my
early childhood, in Bhaktibrahmapur before staying
with my father in his work places. Later I stayed with
him only during vacations. I have many indelible
memories of him, about his grand parenting. He was
so caring. I learnt that many child-rearing activities
he did as a grandfather, pleasantly surprised his
children.
Besides my personal experience most of the information
in the book was told to me by my father (Harish). My
grandmother al so gave many i nformati on and
anecdotes, (as late as January, 2009) about marriage,
about stresses and strains of early life. I sent the
manuscript to other grandchildren who knew him;
talked to my mother, Bau (Dikhita Jhia), Chhuabapa
(Birendra), Kaka (Surendra), Manu (Rajaballav), Kuni
(Brajaballav), Jhalli (Sanghamitra) in order to get more
information and anecdotes, and to improve factual
correctness. Kulkul (Sarojballav) gave creative input into
the photographs. Mani (Sumatis daughter) helped in
preparing the genealogy data.
I wondered whether to write the story addressing him
as my budhabapa all through out. It would give
personal touch. But as the contents were put into
perspecti ve, I t seemed to me l i ttl e awkward to
describe his childhood, young days, being addressed
as budhabapa. I felt, this is all about his life, he should
not be personified as my budhabapa; he had many
A lone pathfinder 64
roles, he belonged to all. It would be difficult for some
body who is related to him in some other way to relate
to the story mentioning him as a grandfather. There
was another reason; and I may put it this way. He has
achieved the divineness, free from worldly bondage
and like Krishna, and Ram he be known to the world
by his first name, rather than as my budhabapa. He is
anyway and will remain MY budhabapa.
NK
Wolverhampton
2010