I was listless, depressed & whatnot. The fiasco happening over three fellow folks of Servant Quarter , two meeting their grotesque death& one in stupor was enough to put me in utter confusion. I wanted to return back to the soothing cocoon my hose ,cared & solaced by parents & this was the mental state of everybody .
Servant Quarter was more or less in barren place so ,only wafting the breeze bringing only the stink of mud slurry film spread over the field aftermath of flood & putrid stench of the skeletal of small animals lying here & there as & when breeze came from that side made their presence felt but devastation by flood done everywhere was apparent.I don't remember how I was getting my staple food ,perhaps in very rudimentary style in mess of Hostel no 1 . In the meantime news came , the college is going to be closed & we hostlers were allowed to go to our native places . The Railway concession form for traveling is available on Surat Railway Station but train will be available from Udhna Railway station only .
I distinctly remember , when I was going towards Surat Railway Station , what a spectacle it was ! The transport department buses had not started plying , only tempo of different shape , sizes & make available to go were crammed by passengers & I got somehow a seat in it . When the tempo came in the stretch of Nanpura to Bhagal & toward Surat Railway Station , it was a terrific stink ,putrid stench was hitting my nostrils intermittently forcing me to shuffle my hanky to save myself from unbearable rotten smell All the labyrinth lane & by-lanes on both side jutting out from main road was virtually filled by tensed human being , busy in cleaning & shuffling salvaged wares of their shops & crammed residences . The unbearable odour was coming of dark ankle deep sewer water , rotten grain ,different type of wares, excreta & whatnot . Everybody looked in hurry ,bugged by some errand. It seemed everybody want to go somewhere , where there was no devastation of flood ,
Next morning from Servant Quarter I had to take my luggage to Udhna station . There was no conveyance ,but attache & holdall had to be taken . I don't remember how I reached Udhna station but it was my perhaps worst train journey back to home .Remembering back the plight Surat main town , I thank my stars as I had been lodged in Servant Quarter which was in barren place bereft of any thick population , more or less clean not facing residual dirt left by the devastation of flood .
It was a exodus toward Udhna Station as everybody was having unkempt luggage on their head or on moving cart as if to get free from the shackles of misery of Surat . One side of the road was gradating towards a nullah was full of lorries, trucks, cars awkwardly standing & devastated by the current of water generated due to flood . What a scenery !
Surat, the name most logically is shortened from Bunder-e-Khoobsurat . Surat ,you are oldest city of India perhaps next to Delhi . The city of Calcutta, Mumbai or Chennai are not older as you are .Trace of your presence is from 15th century . You had been the maritime base of Portuguese ,Spanish, Dutch, French & lately of British powers .Their merchant ships were taking berth on your port & Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch,French & British merchants were indulging export & import of the goods . Your bazaar was glittering & getting crammed by Indians particularly by Gujarati speaking people rubbing shoulders with Jesuits . You are the 1st city of India ,which was so cosmopolitan gave precedence to profession compared to religion & inherent example is Fruitwalla, Daruwala,Chhatawala ,Kelawala & umpteen such surnames . Only from first name their religion was comprehended .What a legacy ,unparallelled !
You were the only port in India which gave religious-spiritual salvation to the pilgrims going to Mecca for Hajj from whole India .You offered them the ships to go on Mecca voyage & you were named Bunder-e-Khoobsurat.You were so rich , glittering & dazzling in medieval period , Mughal emperor Akbar went for a seize of your city for six days in 1572 & it was lifted only when you agreed to partake 40 lakh gold coin as revenue to him per year . The seaworthy ships were constructed in your shipyards built on bank of river Tapti meeting sea on Dumas beach . The queen consort of emperor Akbar , Jodha Bai ordered to build a double Decker ship Rahimi for pilgrims going to Mecca . Mughal emperor Shahjehan built Mughalsarai in 1644 for pilgrims going to Mecca .In 1852 it was named as the building of Surat Municipal Corporation .
You became so rich , so wealthy Chhatrapati Shivajee committed his famous loot of Surat first in the year 1664 & afterwards 1670,1672,1674 & 1679 . All the loots were not done by Shivaji but by his brigand sirdars . The plunder , loot & arson was common calamity faced by you . During loot floor of every rich house was dug for gold, silver, gems & whatnot . On their coming every time your citizens flew to other side of river Tapti to hide themselves in villages or in thick groves of crops. You had been put to fire in 1822, 1837,1842 & 1848 , The fire of 1837 was visible up to thirty miles & smoke bellowed in sky for 30 days !
You were devastated by flood in 1822, 1835, 1837 1843 & 1849 . So this flood of 1968 is not much of consequence . Your gene is so strong ,every time you are destroyed but like a mythological bird Phoenix you again come fluttering your shinning wings for the envy of others . I salute you Surat , I love you Surat !
The odyssey of Servant Quarter was such , I can't erase it from my psyche. It was the only one & half year period of my six & half decades of life when knew what was pure joy . This is not valid for me only but for every folk who has habitat in Servant Quarter . For the 1st time we were provided a hostel by S.V.R. with no watchful eye of college management. The pent up emotions had no boundary to stop it . Daily I was able to see new drama of callow youthfulness . At one place I was able to enjoy whole India, was able to enjoy different accents of Hindi speaking . I was able to enjoy rapid fire Hindi accent of western U.P. I was able to enjoy imitable accent of eastern U.P. leisurely eloquence of Hindi accent of Begusarai from where I belong . Bihari Hindi of other districts of Bihar , Rajasthani Hindi , Marathi Hindi, Punjabi Hindi & slang used in Hindi by different state. Here I learnt my 1st lesson of cosmopolitanism .
In Servant Quarter it was 1st time I indulged in the theatre of I absurd . Today I laugh when I remember singing hymens in chorus round an empty flagpole uttering paeans after paeans to flagpole as sign of virility of Servant Quarter . I am suave & reserve type of fellow & going for gay abandon is unthinkable but ambiance of Servant Quarter made it possible for me. I enjoyed double meaning jokes, laughed over it heartily , I gave a furtive look to Tower of Silence , I chuckled on macho swagger of few seniors , I shuddered as a leaf when goons of Rambhai attacked Servant Quarter , I saw flood & hunger & manna sent by village Piplod & ultimately saw death of two of the folks of Servant Quarter & mass exodus from Servant Quarter. The edifice of Servant Quarter is dismantled but it will remain in my heart as sweetest of my memories preserved. Au Revoir Servant Quarter !
Servant Quarter was more or less in barren place so ,only wafting the breeze bringing only the stink of mud slurry film spread over the field aftermath of flood & putrid stench of the skeletal of small animals lying here & there as & when breeze came from that side made their presence felt but devastation by flood done everywhere was apparent.I don't remember how I was getting my staple food ,perhaps in very rudimentary style in mess of Hostel no 1 . In the meantime news came , the college is going to be closed & we hostlers were allowed to go to our native places . The Railway concession form for traveling is available on Surat Railway Station but train will be available from Udhna Railway station only .
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| Udhna Railway JN. Image from Internet |
I distinctly remember , when I was going towards Surat Railway Station , what a spectacle it was ! The transport department buses had not started plying , only tempo of different shape , sizes & make available to go were crammed by passengers & I got somehow a seat in it . When the tempo came in the stretch of Nanpura to Bhagal & toward Surat Railway Station , it was a terrific stink ,putrid stench was hitting my nostrils intermittently forcing me to shuffle my hanky to save myself from unbearable rotten smell All the labyrinth lane & by-lanes on both side jutting out from main road was virtually filled by tensed human being , busy in cleaning & shuffling salvaged wares of their shops & crammed residences . The unbearable odour was coming of dark ankle deep sewer water , rotten grain ,different type of wares, excreta & whatnot . Everybody looked in hurry ,bugged by some errand. It seemed everybody want to go somewhere , where there was no devastation of flood ,
 |
| Surat flood Image from Intent |
Next morning from Servant Quarter I had to take my luggage to Udhna station . There was no conveyance ,but attache & holdall had to be taken . I don't remember how I reached Udhna station but it was my perhaps worst train journey back to home .Remembering back the plight Surat main town , I thank my stars as I had been lodged in Servant Quarter which was in barren place bereft of any thick population , more or less clean not facing residual dirt left by the devastation of flood .
 |
| Internet Image of drowned vehcles |
Surat, the name most logically is shortened from Bunder-e-Khoobsurat . Surat ,you are oldest city of India perhaps next to Delhi . The city of Calcutta, Mumbai or Chennai are not older as you are .Trace of your presence is from 15th century . You had been the maritime base of Portuguese ,Spanish, Dutch, French & lately of British powers .Their merchant ships were taking berth on your port & Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch,French & British merchants were indulging export & import of the goods . Your bazaar was glittering & getting crammed by Indians particularly by Gujarati speaking people rubbing shoulders with Jesuits . You are the 1st city of India ,which was so cosmopolitan gave precedence to profession compared to religion & inherent example is Fruitwalla, Daruwala,Chhatawala ,Kelawala & umpteen such surnames . Only from first name their religion was comprehended .What a legacy ,unparallelled !
You were the only port in India which gave religious-spiritual salvation to the pilgrims going to Mecca for Hajj from whole India .You offered them the ships to go on Mecca voyage & you were named Bunder-e-Khoobsurat.You were so rich , glittering & dazzling in medieval period , Mughal emperor Akbar went for a seize of your city for six days in 1572 & it was lifted only when you agreed to partake 40 lakh gold coin as revenue to him per year . The seaworthy ships were constructed in your shipyards built on bank of river Tapti meeting sea on Dumas beach . The queen consort of emperor Akbar , Jodha Bai ordered to build a double Decker ship Rahimi for pilgrims going to Mecca . Mughal emperor Shahjehan built Mughalsarai in 1644 for pilgrims going to Mecca .In 1852 it was named as the building of Surat Municipal Corporation .
You became so rich , so wealthy Chhatrapati Shivajee committed his famous loot of Surat first in the year 1664 & afterwards 1670,1672,1674 & 1679 . All the loots were not done by Shivaji but by his brigand sirdars . The plunder , loot & arson was common calamity faced by you . During loot floor of every rich house was dug for gold, silver, gems & whatnot . On their coming every time your citizens flew to other side of river Tapti to hide themselves in villages or in thick groves of crops. You had been put to fire in 1822, 1837,1842 & 1848 , The fire of 1837 was visible up to thirty miles & smoke bellowed in sky for 30 days !
You were devastated by flood in 1822, 1835, 1837 1843 & 1849 . So this flood of 1968 is not much of consequence . Your gene is so strong ,every time you are destroyed but like a mythological bird Phoenix you again come fluttering your shinning wings for the envy of others . I salute you Surat , I love you Surat !
 |
| Photo courtesy Mr Anil Saxena |
In Servant Quarter it was 1st time I indulged in the theatre of I absurd . Today I laugh when I remember singing hymens in chorus round an empty flagpole uttering paeans after paeans to flagpole as sign of virility of Servant Quarter . I am suave & reserve type of fellow & going for gay abandon is unthinkable but ambiance of Servant Quarter made it possible for me. I enjoyed double meaning jokes, laughed over it heartily , I gave a furtive look to Tower of Silence , I chuckled on macho swagger of few seniors , I shuddered as a leaf when goons of Rambhai attacked Servant Quarter , I saw flood & hunger & manna sent by village Piplod & ultimately saw death of two of the folks of Servant Quarter & mass exodus from Servant Quarter. The edifice of Servant Quarter is dismantled but it will remain in my heart as sweetest of my memories preserved. Au Revoir Servant Quarter !
I too walked to Udhna station with my luggage on shoulders, on the muddy "Ghordod Road", with fellow students. Today Ghordod road is a fashionable part of Surat, but in those days, it was a barren scene, with fields on both sides. The journey to Lucknow was not all that uncomfortable, and I enjoyed a unplanned vacation.
ReplyDeleteThe road is perhaps घुर्दौर रोड which might have been pronounced as Ghordod road ,but living aside that I have a flashing memory of car, lorries, small carriage vans were swept aside by flood current & towards a nullah or river stablized themselves in very skew position.
DeleteI have got online delivery of ' To Kill a Mocking Bird' but it is lined up for reading. Now I have stopped writing on Servant Quarter & my next blogs will be on 'Indenture Labor'. The canvas is mammoth but ,I had been wanting to research about them & now I have ample time at my disposal !