Pandian and Politics here are the two major topical topics to talk about. There is not a single gathering I attended where politics wasn't mentioned or Pandian wasn't discussed - a veritable blend of some truth, some hearsay, some fictional accounts. Many are unsubstantiated rumors and myths surrounding the man, adding to the mystery. But one thing is clear. After the British who ruled and left in 1947, no non-Odia outsider has captured the imagination of the Odias as much as this man has.
This morning my mother caressed me and said - "MO PUA KALA PADI GALANI - my son as turned dark in complexion". Far from being a racist, she was simply echoing the Indian obsession for fair complexion. No question, we are a fair skin crazed Indian Subcontinent, never been able to get rid of this complex about our complexion. Fair skin lotions sell like hot cakes. Indian matrimonial columns are filled with ads where the prime most criteria for the bride is "FAIR", followed by Tall, Beautiful, Qualified blah blah blah. In Odisha when a marriage broker says "JHIATI TIKE MANDA RANGA, meaning " the girl has little bit dull color", it's an euphemism for dark complexion. Can't blame the marriage broker here, it's not fair to kill the messenger. He is just trying to make his sales pitch in a marriage market where fair complexion rules the roost.Fair enough. No doubt we got a complex about our complexion in a nation where leading Hindu Gods Sri Ram, Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva are known to have dark complexion. An article in India Today magazine not so long ago mentioned about numerous high society Call Girls operating in Delhi are from the impoverished ex-Soviet Republics. The answer given by a pimp to the undercover reporter - "White skin is more sought after than the rest".
Winter weather in Odisha can be summarized as warm days, cool nights. But today was a cooler day - a cloudy, dull, windy day here in Bhubaneswar, harbinger of rains. For me it is shorts and T-shirt wearing weather. While driving a Scooty, slicing through the dusty air in a dusky atmosphere, I could feel a bit of cold due to the windchill factor. There was more air to in the air to follow. A guy on a bicycle was riding next to me, looking like an Eskimo attired in a monkey cap, muffler and a shawl wrapped around his body. He suddenly lifted his ass, farted twice, sat back again and continued biking with an apparent sigh of relief on his face.
Hovering around since morning the gray cloud started converging, turning grayer and darker, clustering together as the day progressed. After dusk the sky opened up, as ADINA MEGHA (unseasonal rains) lashed out late in the evening with dust filled wind giving way to heavy droplets of water plattering the ground with rhythmic music. The swaying coconut trees looked like gargantuan Wind Mills, their branches a la giant windshield wipers were seen swish-swashing the silvery gray sky of patchy clouds amidst a backdrop of bright shining stars in a distant horizon. It was a pleasant feeling of tranquility spending time on our balcony, relishing the wind shower which briefly reminded me of Bhubaneswar of my childhood days.
The rain commenced with few droplets to bring out the petrichor, the smell of fresh rains on parched earth which can beat the best of French perfumes any day. Steady rain continued overnight. Standing on the balcony I was looking at the nearby plants and trees showering under the bright street light. The silvery stripes of rain turned into golden sprinkles by the neon light before it could reach the ground. I watched the rains wiping off dust from the foliage like wiper blades of a car, as the rainwater rolled from coconut and betel nut palms. The buildings looked brighter. The parked cars looked fresh after the rain wiped off the surface dust, providing them a free, natural car wash.
The morning after the rain cleared, the sun smiled, struggling through the disbursing clouds, glad being able to see though the far less dust studded air, thanks to the unseaonal but much needed rain. The air looks clean and crispy. City-zens of the city, enjoy the dust free air while it lasts.
The buildings are looking wet but lightened up by the sunshine peeping through cloud. The craters on the street across our house were filled with muddy water. One of those craters was used by the familiar stray dog who is part of our family, for we never fail to feed him. He was seen slurping the khaki color water as his eyes were scouring for a drier spot to rest. The flora and fauna around were trying to make the best out of the unseaonal rains. More later....
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