Bikash Choudhury(Julu)
“Khulana Bada Maa”
was the darling of our joint family at Gokhapada in Kendrapada District of
Odisha. She was illiterate but possessed extraordinary intelligence, ready wit
and humor. She hails from a decent Zamindar family of Kendrapada and married at
an early age to Gangadhar Choudhury(elder brother of my father) one of the
prominent Zamindars of Dasamauji Area of Mahakalapada Block. Even today
villagers recognize us in 10-20 K.M radius through his name (apparently that
proves Indian’s feudalistic mindset). Our family lost the trapping of wealth
and power during the ‘Bhudan’ movement; but, some villagers by default show
deference to members of our joint family even today. Adulation of ordinary
people gives a ‘High’ feeling though that has got nothing to do with your
contribution to society.
Khulana Bada Maa was the chief manager of our ancestral home
made of wood and mud with a high attic (modern false ceiling). She was a short
and lean lady but workaholic to a fault. Her responsibility was to maintain the
entire house and feed a brood of 24 children of the joint family. She was
always remembered for her Love and Compassion for all and more particularly for
we the children of that time. She had a photographic memory which registers who
likes what and she serves food in such a manner to all, that every body goes
back happy with limited resources at her command; she used to do this for years
without complain and meticulously managed the household impeccably which
touched many of us; who received her love and affection in equal measure and
never seen she being partial to her 7 children. She passed away on 4th
of May 2013 at 9 P.M after brief
illness; the image of her serving food with graciousness in the dinning area of
our ancestral home flashes in the mind. She is no more but her life, her work
and her love and compassion for us would stay in our mind for a long long time.
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