The Legend of the Levitating Stone

Shona Adhikari

Throughout the world are these marvels of nature, quite often not recorded. Our Shona has written about this amazing feature. As teenagers I remember at parties we learned how to use the fingers of five or six persons to lift persons into the air. It was a party game that we enjoyed playing. In this article by Shona the divine strength appears from the uttering of the Saint’s name. Read on…

Tucked away somewhere in the back of my mind was the memory of having seen a large stone being lifted by a group of people with one finger. I must have been all of five years of age at the time, and living in Poona, where my father an Army officer was posted. I remember being amazed and wanting to try it out myself - I was of course told that I was too small.

Years later when visiting Pune (Poona had now become Pune), I had the opportunity of visiting the site of the levitating stone. I was told that this famous stone lay in the courtyard of the Durgah of Hazrat Peer Kamarali - a popular place of pilgrimage for people of all faiths.

The Durgah is situated on the Satara road, and can be reached from Pune by road within half an hour. Built of white marble, it was constructed by Suresh Warkar, a devotee of Kamarali Durvesh. The exact age of the Durgah was not readily available, but someone volunteered the information that it corresponded to 632 Hijra on the Muslim calendar. Warkar is said to have spent 35 lakhs to build the tomb, as all the marble had to be specially transported from Makrana. The Durgah has a large dome and minarets in the four corners. Texts from the Koran inlaid in black marble, form an intricate border above the arches. The tomb has a green and white painted boundary wall, as well as places for people to rest.

The famous stone lay in the courtyard, looking rather innocuous on a patch of gravel - waiting as it were to be lifted up. The stone which is said to weigh 90 kg, can be made to rise on the index fingers of a group of nine or eleven persons ¬who must chant the saint's name all the while. As soon as one of them stops chanting 'Hajee Kamarali Durvesh', the stone falls down.

There are many who wait just outside the gate and for a fee, are willing to make up a group to demonstrate what seems to be a miracle. Needless to say, I simply had to see this, and if possible photograph this amazing feat. A group was created within minutes, and as they began chanting the saint's name the stone was slowly lifted up, only to come tumbling down when they ran out of breath. It is said that all those who lift up the stone should count themselves as specially blessed by the saint.

The sad part was that I as a woman was not allowed to try out this special feat, and in fact females were not even allowed inside the tomb. A number of women were seen waiting outside the entrance and sitting on the steps outside, on the day that I visited the Durgah. It was a Thursday which is said to be the most important day for visits. The Saint's Urs is celebrated in early May, when a large number of people come from far and near to visit the Durgah.

There is an interesting story about the powers of the saint. Whenever someone is bitten by a snake, all they have to do to be cured is to come to the Durgah, and put a drop of oil on the bite, from the oil lamp that remains lit all the time. While this appears to be pure superstition, the villagers in the area, swear by this cure.

During my visit I also met a film director from Mumbai, who comes to the Durgah regularly. His visit at that time was to offer thanks to the saint for making his last film a success. On his earlier visit he had tied a red string on the jali next to the Saint's grave, and when I met him he had come to untie the string, since the favour had been granted. The director's faith in Kamarali was the result of a visit with a friend, at a time when business was particularly bad. Depressed at having lost all his money, he agreed to come to the Durgah after much persuasion. Having tied a string on the jali, without really expecting anything, he was pleasantly surprised when on his return to Mumbai, he immediately landed a lucrative contract. From then on he visits the Durgah regularly.

One of the women sitting at the entrance to the Durgah, informed me that after a visit to Kamarali, her daughter who had been lost, was restored to her. A resident of Pune, she now visits the Durgah at least once a month to offer thanks. There are many who visit the Durgah before they start any new business, get their children married, and even bring the sick hoping for a cure. While faith is a wonderful thing, and many seemingly impossible things can result from it - much of it is often the result of personal effort.

However, what of the levitating stone? Is there a simple explanation for this phenomenon? To me it seems rather like the saying 'faith can move mountains'. And a demonstration of this faith is there for all to witness over and over again, everyday. All one has to do is chant the Saint's name, and seemingly even 90 kgs can be lifted on just nine or eleven fingers - if that is not a miracle, then what is?

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Gustaba

Binapani Mitra

Binapani Mitra gave us extremely do-able recipes, even if this was almost one hundred years ago in the 1939’s, even if Kashmir was distant and as always, troubled. I have had the good fortune to eat Kashmiri wazwan and Gustaba is very integral to the wazwan. Do try to cook this dish. This time around I broke up the recipe to itemized recipe. Let’s see if you, the reader, is happy with this style.

Enjoy. (Ketaki Dutt)

Gustaba

Ingredients

1. Very finely minced lamb mutton (800gms boneless and 200gms meat fat).

2. 1 table spoon salt.

3. 2.5 table spoons saunf powder (fennel powder).

4. 1 table spoon zeera powder (cumin powder).

5. 1/2 table spoon zeera.

6. 2 pieces dalcheeni powder (cinnamon powder).

7. 2 crushed moti elaichi (black cardamom).

8. 2 table spoon moti elaichi daane ( black cardamom seeds).

9. 2 crushed elaichi (cardamom).

10. 5 crushed laung (cloves)

11. 2 tej patte (bay leaves).

12. 2 ladles mustard oil.

13. 1 table spoon pure ghee.

14. 1 tea spoon dhania powder (coriander powder).

15. 1 table spoon kasoori methi (powdered dry fenugreek leaves).

16. 1'x1' white malmal cloth (thin cotton cloth).

17. 3 medium size chopped onions.

18. 1.5 cups dahi (curd).

19. 1 egg.

20. 1 big patila (big deep pan).

21. Coriander or mint to garnish.

 

Method

1. Take the minced mutton in a bowel (it is better to mince the mutton yourself at home with a wooden pestle in a mortar till is becomes fine).

2. Add moti elaichi seeds, 1/2 table spoons salt, 1/2 table spoon salt, 1/2 ladle mustard oil and egg white in it and mix evenly.

3. Wash the malmal cloth properly so as to remove the dirt or starch if any.

4. Put salt, saunth powder, zeera powder, salt, dalcheeni powder, elaichi and motielaichi powder, laung, dania powder and methi powder in the cloth and make a knot in such a way so that all the ingredients remain inside it.

5. Put one litre of water in a big patila or big deep pan, Soak the cloth with spice and tej patte in it and keep it on full flame.

6. Make fine muton balls (about 30gms each) and put them in the patila as soon as the contents in the patila start boiling. Boil it on a medium flame till most of the broth evaporates. Put 1 cup of waterin a bowl. Take out the spice pouch, dip it in water in the bowl and squeeze it properly.

7. Add this water to patila and boil again for 30 seconds.

8. Decard the spice pouch.

9. Remove the patila and put a frying pan on full flame and add chopped onions as soon as smoke appears, and grind them when they turn brown. Put zeera in pain and add whipped curd along with crushed onions, stir it continuously so that curd will not curdle till it starts boiling properly.

10. Add this mixture and pure ghee to meat balls and cook for 5 minutes on a low flame.

11. Garnish with coriander or mint leaves and serve with boiled rice.

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Chhotubhai – Bollywood Dresswala

Shona Adhikari

You may well ask, “how on earth did you get to meet a Bollywood Dresswala? The first time I saw him it was in the midst of what looked like Alladin’s Cave – it was the den of Bollywood’s best known Dresswala, the famous Chotubhai!

It was the end of January 1994 and the Taj Mahotsav, was being planned in Agra. Being a theatre fan, I was thrilled to be given the happy task of organising a mini dance ballet titled, ‘The Legend of the Taj Mahal’, on behalf of the Tourism Guild of Agra. The ballet was expected to entertain a host of international personalities.

I contacted Delhi’s Kathak Kendra and convinced one of the dance tutors to take on the task of choreographing the ballet with a team of 10 talented young students. The ballet was written and with ready in a week, but there was no time to make the costumes in such a short time. Finding ready costumes for the Kathak team in Delhi also appeared to be impossible. A friend who had heard about my problem, solved this problem when he said that the easiest way to get costumes on hire, would be to take the next plane to Mumbai, and drop in at Chotubhai Dresswala’s workshop in Andheri East. It seemed a long way to go for some costumes, but there was no other option as time was short.

I was given a ticket on an Indian Airlines flight to Mumbai and back on the same day. Reaching Mumbai Airport, I booked a cab to take me to Andheri East and back to the airport, for the return trip to Delhi. The Taxi Driver was all smiles on hearing that I had come all the way to Mumbai to meet Chotubhai – his costumes were obviously well known. We found the address quite easily – everyone seemed know Chotubhai Dresswala’s shop!

Entering the workshop was like stepping into a Bollywood carnival. There were headdresses from all historical eras and grinning masks and ferocious animal faces were suspended from the ceiling. Armour, swords, lances and shields rubbed shoulders with peacock plumes and crowns! Boxes were piled high with artificial jewellery and shoes. In the middle of all this finery, stood Chotubhai and his efficient right hand man Ramesh. Chotubhai hardly looked like a person involved with the business of costume design and who would be able to design, or whip up a period costume and even have it altered, within half an hour. All one had to do was to give him the name of the character and lo and behold, the costume would appear like magic!

Chotubhai, handed me over to Ramesh, who swung into action and in less than an hour, the costumes were shown, approved, and packed neatly in a trunk. Costumes for the young and old Shah Jahan, two costumes for Mumtaz Mahal, one each for the others and a few extra costumes for both male and female performers, were also added in case of an emergency. Shah Jahan’s headgear and black and white beards were also carefully included along with strings of pearls and other jewellery. Chotubhai offered me a cup of tea, but since I had to check in at the airport within two hours, I promised to have tea with him when I returned in a week’s time. The trunk was carefully lifted into the taxi and within three hours I was on the flight back to Delhi, with the precious cargo.

The costumes were a hit and the Ballet went off without a hitch - receiving plenty of applause! Relieved that the performance went off quite well, in a day or two, I found myself again on a flight to Mumbai with the trunk full of costumes and heading for Andheri East. This time I was not in as much of a hurry and sat down to share a cup of tea with Chotubhai and Ramesh. This is when I learnt the story of how Chotubhai stepped into the business of costumes – his was a story of a chartered accountant with a doctor for a wife, who chose to take up the lucrative profession of a Dresswala!

Chotubhai’s foray into costume design had its beginning during his school days, when he would invariable become involved in the school productions. The idea of starting a costume company took a more concrete shape, when he was in college. It was then that he decided to indulge his creative instincts side by side with his professional career as a chartered accountant.

Chotubhai launched his business in a small way, starting with a tiny workshop and one tailor. He felt that since costumes played such an important part in any stage production or film, there was bound to be a good market in Mumbai. Soon well-known film directors began to notice his work and he was commissioned to do period costumes for their mega productions. One of the films that gave him great satisfaction was ‘Dharamveer’ for which he created over 200 Greco-Indian costumes. However, what really plummeted Chotubhai to fame were his costumes for the TV mega-serial Ramayana, for which he was awarded the Indo-American Society Award for Costume Design.

Soon after receiving this award, another plum assignment fell into his lap. Sanjay Khan was planning a TV serial on the exploits of Tipu Sultan and offered Chotubhai the opportunity of designing a whole range of spectacular costumes. The serial was extremely well received and brought Chotubhai the Andhra Pradesh Journalist’s Award for the best designer of the year. When asked from where he drew his inspirations, Chotubhai said his main ideas came from museums and period institutions where he was able to collect authentic details.

Now so many years later, when there was talk about a film’s costumes, I asked someone connected with film production about Chotubhai Dresswala’s workshop and learnt that there were many more ‘dresswalas’ now in Mumbai and like all types of businesses, the costume business was also going through its own problems and was not as lucrative as before. All I can add to this is that if one needs a period costume for a theatre or a film in a great hurry, they should definitely consider a visit to Mumbai’s Andheri West and make a beeline to Chotubhai’s workshop.....provided it is still in business.

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Shubho Nobabarsho or how the Bengalees got their Hallmark day ...

Keya Dutt

Baisakhi across the country in Punjab and the Paila Baisakh of Eastern India celebrate the same thing – that is, the New Year. The New Year falls approximately on the 14th or 15th of April in the Gregorian calendar.

While researching for this article I met a number of persons who are in their Nineties (and are optimistic on turning One Hundred Years soon). Their memories of the Noboborsho were ambiguous, to begin with. At first I thought it was the Ninety years old minds that had dimmed and memories harder to dredge up. But after meeting more such persons I realized that the shrug and the ‘what’s the big deal’ expressions were really speaking volumes on not exactly a non-event, but not a momentous festival, either.

‘At least till twenty years back, Noboborsho seemed to be an excuse to spend money on clothes one did not particularly want. Or to be forced to politely eat a meal that sat heavily in the stomach for at least forty eight hours, ‘said Jharna Bose looking a little bemused at being asked how Noboborsho was celebrated in her younger days.

Eighty Nine years old Dhruba Kumar Dutt gradually warmed up to the subject and began describing a nostalgic day that draw parallels with what we witness these days on Noboborsho.

‘Paila Baisakh was always what we looked forward to when Dol (Holi) was over.’ Late March in Bengal is the time of blossoming. The Gulmohur, the Radhachura and the Krishnachura, Agni Palash trees suddenly blossom in red, orange, mauve/violet and soft yellow flowers that although with no fragrance; seemed to ‘make the air redolent with subtle scents’ said Dhruba Kumar Dutt. ‘In the morning of Noboborsho, we the children would be dragged from bed and straight into the bath, scolded by the elders in the family for protesting an early bath in the New Year!’

The early morning bath would be followed by a Puja to Lord Ganesh, dressed in new clothes and eating the offering of sweets to the God on an empty stomach, ‘to keep our speech sweet through the year.’ Then came the visits to the older relations in the city and a ‘royal feast’. But unlike Baisakhi the Bengalees in the city nearly a hundred years ago, were already much too influenced by the English to let go with the exuberance of the Punjabis in ridding the old and welcoming the new. According to Dhruba Kumar Dutt, ‘Noboborsho meant new clothes, pujas and feasts –absolutely no bhangras for us, Bengalees. Some soulful singing may be…’ He said with a twinkle in his eyes.

The most important and significant feature of the New Year or Noboborsho is the opening of the new book of accounts from April of a year. The current accounting year ends in March. But as per rules, all business enterprise, including musicians and actors, dancers and of course writers and publishers, ritualistically ended the current year on Paila Baisakh. The new book of accounts is called Hal Khata or quite simply, the current book of accounts. This is the reason why Lord Ganesh is germane to Noboborsho. All the students of the performing arts were entered afresh in the new book of accounts, just as the new accounts were started in the business enterprises. The new book swathed in red silk, swathed in garlands of flowers and sandal powder; would be offered to Lord Ganesh, the God with the elephant head. After that offering was done, it was the turn of a ritualistic offering to Goddess Kali, the patron Goddess of Bengal. That was the tradition then, and strangely, the tradition now, as well.

Tarun Babu said to be the oldest man on the Boi Para of College Street was enthusiastic about his recollections of the old times. ‘We were on fast from the moment we opened our eyes till the puja ended. Once the Hal Khata is brought back, placed, the feast began, but not a moment before.’ The tradition is still maintained in the book lane of College Street. If anything, it has become that much more pronounced with the passage of time. Perhaps the reason is that the publishers on College Street are the only business enterprise to maintain the Hal Khata – despite the contemporary accounting systems. And even now, many a ‘starving poet in the garret’ fasts for the evening feast that is laid out in every shop, every publishing office on College Street on Noboborsho. This is also the time when the Bengali publishing fraternity announces the new books and the new authors are welcomed with much drinking of sweet tea and fried foods – everyone, Hindu, Muslim or Christian Bengali publisher maintains their loyalty to the language and celebrates the New Year, the same way.

No one can quite identify exactly when a tradition that was frankly falling to tired disuse among the ordinary folk; became the new catchy event it now is. Besides publishing, although not as pervading, is the music industry. For this industry, the big buying season after the Durga Pujas is gradually becoming the Noboborsho.

Similarly, the sale in cards has in the past few years gained a new precedence during the Noboborsho. This is truly the Hallmark mark – from cloyingly sweet verses, to oft quoted Tagore lines are the cards printed for the Noboborsho. Years ago Noboborsho was marked by dutiful letters written on postcards to relations living away – now the Noboborsho cards are similar to the Christmas cards and really, just as useful.

About fifteen years ago, restaurants did not specialize in Bengali food, with the solitary exceptions that one could count on one hand. About fifteen years ago Noboborsho was when ordinary restaurants dressed up some of their staff in Bengali sartorial best and began serving some apologetic easy cross over traditional dishes. All that changed within a year or two. All city restaurants were hunting for traditional dishes and traditional costumes and advertising their Bengali New Year fare. What about the cross over dishes? No chance – it is the traditional dishes all the way…

Obviously there was a demand for the traditional foods. The restaurant owners were themselves taken aback by the popularity of the Noboborsho meals. Mandira Mukherjee of the Charnock’s restaurant in Salt Lake says, ‘it was great fun to search through the recipe files maintained by elderly female relations and rediscover dishes from yester years. And how popular these turned out, when served in the restaurant.’ As always the city dwellers were won over through their stomachs. Bibi Sarkar of ‘Bibi of Taaja’s’ admits it is a challenge to hunt out the most traditional of Bengali dishes for Noboborsho. ‘The funny thing is the more traditional a dish, the more the non-Bengali palate is satiated. Truly, now it is the non-Bengali who eats the traditional Bengali food at Noboborsho.’ Restaurants advertise days ahead and take bookings from early to avoid disappointing.

When the Chaitra sales (the month preceding Baisakh or the English month of March) began grabbing the attention of buyers in the street bazaars of Gariahat and Hathibagan; other shoppers’ hub began following their act. Some shops in malls are also adding Chaitra to their sales announcements. New clothes shopping is not as yet on par with Puja, Eid or Christmas sales, but the Noboborsho hype for new clothes has not escaped the canny store managers. Hallmark can and does sell Christmas to all consumers, therefore, no reason why the Hallmark moment cannot cut across cultures and reach our shores. So it is that the Bengali Noboborsho has not passed the notice of domestic workers, the female of which species, after all is always hard to keep contented. The Puja bonus notwithstanding, a new sari is the demand of these women. Jharna Bose bitterly complained, ‘who knows when this new phase of gifting during Noboborsho came about. In our younger days we never gave two sets of gifts to our workers.’ She says, grandly.

As they say, the more time that lapses, the more things remain the same. Noboborsho is more traditional, more faux Bengali than ever before.

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GUMBO

Dorothy Sawyer

(For this issue, our friend and contributor of ghost stories brings her many gifts to the site. Hailing from South of USA Dorothy likes to cook and feed us GUMBO. It is delicious. Cook it and serve it.)

Easy Chicken Gumbo

5 1/2 lb chicken pieces (drumsticks, thighs, and breast halves with skin and bones)

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 lb andouille* or other spicy smoked pork sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

3 medium onions, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 cups chicken stock or broth

1 1/2 cups water

1 (14- to 16-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained and chopped

1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

2 1/2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained well

1 cup thinly sliced scallion greens

Instructions:

Rinse and dry chicken then season with pepper and salt. Heat a couple tablespoons oil in a skillet over moderately high heat until the oil hot but not smoking and brown the chicken.

Turn down the heat and brown sausage. Drain the fat from the sausage cook onions, celery, and bell peppers, until onions are brown and soft. . Add garlic last as it will burn and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add 1 cup stock and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a wide 8-quart heavy pot and add chicken, water, tomatoes, cayenne (if using), and remaining cup stock. Simmer, partially covered, until chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.

Transfer chicken with tongs to a clean bowl and measure cooking liquid with vegetables, adding additional water as necessary to measure 7 cups. If over 7 cups, boil to reduce.

Stir rice into cooking liquid (in pot). Arrange chicken over rice (do not stir), then bring to a boil over high heat, uncovered, without stirring. For about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let jambalaya stand, covered, 10 minutes. Gently stir in scallion greens, sausage, and salt to taste.

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