Chapter 5: Railaata (Chuck..Chuck: The Train Game)
All India Radio (AIR) would be crystal clear to all the villagers, who would gather around to listen. It was an old system introduced by the government to entertain and inform the public through radio. Villagers would listen to the radio while working in the fields or doing their daily routine work. They would be glued to the radio, listening to the news, harikathas, and other programs until the broadcasts ended at 10 pm.
The whole village would come together to listen to the radio, and it was a great way to stay informed and entertained. Apart from the radio, we had other sources of entertainment like visiting "Budabukkala vallu", Pagati veshagallu, and "Gangireddula vallu". All these persons called as "Janapada Kalakarulu".
When there was no rain, some people would perform "kappla pelli", a marriage ritual between two frogs, which was a strange but fascinating custom. Such traditions still exist in our villages today, and I'll tell you more about them later.
Let's get back to Railaat, shall we?
The aroma of charcoal stove and cucumber chutney fills the air as our kids' train gains speed. I catch a whiff of my favorite aroma - the smell of cucumber being roasted on a charcoal stove (Boggula Kumpati). I loved it so much! The cucumbers used to grow in our own field. Whenever I visited the field, I'd see plenty of them. I'd sit on the field's bund, eat one or two cucumbers, and drink water from the nearby canal.
Those days are still etched in my memory. Even in summer, we'd occasionally get a good crop of cucumbers in our yard. That was a celebration! I loved eating cucumber in any form - chutney, curry, or pickle. And there's a special story about dried cucumber pieces (Dosa Vorugu), which I'll share later.
Revolution in the Kitchen:
The arrival of cooking gas brought immense relief to women who were exhausted from kitchen work. This was a revolutionary change. Women who cooked on wood stoves and coal stoves every day were mentally drained. There was no alternative in those days. When cooking gas arrived, it was like a breath of fresh air for them.
Manduva Illu (Our old house):
We used to have a big house (a traditional type of house with a tiled roof). But due to financial difficulties, half of it was sold, as my grandmother used to tell me. I only saw a half-broken Manduva house, which was understandable given my age at the time. I've only seen a complete Manduva house in movies. Some people say that Manduva houses still exist in some areas, but I haven't had the chance to see one.
Manduva houses are said to be perfectly designed in terms of architecture, with proper ventilation, lighting, and water flow, including a system to harvest rainwater. "Vasthu" experts say that dividing such a house vertically into two can cause many problems, which I learned later.
Even though we only had half of the Manduva house, it still seemed spacious to all. "Bhushanam" The treasure chest (Bhushanam) of the house:
In our village, Adaviravulapadu, even in the manduva house, there used to be two "Bhushanams" - wooden treasure chests, one large and one small. I strongly believed that the word "Bhushana" in my name (Naga"Bhushan" Rao) was given because of these treasure chests. But later I found out that my name was named after my grandfather.
The house with these treasure chests was considered a high-class house. Valuables like documents, jewelry, and cash were also stored in these chests. The head of the household would sleep on a mattress on top of the chest at night, guarding it.
Memories of childhood are flooding back, and I don't know how to control them. Anyway, let's get back to the dosakay incident. Yes, we were talking about the roasted dosakaya (a type of cucumber) on the coal stove and its flavor.
After much effort, I'll continue from there. We would bring dosakaya from the field or yard, roast it on the coal stove, peel it, and then mix it with salt and chili powder to make a delicious dosakaya chutney. I firmly believe that this taste can't be achieved by roasting dosakaya on a gas stove.
My grandmother got angry:
As soon as I brought the 'train' into the kitchen, my grandmother, who was roasting dosakaya on boggula kumpati, looked at me with anger.
She scolded me, 'Go away, kids! Don't play in the kitchen, there's a big yard outside, go play there!' My 'train' was hurt, and I got angry. My face turned red, and my nostrils flared. Whenever I got very angry, my mother would say that as I grew up, this childish anger would subside. But I didn't understand then that these experiences and lessons would change a person in the future.
Let's go back to those experiences now.
My voice became hoarse:
Many years after the incident where my grandmother scolded me, I became a young man. I started reading Sri Sri's works, which increased my passion. I felt like I had a responsibility towards society. I didn't completely lean towards revolutionary literature, but I felt a sense of duty to contribute to building a new society.
I also read Vemana's 'Shataka Sahityam' and other progressive literature. I chose science as my subject, but I realized that knowledge is infinite. I became interested in Telugu poems, songs, stories, and novels. I liked reading anything that sparked thoughts. This trait increased my passion.
I understood later that this passion should not become an obsession. I believe that changing oneself through others' writings is one level, and developing the philosophy of thinking and deciding on one's own is another level.
I liked writings, poems, and verses that criticized superstitions and inequalities in society. Although I didn't take up the path of revolution, I liked the passion in revolutionary literature more than social awareness. This interest eventually led me to quote relevant lines from various writings in my articles.
Bhagavad Gita changed my life, and I felt that it had solutions to many life problems. A verse in Bhagavad Gita that describes how anger can lead to downfall. It should be read by everyone daily. This verse inspired me to write a radio drama called 'Okka Kshanam' at All India Radio, Vijayawada.
Whether one believes in theism or atheism, there's one aspect that shouldn't be forgotten - humanity. Having such thoughts ensured that no one could confine me to a single category. In discussions with friends and relatives, some thought I was a theist, some thought I was an atheist, and others thought I had revolutionary ideas.
This kind of maturity might have helped me write diverse articles. This quality helped me become a real journalist. I don't think anyone would object to the term "real journalist". This trait gave me a broad perspective. As knowledge unfolded, it seemed like all sciences converged at a single point.
Initially, the "rivers of knowledge" appeared diverse, but eventually, they merged into the ocean. I realized that the essence of all subjects is one. A person is born pure, like a white light beam. Later, like a prism displaying seven colors, a person's life journey reveals seven colors, with red symbolizing anger.
The wheel of time (Kala chakram) teaches us many lessons, and our lives are a journey to discover eternal truths. Let's see how this young man's thoughts matured and what he has to say next...
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