Kadmanivasi: 02/01/2011

Last Sunday, as I left the Tatanagar railway station, for home, I breathed in the familiar Jamshedpur air! The chaotic entrance and departure at the railway station, the horses munching away at the makeshift stable nearby, the vegetables spilling on to the roadside as the vendors screamed noisily in Hindi and Bengali! I was home, and it appeared just the same as I had left it behind 10 years ago!

The Golden Ray-RIVER SUBARNAREKHA- covered with water hyacinth!

How sweet it felt to inhale that Jamshedpur air once again! It was yesterday..once more! Jamshedpur, the place where I was born and the place where my father was born, too. Jamshedpur had been my karmabhoomi, till not so very many years ago! There was sheer joy and laughter in the air, and also nostalgia and sadness for all things left behind.

The outline of the Tata Steel Works came into view and my heart filled with gratitude for it had sustained three generations of my family! We took a detour and passed through the Jubilee Park ..…the lake and the lakeside café, the forest island at the centre! We passed the now silent Madrasi Sammelani, where as children, we used to attend all our community functions and run up and down, all over its vast premises.

And then towards home, driving beside the aerodrome, around which we used to go for our morning walks. And as we neared the Rankini Mandir, I could feel the evening deeparadhana still ringing in my ears. As children, we would run across the road to the mesmerizing beats of the cymbals!

Most of my life I spent in Kadma, a quiet residential locality where, it is believed, the Kadam, fragrant, wonderful ball - shaped flowers, grew in abundance. The hospital where I was born, the homes where I lived, the school I went to, the colleges I attended, I did not visit this time.

As we moved into Bistupur, an upmarket commercial area and residential township, the change was there for all to see. Broad wide roads lead up to straight Mile Road in Sakchi, the heart of the city. All popular leading brands announced their arrival, in bold, vivid style. There are beautiful apartment blocks, several new schools and colleges, even a zoo in Jubilee Park!

10 miles from Sakchi - for the discerning foodie!

Jamshedpur was playing host to Boxing, Womens' Football, Archery, Weightlifting and Equestrian events at the 2011 National Games, from 12th February to 26 th February in Jharkhand. Needless to mention, with the Cricket World Cup round the corner, The Dhoni Fever is at its peak!

Jamshedpur has changed! No wonder, it has been selected as one of the cities for the Global Compact Cities Pilot Programme by the UN, the only one to be selected from India as well as the entire South-East Asia.

I celebrated my visit with family and friends. I made the most of a weeks' time at my disposal. It was tranquil and nostalgic! The visit to my home, the home my parents had moved into, the home I had never lived in! It was a rare one week holiday with my sister, renewing, reviewing, reliving all those years! I spent a large part of my time, with my sisters-in- law, two amazing women who helped me overcome my bereavement. I spent Feb.17, with my friend who was celebrating her 37th wedding anniversary. Some of the best years of my life, I had spent as a teacher, in Kadma Girls High School, and I met all my friends from there. My cousin and her husband dropped in for a long chat!

It was difficult to say goodbye this time! The bonds had strengthened and the pleasure was mutual! As I savored those moments, I understood why this visit has been so valuable for me. Rathi, Janaki, Padma, Shobha Mishra, Vidya Tewary, Chanchala Singh, Shoba Ekka, Lata Anand, Rajani Sekhar......I was in the company of all these beautiful women; women, who were fighters, survivors, achievers! Each one of them has a courageous streak and they have emerged as women of substance. I salute their spirit and am very proud of them.