Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Down the Memory Lane

A very pedestrian title for a blog. Can't help it though.
I think ,I have a very strong memory, specially for some events that took place in my infancy. But no one believes in me. Now that I am old enough there's hardly anyone around to doubt my prowess!
I was born in Miraj in Maharashtra. I remember, very distinctly, to have seen a camel when I must have been all of one and a half years of age ! Then around the same age I remember a train journey where even today I recollect to have seen a shaft of light entering thru the compartment window.
No one believes me!
Hello!
Last year when I had visited my nephew in London, he showed me a tattered photo print of a picture,which now no one in my family can doubt ,was circa 1933.


Can't be wrong this time You can clearly see me in the front row extreme left. Excepting for the girl on extreme right in that row- my cousin's daughter and one year older than me and also a famous doctor- the rest of the dozen personalities in the photo are no more,alas !
At the centre in the back row is my maternal grandfather. He had served in the erstwhile princely state of Dewas near Indore. I was told by one of my mamas* that he was a contemporary of the famous writer E.M Forster and one of the characters in one of his novels 'Passage to India' was based on this grand old man !
This house still exists. Very recently I took a picture of the scene of this photograph. I wonder how all of us fitted in the doorway ,way back in 1933 ! And wonder of wonders how the photographer took the picture with is archaic camera !!
                                                                 
* mama is maternal uncle (purely for the followers who do not follow the lingo) 


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