Among the Not So Great

Outing

Birenda had great love for nature and the outdoors. That love he instilled into some of us boys. There it took root and grew. The first ever outing I remember was back in 1946. Birenda, Pranabda, Chimanbhai (teacher: de la Fond), Narayan (my brother) and I, set out at about 2 p.m. (God alone knows why 2 p.m.) I don’t remember if we carried any water. I remember Narayan and I at least were barefooted. We set out actually to find out what, where and how is Lal Pahar. We entered a broad ravine — a dry riverbed. The cliffs grew higher and the bed narrower as we proceeded. The cliffs were a deep rich red, the sand quite clean white. Palm trees, dwarf neem, and some cashew trees grew here and there. It was beautiful but infernally hot. We were like biscuits baked from above and below. We scurried from shade to shade. When the ravine was narrow, Birenda shouted Jai, Jai Bombhola and we all repeated. There was none to witness our brief madness. We returned a hot, dirty, tired lot — but wiser and happier.

Birenda took a batch of us a few weeks later to Arikamedu (Roman ruins) settlement near the Ariankuppam village and the river of the same name. We didn’t know about any route to the place. We took the shortest one. We got on to the beach beyond Parc-à-charbon and reached the ruins on the far bank of the river. We looked at the diggings. Someone suggested we take a brick and give to the Mother. The brick was about 28 cm x 40 cm or 45 cm x 7 or 8 cm. Birenda agreed with our plan. The brick was placed on one of our heads and we started back homewards. We had not taken into account the risen sun. No shade and no water. The brick changed heads often — but we reached Parc-à-charbon, guzzled down a gallon of water each and proceeded to the Ashram. We gave the brick to the Mother at the vegetable Darshan (near Nirodda’s room). She used to inspect and bless the Ashram’s garden produce everyday at about 12 noon. She smiled and accepted the brick.

The above excursion inspired us to go on more such outings. We organised ourselves, collected a water bottle or two and started going out every fortnight (on Sundays). We carried bread and bananas and milk in a brass jug to brew some coffee. Later the Mother sanctioned two tins of condensed milk a week. All this was done with Birenda reporting to the Mother and with her permission. Next we went to the Lake for a whole day. At about this time Birenda along with Atindra (Irena, Nivedita’s father) and Hriday (Pranabda’s brother) went on bicycle to the Gingee Fort. They took two days to do it. Birenda talked about it to us and also to my uncle Pantulu. He arranged that epic voyage of ours to Gingee — we became fullblooded explorers. (A more detailed description of this trip is given in the chapter on R.S. Pantulu.) We, of his original group, had grown up, and taken off on our own. Yet his interest never dwindled. He went, now by bus or train, to Mysore, Madurai, Rameswaram, etc. — all over the south.