පොහොය දවස

हाम्रो पहाड़मा पोहेको दिन मन्दिर जानुभन्दा पहिले एक कप चिया पिउँदै स्लेट बोर्ड सफा गर्नु मेरो रीत हो। बच्चाहरू आज आउँदैनन्, तर म झ्यालबाट देखिने तेहरी सड़कको धूलोमा डुबेको सूर्यलाई हेर्दै सोच्छु—हाम्रो आडम्बर र अनुष्ठानहरूमा कतिलाई साँच्चै न्यानो पाउने ठाउँ मिल्छ? गाउँको बुढी जोले आफ्नो एक्लोपनमा दीप बाल्छिन्, उनको ढुकढुकी कसले सुन्ने? यस्ता कुराहरूमा मेरो विश्वास छ, कागजी कुनै अनुष्ठानमा होइन।

They say the Dhamaal 4 will be a grand procession... My neighbour’s boy is making a float, and he asked for my old cedar planks. I told him, “Use good wood, son, or your float will have no more spirit than a politician’s promise.” He brought plywood instead. At least he still came for tea.

The grant for our community centre’s roof is delayed again. So this pôya day, while we listen, I’ll be fixing a leak over the cassette player with *dohsnam* leaves and hope. But the *sngewbha* is real—the elders are coming for coffee, and we’ll play the old folk ballads anyway.

Dzire te chadhda, glovebox te G.S. nail polish dekhda, Dhamaal 4 da track sunya — bass heavy, but the lyrics

Took the old sombu out for filter coffee after walking my paavam Kaveri by the lake. Poya evening has that calm that makes you think—about the perahera budget numbers I checked yesterday, and how state resources could be better spent on everyday fairness. But I guess that's just my freelance brain crunching data where others see faith.

Paavam, this Poya day I was thinking about our own Karthigai Deepam festival — the neighbour’s son is a big shot engineer in Colombo now, and he was telling me how they light oil lamps for the full moon too. I was rolling a mattress this morning and the coconut fibre dust was floating in the sunlight like tiny stars; made me wonder if all these festivals, whatever the name, are just our way of saying ‘the light finds its way through the cracks’. My son called from Dubai during his lunch break and said the smell of fresh coir came through the screen — maybe that’s our little festival offering.

The radio in the bus depot played old patriotic songs today, reminding my bhai who drives the 44B route of his cousin who served. I passed the community library and saw young Ronny carefully drawing a mountain scene in his notebook—his way of remembering an uncle he never met. It makes our little worries about highways and papaya plants feel both smaller and more urgent to nurture.

Beta ji, aaj subah chai pe baitha tha terrace pe, tabhi Pral

Back home, Ahuna festival also time for family and counting blessings. Here in Dimapur, my cart’s steam mixes with temple air on holiday mornings. My regulars, from many communities, all come for momos and share their sweet ladoo—thik ase, we keep our own but taste a little of each other’s.

Personally attacked by how our hostel’s 'no-cooking' rule maggi-fies every poya day when the mess is closed. But I respect the quiet—our warden, aunty, literally spends the whole day at the temple, and that discipline after her own loss... it's real data on what keeps people going.

आज दुकान में एक कन्या आई, पूछने लगी पोया दिन पर मिठाई के लिए बिस्कुट। उसे देखकर लगा, हर पर्व का मूल तो एक ही है – घर में मीठास आना, चाहे वह मेरे यहाँ के आम के पेड़ की छाँव हो या उनकी पंसल की घंटी। मैंने उसे नारियाल बिस्कुट निकालकर दिए, और अपनी पुरानी किताब में गेंदा फूल दबा दिया।

अरे भाई, आज पोया दिन है, पास के मंदिर में भजन हो रहे हैं, मेरी दुकान पर बैठे-बैठे सुन रहा हूँ। पर मेरा मन सुबह की चिड़ियों की तरफ़ है — बरगद पर बैठे मैना जोड़े को देखा? वो समझ गए हैं कि रोटी के टुकड़े कब फेंकूँगा, सरकारी स्कीम से नहीं, अपने पुराने अनुभव से।

Ei Powa day nangbu khanglibra? Imagi samaj amadi meeyam lakliba poya nattra — eihak masana kirana cycle thadokpada Imphal-gi lambada chattuna makhoida kari oiriba yengba ngamme. Bangalor-da son-gi phone lata lamabada mathakta ca oiba apamba lei, adubu pankhrokta new blue raincoat-sing hueidana pankhei. Meiyamba, masi apunba leiriba hibun amadi nattra? Eidigi loktak lake-gi morning walk-da leiba pangal amadi radio-da Khongjom Parva ga — makhoi masamakta pangal ama oina leiri. Poysing amadi rituals-sing leiba society-da, eina yengbasung: leibakki ahing nattra panthung-gi pariksha oina yengba — mahakta houjik leiriba ahing nattra panthung nattra? Adubu eina khangjariba, eikhoida local cooperatives-na pangal touba fajaba, adubu institution-sing-da honest man-ga nungaitaba nattra? Meiyamba, generation khudingmak adugi handokpa oiriba, adubu ahanba aduna nattaba.

આ નવી હિન્દી ફિલ્મોની યાદી જોઈ તો મન થયું કે મારી મમ્મીની સીવણ મશીન પરથી ઊતરેલી જૂની ગુજરાતી ફિલ્મોની રીલ્સ જ ક્યાંક વ