Allahbad

Bou Dekha (Seeing the bride)

Author: 
Sadhona Debi Chatterji

Category:

Sadhona Debi Chatterji, seen here with Aadhira, one of her great-grandchildren, was born in October 1931 in Calcutta, to Hari Prasad and Subarna Bannerjee. She did her matriculation, and got married to Birendra Kumar Chatterji in June 1948. She has a son and a daughter. Her husband, like her father, was in the Imperial Bank of India, which later became the State Bank of India. Her husband retired as Chairman UCO Bank in 1984, and passed away in 1989.

She has had a tremendous interest in national and world affairs, with her own opinions on many issues. She is an avid reader. She has been a popular and well-loved person among the family and a very large circle of friends. Even at the age of 85 and ailing, she gets phone calls from all over the world.

Editor's note: This story was originally hand written in Bengali in 2010.

This is a story of a Bou Dekha (seeing the new bride) party of a long time ago. I had forgotten about it till one day recently Kalpana di (older "sister") reminded me about it on the phone.

It was July or August of 1948, just after my wedding. My mother-in-law had invited all her friends in Allahabad that evening over tea for seeing the new bride - me. The friends all came, many with their daughters and daughters-in-law.

The Allahabad and its people that I remember

Author: 
Sadhona Debi Chatterji

Category:

Tags:

Sadhona Debi Chatterji was born in October 1931 in Calcutta to Hari Prasad and Subarna Bannerjee. She did her matriculation, and got married to Birendra Kumar Chatterji in June 1948. She has a son and a daughter. Her husband, like her father, was in the Imperial Bank of India, which later became the State Bank of India. Her husband retired as Chairman UCO Bank in 1984, and passed away in 1989.

She has had a tremendous interest in national and world affairs, with her own opinions on many issues. She is an avid reader. She has been a popular and well-loved person among the family and a very large circle of friends. Even at the age of 85 and ailing, she got phone calls from all over the world. She passed away in 2015.

Editor's note: Sadhona Chatterji wrote this note in her diary in the 2002. It has been typed and provided by her son in 2018.

I was married on the 28th of June, 1948. My husband late Shree Birendra Kumar Chatterji, belonged to Allahabad. He and most of his siblings were born and brought up there.


Birendra and Sadhona Chatterji. Wedding. 28 June, 1948, Calcutta (Kolkata).


Birendra and Sadhona Chatterji. Wedding. 28 June, 1948, Calcutta (Kolkata)

His father, late Shree K.P. Chatterji, was a professor in Allahabad University. His subject was Chemistry.

Jamadarin Mai and me - breaking down the untouchability barrier

Author: 
I C Srivastava

Category:

Tags:

I C Srivastava was born in 1943. A student of English Literature, he joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1966. During his 37 years tenure, he served as Collector/ District Magistrate of three districts, rising finally to the position of Chairman, Board of Revenue, Rajasthan. Shri Srivastava worked as Secretary/Principal Secretary of as many as 17 Rajasthan State Departments, including Revenue, Irrigation, Education, Culture, Tourism, Sports, Women &amp\; Child Development Department. He retired as the Chairman. Rajasthan State Mines and Minerals Corporation.  Shri Srivastava has authored several books on Administration &amp\; Current affairs in Hindi and English. Nowadays, he is associated with various social and cultural voluntary organisations in Jaipur.

The journey of life unfolds and reveals many a memorable incident and experience which stand out any time one tries to recall any of them. Memories of childhood are more incisively etched and are easily brought back in a flash back.

One such experience of the early 1950s relates to my childhood in Allahabad. One day, at the age of eight or nine, when I was on my way back from my school (RR Inter College, Daraganj) to my home, which was about 2-3 kms away, I felt almost giddy in the scorching heat of the early October sun, after the rainy season was over. My head and feet, which especially absorbed the sun rays, prompted me to stop somewhere for rest for a while.

Subscribe to RSS - Allahbad