Neyveli Diaries- Nostalgic Memories

By Gayatri M P

We come from Neyveli, the land of lignite, Through the production of which it has acquired its might! Here , is generated thermal power People in lakhs ,through the decades ,it has continued to empower! Quaint little countrysides transformed into a well-planned town , Its impact on all our lives is very profound ! Broad, well laid roads brightly lit , Dotted with trees big and small, T'was a pleasure under the shade of those trees to go for a leisurely stroll. Abundant water and uninterrupted power supply to its residents - truly a Godsend gift. Town bus fares , rent and electricity charges unbelievably so less, Few of the company's acts of largesse! Employees' quarters there are big and small, More than sufficient for one and all. The copious and eye pleasing green cover , Envelopes the town like a loving mother. Every house boasted of beautiful gardens, After a long day's work, to refresh , there we'd all hasten. With so much pride and joy we'd pluck The fruit, vegetables and flowers with gusto Into the folds of our dresses nature's bounty we'd tuck Which soon found their way into all our homes before you could say hey presto! Enjoying the cool breeze sitting under the neem, We'd often slip into the world of dreams! Guava - pink and white, papaya and the custard apple, Blueberries and gooseberries, Oh to taste them how we used to cherish! Lime, mango, citrons Each house had a generous store of its' jams, chutneys and pickles For which there was no dearth of patrons! And then the coconut , cashew, silk cotton and casuarina , Oh how we loved our favourite arena ! Nibbling away at the tender leaves of the guava, Taking a sip or two of water after munching a gooseberry, Aah! the fresh and cooling effect.... wah, wah! A delightful experience for eternity in our minds to carry..... Sweet lime, badam, tamarind, Yellow and brown carpet created by the fallen leaves courtesy the strong winds. Competing with the king of fruit mango , in summer, Apart from the birds who could be distinguished by their timbre, Was the utterly butterly delicious jackfruit. To claim a generous share , to the source of the aroma the kids would scoot ! Jackfruit and banana ; ripe and raw The delicious ,mouth-watering delicacies, by one and all, were held in awe !

Curry leaves and greens Dotted the little rows of cluster beans. Daintily stood the delicate looking ladies finger Even today those memories fresh as ever still linger ..... Widely grown were spicy chillies and brinjal Along with snakegourd, ridgegourd et al. Roses, jasmine, crossandra, hibiscus , Throughout the year they adorned our houses. So did seasonal flowers like the night jasmine, December flowers and chrysanthemum, Buzzing around the flowers were the bees striking a rhythmic hum. Winged, creeping and crawling creatures there were so many, They frequented our gardens without inhibitions any. Making us feel that we were living in the midst of their home And restricting their freedom to happily roam. Common it was for people to keep poultry or rear cattle, It'd amaze us kids no end , seeing the hustle and bustle ! The days were made more eventful By the hawkers, energetic and resourceful, Advertising their wares in a singsong fashion. One couldn't help admiring their passion! They adorned themselves with a beaming smile, Walking many a mile, cheerful all the while. Even today their voices reverberate in our ( mind's) ears, Though we haven' t heard them in years! There was a weekly vegetable market, Filled to the brim we'd take home vegetable laden basket. Countless were the guys who offered to collect the garden produce, The excess, they knew ,one couldn't possibly use. Catering to the whole town was the main bazaar And the monthly pay day bazaar( maaya bazaar), People thronged the shops from near and far, Where the prices were quite competitive and the quality of products on or above par. Then there was Amaravathi, the one and only cinema hall, More than its capacity, during vacations, it enjoyed record breaking footfall. The annual temple fair, The infectious festive spirit in the air, The fun and gaeity, Combined with prayer and peity, The beautifully decorated deity, The whole town wore a festive look The colourful procession always had us hooked!

The fair weather friendly TV transmission,

The guys clambered up to the terrace on an antenna direction rectifying mission,

While the others below tried to identify the images amongst the grains.

More often than not, all their efforts went in vain.

Interesting are the names of the streets,

Trying to remember them and their location was no mean feat!

Named after persons, places, flora and fauna, implements ,things and professions,

With visitors to the town, reading and recollecting them became a sort of obsession!

From the sixties to the mid-eighties, cycles ruled the roads

Then began to be heard scooters' and bikes' roar!

What an interesting array of games we played,

Boys busied themselves with the marbles

Or raced non-stop with bicycle tyres,

Unmindful of their parents' ire!

Spinning colourful tops

They concentrated hard to create new records.

Or aimed with catapults at targets, real or imaginary,

And acted like celebrated celebrities catapulted to fame who'd accomplished feats extraordinary!

Close to every boy's heart was the desi version of cricket , gilli danda,

Every street nurtured its own team without any propaganda!

Another all-time favourite game was lagori,

The hitters and seekers vied with each other to win and seek glory.

Sometimes they roamed about with toy binoculars,

Memories of those bygone days in our mind's eye now appear more spectacular!

Girls played with .toys or rounded pebbles

Read popular fables,

Or sketched, painted or made things quite artistic,

That could be termed quite fantastic!

They skipped or played hopscotch,

How their younger siblings loved to barge in between the game to botch!

Spanning across at least half a dozen houses, they'd all play hide and seek,

The chances of finding the hidden players were always quite bleak!

Role playing was a favourite pastime,

Loads of memories enough to last a lifetime...

Minds knew no boundaries,

People were friendly with all and sundry.

We learnt to love, care and share,

For others to have time to spare.

Those beautiful memories will oft play in our minds,

As the years roll by, us together stronger they will bind.

We come from Neyveli, the land of lignite,

Through the production of which it has acquired its might!

By Gayatri M P