Bhaskar Parichha
BOOK REVIEW
Manua provides a captivating look into the life of a man who witnessed milestones like India’s birth as a free nation-state, the formation of Odisha, and the launch of Bhubaneswar. A candid account of someone who lived life on his terms!
This magnificent book comes at an appropriate time – when the capital city celebrates 75 years. It is fascinating to know what Cuttack was like at the beginning of the 20th century. It is also fascinating to know when Bhubaneswar became the new capital in the 1950s. Following My Heart is a translation of an Odia memoir – Manua – written by Jyotindra Mohan Joardar and translated by Himansu S. Mohapatra & Paul St-Pierre.
The story of Joardar, a young man born in Calcutta in 1914 to Brahmo parents, captures the essence of a time when the world was being put through radical change. At the tender age of five, he moved to Cuttack, where he spent the majority of his formative years and a significant portion of his adulthood. There was a time when the majestic flow of the Kathajodi river was not stunted by the Hirakud Dam, as he recounts in his poem about Cuttack long forgotten.
Joardar’s memories of Cuttack are not like wrinkled corners of an ancient painting. The story is told with loving attention to detail and narrated with affection. This is a remarkable example of the impact the author’s city, especially its landscape, has had on his psyche over the years.
Memory extends beyond personal emotions throughout the book. Joardar recounts his friendship with famous people whose names have become permanent fixtures in Odisha’s history during the modern era. There are several acclaimed writers in the memoir, including Annada Shankar Ray, Bamacharan Mitra, Gopinath Mohanty, and Surendra Mohanty. A polymath and freedom fighter, Manmohan Choudhury, is also featured in the documentary, the son of freedom fighter Gopabandhu Choudhury.
There is a notable mention in the article of the late Professor Mohini Mohan Senapati of Ravenshaw College. He is son of the legendary Fakir Mohan Senapati and a professor himself. He remembers Laxmikanta Choudhury, professor of Sanskrit at Ravenshaw College and grandson of Vyasakabi, who founded the Utkal Sangeet Samaj. He also remembers classical music expert Khitish Chandra Maitra, and former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, to name a few.
At the beginning of the 20th century, how did life in Cuttack look? Stories and anecdotes galore in the book. Throughout this story, there is a sense of simplicity and naturalness, a sense of information and detail. There is more to the story than a tale of success alone, but rather a tale of a life lived in all its complexities. This was the time when both women and men participated in every social activity. That day-to-day life is described in full. Joardar movingly recounts his many interests and passions, such as swimming, classical music, chess, and translation.
The book is packed with pleasant stories and anecdotes involving these stalwarts. These include the young Biju Babu, who, in a display of his characteristic audacity, took his friends for a ride in a car without brakes, without the latter’s knowledge.
Another episode shows the author and his friends losing themselves in an impromptu concert performed by a young village boy who would eventually be known as Sangeeta Sudhakara Balakrushna Das. In yet another instance, Joardar fondly reminisces about Mohini Mohan Senapati getting comically lost in thought while alighting from a rickshaw. This is the picture of an absent-minded philosopher. Reading the memoir feels like unearthing a time capsule.
Among Odia autobiographies, Following My Heart is an exceptional work – particularly for those with a thorough understanding of the language. It’s an excellent translation, making the text accessible to a large audience. Gorgeously produced, Jyotirindra Mohan Joardar’s life story is electrifying.
Following My Heart
Jyotirindra Mohan Joardar /Tr. Himansu S. Mohapatra & Paul St-Pierre
Dhauli Books
Bhubaneswar
(Bhaskar Parichha is a Bhubaneswar based senior journalist and columnist. Views are personal)
