Friday 13 July 2018

KUDU KUDU PANDI ON THE BRIDGE

KUDU KUDU PANDI ON THE BRIDGE
It is raining. For the last two months we have rains everyday. We enjoy it. And there were hardly any mishaps due to rains. And no one talks about the rain. You may call it silent rains.
Last year it was different.The flood in Bihar was unprecedented. Hundreds lost their lives in some 16 districts affected by the deluge. Three from a family lost their lives when the bridge they were crossing washed away, the online news said enclosing a video of the incident. The mother and two kids were just a step short to the safety of the other end.
When ever I read about bridges being washed away I remember Kudukudu pandi.
KUDU KUDU PANDI
The man  raised his hand signalling us to stop the car. He was tall and well built. In white shirt and dhoti he was visible from far though it was getting dark. There was no one else on the road may be due to the chilling weather. He said salam raising his hand again and my father responded saying salam. The bridge is under repair he informed. It is safer to take alternate route he advised. My father thought for a moment and  then thanked him for the information but explained being in a  hurry he wanted to see if he could negotiate it somehow. The man followed us to the bridge. My father got out and walked to the bridge  My brother and I followed while our mother with my kid brother waited in the car
There were no boards indicating the condition of the bridge. It seemed the tractors were detoured through a new muddy track and crossed the stream where it was shallow. My father had a good look at the bridge. Many of its planks were missing but the girders appeared to be intact. So he decided to negotiate the bridge.
The tall man requested my mother to come out and asked us to follow him while father made some mental calculations looking at the car and the bridge alternately.
At the stream the man in white waited for us to go ahead and followed us closely. We removed our footwear and waded in to to the stream. The water was chilling the stream was fast and there was water up to my knee.  I had rolled up my shorts  expecting more .
We heard the car starting up I wanted to look at it but the man hurried us. It was then the loud noise of planks cracking reached us. I turned my head lost balance. The strong hand took hold of me before my body touched the water. By the time I became aware of what was happening I was placed on the other bank by the strong hands and I saw our car roaring at the other end of the bridge
He said something in a language not known to me but I think he was thanking god.
My father wanted to offer him some money but he had already crossed the stream and continuing his journey.
The early next morning we learned the  bridge was washed away at night. My mother was all praise for the stranger for saving us from a mishap. While my father had different opinion.
It was a few weeks after wards  I heard ‘Kudu kudu kudu’ at the front door. the sound was not familiar. So I looked through the window.There he was tall and in white cloths.
“Nallakalam varuthamma Nalla kalam”. (Good days ahead Madam Good days) he said and made the loud  Kudu Kudu sound with a small instrument. It resembled a small can wth strikers attached with string on both sides. He waved the drum  twisting wrist and  the strikers beat on the drumheads making loud sound. Kudu Kudu Kudu……. making me terribly afraid.
My mother went inside and came back with a big heap of rice in her hands. Looked at the rice and spread one end of his long white  shoulder cloth to receive it. There were other bundles which were smaller  on the other end. He arranged the cloth around his neck. The big mustache and the ashes on his forehead were exactly like the image, of people kidnapping  small children, in my mind.
Next time he came he had a thin spear pierced through his chins. No chanting only the Kudu kudu.
His visits were rare At times had small limes at the ends of the spear.
But the thing that   comes to my mind when I think of him, is the bridge that washed away
ON THE BRIDGE
I loved bridges very much.
One of the best things I remember about Munnar High School was the number of bridges nearby, especially the hanging bridges. They were meant for walking.
The steel bridges that allowed cars and lorries one at a time were narrow. People were very patient and courteous in those days and they waited patiently for oncoming vehicles to pass. Invariably they received a Salam from the driver and many times a wishing from the other occupants
The hanging bridges allowed only single line on both the direction. It was really a pleasure to cross it. In the middle where the swing of the bridge was maximum it offered a feeling of flying if you look down at the rushing water below. In the initial days I used to finish my lunch lunch at the earliest and run to the nearest hanging bridge.There used be no one else on the bridge at that time. But the difficulty if any one rocks you may lose balance if not careful.
The caves of the tribals on the hills across the river.was something I wanted to see very much. One Friday at lunch break (which was longer) I decided to run up the hill.
No one to come with me. They were interested in games only.
I had to run really fast to reach the caves up the hill and return in time. But the hill was steeper than expected forcing me to slow down. On return  I ran faster and did not slow down on the hanging bridge. It was at half way I noticed the man coming from the other end.
The pandi
The thin spear with lemons on either ends was not there. But the white cloths and ashes on his forehead, there as no chance of mistaking. With the large bundle on his head he almost  lost his balance.
I ran back and waited. Instead of Nallakalam the image of kidnappers appeared in my brain. I was frozen with fear
I felt a hand on my head
“Son now you run. I too used to run like this when I was a kid”.
I went back to the online report. This time I carefully  searched the faces of the onlookers in the video. There were no Kudukudu pandi among them
Doesn't any gudugudu pandi live in our country anymore. So sad anyway.




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