HUMANS OF OSLA
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--Namaste! Kahan se aaye ho aap?
--Kolkata
--Kitni door hai yahan se?
--Kaafi door hai..
--Delhi se bhi zyada door?
--Ji haan!
--Kaisa laga Osla?
--Bahot sundar hai. Kitne log rehte hai Osla me?
--Kam se kam 300 ghar hai yahan, kuch 700-800 log honge.
--Aur kaam kya karte hai?
--Aloo aur Gehu ka kheti hai, gaay-bakri bhi hai. Baaki cheez-on ke liye Mori jana padhta hai.
--Par Mori toh bahot door hai!
--*visibly irritated* Kya karein!
Taluka-wale aagey rasta banane nahi dete. Election ke time sab bolte hai ke sadak bana denge par koi kuch nahi karta. Gaon ke ladke yaha rehna nahi chahte. Mera beta Sankri me kaam karta hai, kehta hai jab sadak banega tab lautunga. Pata nahi kab banega.
*after a prolonged period of silence*
Bahot door se log aate hai yaha. Phoren se bhi. Photo kheechte hai Someshwar mandir ka. Bahot purana hai.
--Murti toh nahi hai andar..
--Ha. Wo murti gaon me ghumta rehta hai. Sawaan ke mahine me Jakhol se nikalta hai. Fitaari hoke Koteygaon jata hai. Daatmir aane ke bees din baad yahan Osla me aata hai *counts in finger* August me mahine me. Bahot bada mela lagta hai.
--Abhi kaha hai murti?
--*points to a nearby peak* Woh dikh raha hai.. woh us pahaad ke peeche.
--Pehle toh ye Duryodhan ka mandir hua karta tha na?
--*frowned silence* Ha par ab Shiva ka hai.
Legend has it that during the period of Mahabharata the Kaurava prince Duryodhana was so mesmerised by the beauty of the Har-Ki-Doon valley that he appealed to Lord Mahasu, the reigning local deity, for this land and his plea was granted. He loved this magnificent land and contrary to popular beliefs, he was an empathetic ruler and his people loved him back.
The clan that lived in village of Osla were so loyal to Duryodhan that they built a temple for him. It is said that when he was slain in the Battle of Kurukshetra, the villagers wept so profusely that their tears gave birth to a river and the sorrow turned the water black - the river Tamas. Today, the river is called the Tons, but the villagers still don’t use the water for drinking. However with time and with the way Duryodhan has been portrayed as a villain in popular culture, a portion of Osla have distanced themselves from the Kaurava prince and dedicated the temple at Osla to Lord Shiva.
The temple is a wooden three-chambered structure with intricate carvings and an architecture marvel and even today the age-old ritual of Nahabati, the traditional playing of the drums is conducted thrice a day when the idol is Osla.
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--Namaste! Kahan se aaye ho aap?
--Kolkata
--Kitni door hai yahan se?
--Kaafi door hai..
--Delhi se bhi zyada door?
--Ji haan!
--Kaisa laga Osla?
--Bahot sundar hai. Kitne log rehte hai Osla me?
--Kam se kam 300 ghar hai yahan, kuch 700-800 log honge.
--Aur kaam kya karte hai?
--Aloo aur Gehu ka kheti hai, gaay-bakri bhi hai. Baaki cheez-on ke liye Mori jana padhta hai.
--Par Mori toh bahot door hai!
--*visibly irritated* Kya karein!
Taluka-wale aagey rasta banane nahi dete. Election ke time sab bolte hai ke sadak bana denge par koi kuch nahi karta. Gaon ke ladke yaha rehna nahi chahte. Mera beta Sankri me kaam karta hai, kehta hai jab sadak banega tab lautunga. Pata nahi kab banega.
*after a prolonged period of silence*
Bahot door se log aate hai yaha. Phoren se bhi. Photo kheechte hai Someshwar mandir ka. Bahot purana hai.
--Murti toh nahi hai andar..
--Ha. Wo murti gaon me ghumta rehta hai. Sawaan ke mahine me Jakhol se nikalta hai. Fitaari hoke Koteygaon jata hai. Daatmir aane ke bees din baad yahan Osla me aata hai *counts in finger* August me mahine me. Bahot bada mela lagta hai.
--Abhi kaha hai murti?
--*points to a nearby peak* Woh dikh raha hai.. woh us pahaad ke peeche.
--Pehle toh ye Duryodhan ka mandir hua karta tha na?
--*frowned silence* Ha par ab Shiva ka hai.
Legend has it that during the period of Mahabharata the Kaurava prince Duryodhana was so mesmerised by the beauty of the Har-Ki-Doon valley that he appealed to Lord Mahasu, the reigning local deity, for this land and his plea was granted. He loved this magnificent land and contrary to popular beliefs, he was an empathetic ruler and his people loved him back.
The clan that lived in village of Osla were so loyal to Duryodhan that they built a temple for him. It is said that when he was slain in the Battle of Kurukshetra, the villagers wept so profusely that their tears gave birth to a river and the sorrow turned the water black - the river Tamas. Today, the river is called the Tons, but the villagers still don’t use the water for drinking. However with time and with the way Duryodhan has been portrayed as a villain in popular culture, a portion of Osla have distanced themselves from the Kaurava prince and dedicated the temple at Osla to Lord Shiva.
The temple is a wooden three-chambered structure with intricate carvings and an architecture marvel and even today the age-old ritual of Nahabati, the traditional playing of the drums is conducted thrice a day when the idol is Osla.
