For a city dweller, Village life might be boring and slow. However, harmony of nature makes it special and serene. in city, we are busy machines and have no time to stand and look at the sun, we never get to see the rising sun or just the setting sun. Due to light pollution, stars are not visible, and the sky seems never romantic or starry.
I felt like going to my native place Ratnagiri, in beautiful Konkan to get a break as well observe the rituals that bound holi festival.
Things are not just different here but are indeed very different. People are informal in their behaviour and are closely connected in a simple web of social relations.
Let us not be mistaken that “villagers are illiterate, lack intelligence, unaware of technology, and ill mannered”
What I have observed is, “they are often literate, aware of all the modern technologies, very well mannered and cultured as well constructive”
Villagers know how to make the proper uses of available resources.
People here are constructive in their thoughts and often discuss ideas and future prospects especially the oldies.
‘We might say that fruits should be free from sprays and chemicals, but here even mango trees are addicted to the chemicals and cant grow properly without them’
My Grandpa says “There were so many birds and animals here, but due to increased urbanization- all have disappeared” ‘There was a time when peacock, rabbits, boars, mongoose, etc were a common sight and now they can’t be even spotted once’
People talk in terms of units, which we might have forgotten. We can say, Thane is an hour away and Bandra is 15mins away. But people in villages speak in terms of Km’s, Miles and even Nautical Miles. I wonder how many in Mumbai know Nautical miles!
Villagers also know about new projects undertaken and others scheduled to start. We hardly are aware of how many sky walks and flyovers are built or being built.
Most importantly, guest are always welcome. They are not just welcome, but are often served with food, and at times even forced for lunch or dinner. And we in our city, ask so artificially, ‘Would you like to have something?’ Obviously our intention behind it is so clear!
If I talk about studies, then parents are much more serious about their children, studies and their future. They are serious, sweet as well strict with their kids. Not chilled out parents, like many of urbanized parents, who in the name of liberty are so liberal that they even bear the insult from their kids. Due to financial crisis, not many students in village end up going to college. So even the facilities in colleges are nothing compared to our urban colleges.
From this all we can infer that villagers (esp in Konkan) are not lacking behind, as we often think of them to be. Their thoughts are enormous and varied. They discuss biodiversity, unemployment, Technology, Politics, etc. Which I guess we never discuss among our friends, colleagues or relatives. We can’t say that these are not our issues, or who has got time to talk about all this? Well we can gossip, talk about films, celebrities, sports, fashion, etc. Then why can’t we talk about issues which are more serious and should be looked upon!
Konkan, and im very sure, the whole country side is indeed beautiful. Its funny to us when we see foreigners in Mumbai clicking pictures of Crowded trains, slums, architectural sites, etc. All this because its new and amazing to them. Similarly, I was clicking pictures of lakes, birds, mountains, creek, the roads, which was funny to them. This is because they go through it everyday, and nothing different to them. But to me it’s a canvas painted by the mythical nature.
Some places are very beautiful and diverse, as well isolated. Like the lake I seen today. One could easily enter into meditative state, paint or even compose a song effortlessly sitting beside the lake.
Ohhhhhh!!!!!!! Something I forgot to mention earlier is the ‘ food’. May be I’m not really foody, so forgot to write about it initially.
We believe that if we eat lot of food then we become obese and rice surely brings the pouch out. I guess that’s not true. The plate that they serve here once can be easily finished by us in about two more meals. Hardly, 5 to 7 % of people are obese, rest all are fit and slim,. They even hardly travel, not like us from town to suburbs, again and again.
Yet they are slim. The mystery is about the quality of food, which is so nutritious and the amount of walk. Like fetching water from the well downhill, often walking rather than using a bike and saving fuel, going to temple walking, gathering firewood for cooking (even if cylinder is there), scarring the monkeys when they come to spoil the fruits, as well scarring the cattle entering ten times a day, for grazing. So you see though they travel less, their daily work is a rigorous exercise in itself. Not like us sitting in one place and ordering food, movie tickets, vegetables, flour and necessity items, coffee,etc on a phone and sitting whole day in the arm chair.
If there was something I missed then it were my family, friends, and my computer rather Internet.i also loved the rituals for Holi,
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