KALIMPONG SIXTIES - YESTERDAY ONCE MORE

KALIMPONG  –  YESTERDAY  ONCE  MORE  !

-         J S Simick, 11 Feb 2017

Those were the days in Kalimpong

when we could walk,

when we could talk,

and laze away our moments waiting

for the newspapers at Himalayan Store .

Repeated rounds of Main Road,

‘half glass’ tea  and singara

at Dipali and Narayan Das,

were just excuses to prolong the hope

of saying a shy Hi to someone special !

The “bioscopes”  in Kanchan and Novelty

put dreams in us of the big world across Teesta Bridge!

The ‘coming’ posters of great movies -

Magnificent Seven, Great Escape, Guns of Navarone,

Sound of Music, even Maiti Ghar

were stared at with eager eyes.

Melville de Mello,and Binaca Hit Parade,

Listener’s Choice and Radio Ceylon

brought ears closer to whining and whistling radios.

The not so frequent black-white photos

 were paint-brushed into colorful life

at Gopal, Om and SKG studios !

Guitar strings from Premalaya produced music notes

of  Beatles, Carpenters, Jim Reeves,Tom Jones,

emulated enthusiastically from 45s and LP Records,

and Panasonic Audiocassettes.

Those tunes and words still haunt us now.

Packed Dharma Hall in Kumudini, evoked new emotions

with Gopal Yonjan, Aruna Lama, Amber Gurung at the mike!

“Baishaki ban ma..” and “Nau laakhey taara”

showed us our very own roots !

And how,

the young and old,

the near and distant,

the good, the bad and the ugly,

immersed themselves in the mad, chaotic happiness

of  Pandrah August !

Hum Jaayega and Kira Kanchha,  seem so much taller,

now that the laughter they evoked,

is heard no more ..

The great bell of Macfarlane Church

surveyed the town from its lofty perch,

and its regular Sunday chimes

put the thought of God,

into the the minds of even

the not so holy.

And Relli river, dear old Relli

your memories of sunny, joyful picnics flow much farther

than the Teesta - Rungeet you embrace !

You have outlived Graham, Sutherland, and Tibet trade.

Great local souls, who grew up with you,

have peacefully closed their eyes in your lap!

Even as you lean easily on Kanchenjunga

and continue your endless journey of time,

here’s  something which many have said,

and still do –

Kalimpong  I love you!

                           ///

Picture showing  Kalimpong town from 8^th Mile

Photo credit : Google Images