I was trying to place
an online order, and the address section required me to fill any ‘LANDMARK’
near my workplace for easy delivery. The word sent me thinking about the many
landmarks which are now no longer a part of the cityscape of Guwahati, and also
those places which struggle to survive in this rapidly evolving megapolis.
My sons, on the
threshold of their teenage years, have begun to ridicule my oft-mentioned
reminisces of these old and dilapidated structures whose mention is unavoidable
in my daily conversation with them. Yes,
I tell them, when I was not ‘salted and peppered’ those ‘landmarks’ were
teeming with life and stories.
A self-declared gourmand,
it is but natural that I begin my monologue with the mention of Reboti,
synonymous with chowmein. Long before hakka, hofun, ramen, udon, etc. became a
part of the foodies’ vocabulary in Guwahati, we were already munching on
cabbage-flavoured oily tasty chow-chow of Reboti beneath the olive-green canopy
of the ancient tree. Momo was synonymous with the thatched U-Turn; its decaying
skeleton is now a sad reflection of its erstwhile glorious days.
While it is a luxury
munching caramel popcorn and putting up the legs in luxurious laze in the
recliners of the PVRs and Cinepolis, I cannot help but pass a nostalgic glance
at the mildew-laden, defaced and ageing walls of Meghdoot, Apsara, Neptune,
etc. There was a time when we eagerly awaited the arrival of the newspaper;
just to have a glance at which movie is being played at which cinema hall. Even
the appellation ‘cinema - hall’ is on the verge of extinction with more
time-apt words like multiplex becoming a part of our lives. Now these single
screened cinema halls are twisted for a different purpose, for some different
audience. Like a comatose patient, these
halls live in a vegetative state now.
Dating used to be a
luxury. ‘Lying through the teeth, saying that I am going to a friend’s place’
should be the real description of ‘dating’ in the days of saah-singra at Lakhi
Cabin, or for the heavy pursers, a luxurious lunch at China Town or Hotel
Dynasty. It was such a big deal! Those were simpler times, when there was
neither the opportunity nor the urge to send semi-clad (or no-clad!) photos to
people whom we met online. Guided by Linda Goodman’s Love Signs and goaded by
an older cousin who just met someone wonderful at a birthday party, dating was uncomplicated,
and in today’s context, naïve. The most fabulous way to prove your affection to
someone special was to create for them a mix tape, which included a stealthy
trip to the corner store to buy a ‘blank cassette’, and an eclectic medley of Saason Ki Zaroorat Hain Jaise, (Everything I
Do) I Do It For You, My Heart will Go On, Aate Jaate Haanste Gaate, Nothing’s
Gonna Change My Love For You, and so on.
For the shier ones, things were easier still; all it required was a quick visit
to the Archies Gallery and buy a ‘card’, preferable one with red roses. The
cassette/CD stores are long since gone, and what remains with me now is the
memory of the various songs I used to listen to.
The marriage halls of
yore are also gone. This includes the one where yours truly too got hitched; it
now houses a nationalized bank. With fewer guests and no themes, the marriage
halls too were simple structures. These have now given way to smart businesses
now. I zoom past Kunjalata Bibah Bhawan every day, and I wonder if it will ever
see its glorious days again.
Amidst all these
vanishing landmarks, it feels good to find a few still standing strong,
fighting the fast onslaught of change which is not always a gentle procedure. Shaikh
Brothers, Guwahati Bakery, Eggs-O-Tik, Benaras Dyers, Hotel Nandan and Momo
Ghar all stand witness to the times long gone. An integral part of the mythos
of Guwahati, the vanished and the vanishing landmarks will soon remain only in
the lore and reminiscences of the generation which too will soon become
history. Till then I will cherish them, think and talk about them and will tell
the younger lot how these dilapidated structures were once alive. Who knows,
maybe someday a young author may decide to unearth their stories and write a
best-selling memoir on them?
