Blast from past : Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s Vidyapith Visit

Memoirs penned by Paritosh Kumar Roy Chaodhuri in 2004

My family returned from Burma and on a bright day of 1937, I was admitted in Vidyapith 1937. I was quite young and got enrolled in Class-VI. 

That year one day in March, we came to know that some VIP is coming to our Vidyapith. Accordingly, Brahmananda Dham was dressed up as the ‘gentleman’ will come there. Luckily I was that time staying in the Dham and we shared the responsibilities of making ‘his’ visit memorable. All arrangements were complete by 3 pm. A big fat mattress was laid on the floor wrapped in milk-white sheet. Couple of bolsters to make ‘him’ comfortable and a hookah was kept aside as the ‘gentleman’ is known to have love for the same. The hose of the hookah was about 10 feet long and mouthpiece was shining as silver!

We students were sitting on a satranji and waited with tons of curiosity. Dot at 4, ‘he’ arrived. Slim old gentleman with silver white disheveled hair which were at times flurrying with wind.  The skin as almost bronze. Ajanta Studio of Deoghar came running for photography and was promptly stooped by him. He seemed very allergic to photography and guarded his face by a magazine! He glanced around inside the Dham and smiled seeing the hookah, “Oh nice arrangement! I am not used to speeches and talks, just came to hear stories from boys. Have anyone of you read my stories, please tell me one, if.” 

We were astonished. Arun stood up and said that he can. “Raamer Sumoti”. “Oh I would love to hear that”. Arun started saying the entire story fluently. Couple of times he was hesitating and the ‘gentleman’ helped him find the missing links. He looked very happy as Arun completed. The time ended and the short period was memorable due to his charming presence without much words. Later Sudhir Maharaj scolded Arun for his ‘bad-habit’ of reading novels at that tender age, while most us heard the word ‘novel’ for the first time. We knew only ‘story books’.

I was presented before him as he was leaving and introduced as Boy from Burma. He inquired about my name, about profession of my father etc and watched me sharply and asked, “you are the same boy who was exhibiting boxing? I don’t like such violent games” and smiled. All the while he seemed so pleased with a fresh red rose presented to him and he was often enjoying its fragrance. He left with Namaskar to all.

The silver haired old man was Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay!

(Shri Paritosh Roy Choudhury (‘42-Batch) was elder brother of our Alumni Late Dr Santosh Roy Choudhury V147S00030).