A Ghost in ( पूर्ण आश्रम ) Poorna Ashram-DAV College Hostel, DehraDun

 In 1953 July,  after my High School from HIC, Chandpur, I took admission in DAV College , DehraDun. I was given a seat in Dayanad Ashram - a hostel of the college on campus. After some time, all the students of first year ( 11th class) were transferred to Poorna Ashram, another very small hostel of the college , also on the campus. It was wonderful location on the west side of the college , having varandah on both the sides of our rooms. One varandah opening towards DBS College ( then DAV Inter College ). Our warden , Prof Pathak, HOD, Law Department lived next to our hostel; His wife died just a few months ago and there was a rummer that as a Ghost, she lived on a giant tree in front of the house of the warden . There was a water tap just under the tree.

Budh Deo Sharma ( from Najibabad) was on one of our classmate who also lived in Poorna Ashram, one day  had a bet that anyone  dare to get a tumbler of water from that water tap in the middle of night because of the presence of the ghost.Though I was young at the age of 17 years, did not believe in the ghost. I accepted the challenge and went in dark night at about 12 midnight time to fetch the water. As I reached, I heard strange voices coming out from the huge tree ,and as I reached there , some thing started coming down slowly. I took my water and snatched the object coming down. To my surprise, I found that it was a blanket which was lowered by Budh Deo , he also got down from the tree with strange figure and sound. Any way the drama was over with a climax. I gave him a good beating for staging this scary drama. Perhaps, it could have been a fatal incident for a weak heart. I reported the incident to Prof Pathak and he was very furious on Budh Deo. Later Part is not interesting for this blog.

Be brave, there is no Ghost, it is made by people to create scary stories.

 

My life and my Destiny 1

When young, I never realized many facts of the life as there was no time to look back and assess the events of life. As usual, most people are busy in making the career., looking after the family and extended family ; busy at job and many such things. It is the retirement when, you are free from such activities and you have time to go back and look into past happenings and analyse them with new perspectives and perceptions with cumulative knowledge and experience through all these years of life.
I feel that my life was guided and shaped perfectly by my destiny especially after 1953. I passed my High School Examination with good scores . Having no more facility for science education in Hindu Inter College, I decided to go DehraDun to study Science for my Intermediate Examination at DAV College- one of the best school around in those days. I had no guides, mentors or consulars and my parents and family members were not capable to guide me for my education and career. Who decided to choose DAV College for my further education? my destiny !!! I was living in Pooran  Ashram (Hostel on the campus ) sharing the room with Satya Prakash Agrawal from Jwalapur - a very serious and brilliant student. My grandfather, Shri Har Prashad ji once came from Muzaffarnagar to visit me and guided and directed me to change the subjects from Biology to Physics and was switched over to Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics Group as he thought it would provide me wider opportunity for my career instead limiting myself only for medical career with Biology group. My course of career was changed for ever. Destiny guided my grandfather to visit me and advised me, rather forced me to change the courses. The College was good with very good teachers who cared about good students and especially about me. Laboratories were good. The education was of very high quality. I was satisfied with my education and environment and rest of the things. I made some very good friends in a very short period. I liked the place and I wished if I could live here for ever. ( Perhaps, GOD listened to me and kept in mind for some other time; Later in 1961, I got the job with ONGC with its Head Quarters in DehraDun ). If I would have continued over here, my career and life would have been different. But, my Destiny changed the course of my life again.

Some times in Late August, I got a letter from the Principal of Hindu Inter College that they have started Science courses over there and I must join back the college. Thinking that I will enjoy to live at home with my Nani who loved and cared for me so much, without any second thought , I came back to Chandpur .  This changed the course of life again- the DESTINY. This new environment for science courses did not provide appropriately good education and motivation and hence lost my scores to second division mainly based on my memory not understanding the concepts properly ( not realized at that time ).

Joined Meerut College for my B.Sc. I have separately written about a loss of my year education over there: Read that blog here; It was designed by my destiny to leave this college and place for some other program in its plan for future. Having no reasonable idea as why should I go to BHU for my further education, I went there. why ?? Even my friends and parents asked me as why should I go to BHU? I did not know for sure?? Even , my attempt to seek admission to BHU was half-hearted; In-spite of the fact that my admission would be cancelled if I did not deposit the fee in time, I paid only some amount , a fraction of the fee, not full.I did not like Chemistry, so I decided to take any other combination without Chemistry. The best option was Physics, Mathematics and Geology ( known popularly in BHU as PMG group.) Knowing nothing about Geology, I chose this subject but in the first and orientation class Prof Mukherjee told as what we have to study in Geology and had shown the Books, Holms Physical Geology, ........ for all the various branches of Geology; It was so scaring that I went back to College office to change it for any other subject but College office refused not to make any changes at this time. All the programmes were finalized by then. Destiny decided to go for this group. Perhaps, preparing me for Geophysics as PMG was the requirement of admission for post graduate programme in Geophysics.
The story is getting longer, I passed my B.Sc. in 1958; continued.........

Har Prasad ji : Baba ji, Dadi ji (BOBO)

In my another blog, I have written the history of my family giving all the facts, I could know from my elders;https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blogger.g?blogID=7434278182063497637#editor/target=post;postID=3162980977026679503;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=2;src=postname

In that blog, I wrote in short about one of my gradfather,s younger brother - youngest brother as following:

Shri Har Prasad Vaish , the youngest of grandfather,s  brother lived in Muzaffarnagar as his wife, Dadi ji  ( popularly known as BOBO) from Dadri was the only child of her parents and she inherited property in Muzaffarnagar. Baba ji was educated, high school , used to speak good English ( how and where was he educated ????); He was a civil contractor; both Dadi ji and Babaji were excellent persons and very social , affectionate and caring people. They were quite visible all over during all the occasions/celebrations  of the family.They had three daughters=Indira ji, Kamla ji and Ramla ji; Indira Buwa ji was married to an engineer, Shri Jai Prakash Agrawal , son of shri (Master) Ram Nivas ji in Bijnor, later settled in Jabalpur. Ramla ji and Kamla ji also settled in Muzaffarnagar after the death of Babaji. He was great man and we have yet to see a person of his style in our family. I have several memories of my own experience with him. I will write them somewhere else.  It is time  now to write some thing about them:

Both of them were excellent persons with all standards. They were most visible persons not only in our family but among all their relations and friends. They were the persons who will take responsibilty by themselves;
1. Dadi jee will be the first person to arrive in all our social functions be it a marriage ceremony, or naming ceremony. She will take responsibility that all the guests are properly served at all the occasions- breakfast, lunch, dinner, milk for the children, their comfort and every thing , no body to blame the main host for any deficiencies and they were not there under her command and control; Her voice was heard every where.She was able and capable managing these affairs perfectly well ; and she was very strong link and coordinator in establishing the relationships among all the family members.
2. My younger brother Santosh had problem getting admission in M.Sc. (Chemistry) with the combination of Geology, Geography and Chemistry in B.Sc. as Agra University did not recognize this combination for M.Sc. Admission. When I failed to do anything in DehraDun and elsewhere, I casually mentioned to Dadi jee about it as I knew that she has lot of influence in Muzaffar Nagar. She immediately accepted the responsibilty and contacted the relevent people connected to College management. Management forced the Principal to admit him out of way and make an acceptable precedence for the University. Santosh stayed comfortably with her for a year during his M.Sc. previous before moving to DehraDun for final year. Commendable, what Santosh is to day with his M.Sc. degree in Chemistry, it is due to her efforts..
3, I do remember another incident when I took admission in first year of Intermediate in DAV College, DehraDun. He of his own initiative visited me in DehraDun and asked about the details of my study programme; discussed at length the prons and cons for the combination I had ( Biology group; Chemistry, Zoology and Botany  ) ; went to the Principal and asked him to change it to Chemistry, Physics and Maths without asking me or my parents. He used his own authority . Who can take such kind of step these days even for his own children? He was a good advisor and councellor .That was the kind of responsibilty and authority , people used to take then. relations were very informal and cordial ; I remember, I used to go and stay with them in Muzaffarnager  without any hasitation. or inhibition. Whole family was very affectionate and caring.
4. My M.Sc. education in BHU was partly financed by Babajee very informally and willingly. The help was offered by him not that we requested him to do so. Of course, I very gratefully tried to refund the whole amount he paid when I got my job with ONGC.
5. On the occasion of  matrimonial engagement, Dadi jee could not come to join my family. She sent Ramla Buwa jee to accompant the family to Aligarh ;
Both of them were most respected persons by all our family members.