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Current Issue
A group of six Bengalis ventured on a journey
like no other this June. Dipak Dutta, Samir Dutta, Amalendu Majumdar,
Subrata Mukherjee, Biswamay
Ray and Sujit Ray made a
pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in western Tibet.
After over four years of planning,
they embarked on the 21-day trip,
full of anticipation. Nothing they had
read or imagined prepared them
for their experiences traversing
the rugged terrain to the Himalayas.
They flew to Katmandu, Nepal which provides
access to Kailash 750km away via the Tibetan
high plateau and the southern Himalayas.
The initial leg of the trip took them by jeep
across a lush jungle rising sharply to 16,000 feet.
Moisture from the Bay of Bengal collides with this
wall, raining down to create landslides and waterfalls
every few hundred yards. While the travelers clutched
their seats, the expert drivers skillfully
maneuvered their caravan of five jeeps,
two supply trucks, 21 tourists, 7 drivers and 13 guides.
Reaching the Tibetan plateau, they suddenly found
themselves in a tree-less desert, buffeted by dust
and wind. Altitude sickness, freezing temperatures,
sun-burn due to the thin atmosphere, and the relentless
motion of the
car made these five days perhaps the most difficult
part of the journey.
Each night their sherpa guides pitched tents and prepared meals.
There are no bathrooms in this “frighteningly beautiful” land
and soon all normal habits, hygiene, and inhibitions were
stripped away, as the travelers hoped simply
to survive this arduous way from which there was no turning back.
Their pilgrimage reached a turning point as they reached Manasarovar,
the mountain lake fabled to be “the center of the universe” from
which emerges five great rivers. Immersing themselves in the freezing water,
each accepted this once in a lifetime experience in an uniquely personal way.
The next day they arrived at the Tibetan settlement of Darchen from where
they began trekking around Mount Kailash by foot, making the circuit known
as “parikram”. They trekked 10 hours per day, covering 40 km in three days,
reaching an altitude of 19,000 feet. The thin air made every step difficult.
For thousands of years, seekers have journeyed to this serene, timeless place.
Access to the region was stopped when China took over Tibet and was re-opened
in 1993. The trek was also made by Ananda and Krishna Chakrabarty a few years ago,
encouraging the present adventurers to turn their plans into reality.
“This was a boyhood dream come true,” said Subrota Mukherjee. “I remember seeing
documentaries when I was just a kid and never imagined I would go there one day.”
Even after years of research and preparation, every day presented them with something unexpected. For example, climbing down from Dolma Pass turned out to be more exhausting than going up due to the treacherous, uneven slope.
One day, they overcame weariness by seeing their camp in the distance, and anticipating food and rest. Reaching it at last they found that it was someone else’s camp. The severe conditions pushed them to the limits of their physical endurance.
Given what they now know, would they still have done it? Mr. Mukherjee reflects, “It can’t be described. It is difficult to explain how it feels to encounter this awesome challenge and to surprise yourself with what you are capable of doing.”
Many BAGC families attended this year’s North American Bengali Conference held on July 7-9 in Atlantic City. The event drew an estimated 8,000 Bengalis who were accommodated comfortably in a huge space with two primary auditoriums.
The program following the tradition of past conferences mixed top artists from India with many programs from the American Bengali community. Not surprisingly, the community programs were largely from the northeast, including an exceptional children’s program by Kallol of New Jersey.
The youth programs were well-organized. Registration and food arrangements were very good. Altogether, Bengalis enjoyed three days of cultural immersion with an opportunity to buy Bengali products and reconnect with friends.
BAGC sponsored a presentation of “Sri Sri Ramkrishna” by the Union Minister of India, Ajit Panja, and his amateur drama troupe on May 16th. The play based on “Noti Binodini” gave a colorful view of Ramkrishna’s creative influence in the performing arts community and was enjoyed by a good turnout by the membership.
On June 24, BAGC presented an evening of dance by Mamata Sankar and her Calcutta troupe. The program, held at the North Shore Performing Arts Center, entertained a large audience of BAGC members and non-members.
Debarshi Mustafi of Kenwood Academy swept in the biochemistry category of the State Science Exposition. It was held May 5-6 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Debarshi Mustafi, a sophomore, won the best in category award in biochemistry and was honored at a luncheon held on May 11 at the O’Hare Marriott Hotel by the Chemical Industry Council of Illinois. He received a plaque and a $500 bond. Debarshi was also one of four students representing the City of Chicago at the 51st Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) held in Detroit May 7-13. More than 1200 young scientists from all 50 states of U. S., and over 40 countries competed in the Intel science fair. Debarshi Mustafi received a first place Government Award from the U.S. Army, which consisted of a plaque, a gold medal, and a $3000 bond. In the Grand Award ceremony he received third place in the category of biochemistry, which was a $1000 cash award. In addition, in the Special Award convocation, he won a $2000 college scholarship.
Jhumpa Lahiri's collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies, was awarded
the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
The Bengali-American novelist won the prestigious US prize, edging out Ha Jin's Waiting and Annie Proulx's Close Range: Wyoming Stories.
The 84th annual awards were announced by the Pulitzer Prize board at Columbia University in New York on April 10.
Born in London in 1967, Lahiri came to the U.S. with her parents when she was 2 years old. She grew up in Rhode Island where her father teaches at a university and her mother works for the school system. She is a graduate of Barnard College in New York, where she received a BA in English literature, and of Boston University, where she received an MA in English, an MA in creative writing and an MA in comparative studies in literature and the arts, and a Ph.D in Renaissance studies.
She has taught creative writing at Boston University and the Rhode Island School of Design. She was a fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Cape Cod, and now lives in New York.
Lahiri attributes some of her stories to experiences visiting India. “I visited India frequently. I didn't experience the country as a tourist -- We didn't stay in hotels, we stayed with relatives. I didn't experience it as a native, either -- it's a middle position.”
She grew up like many second-generation Bengalis. “[My parents] were very involved with the Bengali community. I speak Bengali.”
She explains that her characters are a composite drawn from personal experiences and research.
“I don't think of writing about an idea or a given message. I just try to write a story (which is hard enough),” she says. She aspired to be a writer early on, and submitted articles for years before being noticed. She notes she was ready to wait a “long time” to gain recognition as a writer.
