Teok , a small town in Jorhat District of Assam. Around 30 years back, it was in process to be a township. It is my parents' home place, where I was born.
As my parental villages were in Teok, we usually visited this place on every vacation. Growing up in a concrete city, I found this place peaceful and naturally rich. We travelled by bus to visit my birthplace. The Teok State Transport bus stand was very small that time. State Transport buses stopped here for few minutes only. Here I saw Mekurikai for the first time.
I can still visualise his picture in my mind! Mekurikai, the unsung artist! He used to wore a half pant and a shirt, hanging wooden box around his neck. He sang TOKARIGEET (type of sufi song in Assamese Folk) and collected money from his listeners. Every morning he used to come to Teok State Transport Bus Stand. Whole day he got into the buses while they stopped, sang his TOKARIGEET in his mild and beautiful voice with feelings, collected money from his listeners and got down from the buses. Behind him, he used to left some sweet chord in the ears of his listeners.
Mekuri means Cat and Kai is used after a person’s name in Assamese to address Sir. MekuriKai – who can see like a cat. But regarding this unsung hero, his name didn’t match with him. He was blind.... he couldn’t see this beautiful world with his eyes... but he could feel everything everywhere! He walked a long distance to come every day to his earning place with his bare feet. In the evening, the same way he went back to his village!
I was too young when I saw this man first time in my life. I looked at him so curiously, my father then told me he has GOD gifted sense to feel around. He could recognise any person by his or her voice. He knew every person of old days by their names and village name. As he knew my Grandfather and so he knew my father as his son! Every passenger, who at least once had travelled on Jorhat – Sivsagar root of Assam, knew Mekurikai that time.
Its being so long time, since I had visited my birthplace. Last time when I saw Mekurikai, I was around 14/15 years old teenager. This tremendous singer is no more in this world now! He died as an unsung artist. He had a large amount of storrage of Assamese Folk song.... But I am afraid if someone ever had taken any pain to preserve those songs...!!!
As my parental villages were in Teok, we usually visited this place on every vacation. Growing up in a concrete city, I found this place peaceful and naturally rich. We travelled by bus to visit my birthplace. The Teok State Transport bus stand was very small that time. State Transport buses stopped here for few minutes only. Here I saw Mekurikai for the first time.
I can still visualise his picture in my mind! Mekurikai, the unsung artist! He used to wore a half pant and a shirt, hanging wooden box around his neck. He sang TOKARIGEET (type of sufi song in Assamese Folk) and collected money from his listeners. Every morning he used to come to Teok State Transport Bus Stand. Whole day he got into the buses while they stopped, sang his TOKARIGEET in his mild and beautiful voice with feelings, collected money from his listeners and got down from the buses. Behind him, he used to left some sweet chord in the ears of his listeners.
Mekuri means Cat and Kai is used after a person’s name in Assamese to address Sir. MekuriKai – who can see like a cat. But regarding this unsung hero, his name didn’t match with him. He was blind.... he couldn’t see this beautiful world with his eyes... but he could feel everything everywhere! He walked a long distance to come every day to his earning place with his bare feet. In the evening, the same way he went back to his village!
I was too young when I saw this man first time in my life. I looked at him so curiously, my father then told me he has GOD gifted sense to feel around. He could recognise any person by his or her voice. He knew every person of old days by their names and village name. As he knew my Grandfather and so he knew my father as his son! Every passenger, who at least once had travelled on Jorhat – Sivsagar root of Assam, knew Mekurikai that time.
Its being so long time, since I had visited my birthplace. Last time when I saw Mekurikai, I was around 14/15 years old teenager. This tremendous singer is no more in this world now! He died as an unsung artist. He had a large amount of storrage of Assamese Folk song.... But I am afraid if someone ever had taken any pain to preserve those songs...!!!
Very nice!!!
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