Bangle Sellers

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There are at least three Naidus who are rather well known all over India:

1. C. K. Naidu

I am no cricketer (never touched a cricket bat or ball...they were too heavy and too hard for me); but almost every cricket-loving Indian has heard of this Naidu for his buccaneering style of batting:

"...CK's best stint was playing at Edgbaston, he hit a ball into the River Rhea and thus into the next county..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._K._Nayudu

2. Chandrababu Naidu

A few days back ToI published an article by Mir Ayub Ali Khan titled:

"An Ode to Mir Osman Ali Khan"

on the Centenary Year of the 7th Nizam's Ascending the Aisf Jahi Throne at Hyderabad.

The 7th (and last) Nizam was the richest man in the world during his prime, the source of his wealth being the fabulous diamond exports from Golconda. He had seven wives, 42 concubines and at least 40 children...wow!

But he was different: He rebuilt the city ravaged by the floods of 1908. And transformed it into a modern world class city. Some of his inspired contributions are:

High Court Building, Osmania General Hospital, Osmania University, Legislative Assembly, State Museum (Doll House), Mozamjahi Market, AP Bhavan at Delhi (where an MLA beat up an Officer the other day just for the kick of it) and perhaps Osman Sagar Lake.

The Article says:

"...The only politician who added value to Hyderabad after about 50 years of Mir Osman Ali Khan's rule was Chandrababu Naidu. He gave a new vision to Hyderabad, built Cyberabad and propelled it on to the world map..."

...and gave my son his living {;-}

3. Sarojini Naidu

Ah, she is dear to me for three splendid reasons:

(a) She was the first Naidu I heard of (in my Village School where my Father taught us her poems prescribed in our Text Book).

(b) amaader bauma

(c) The original oasis of our youth, SN Hall at KGP, is named for her.

See:

http://www.poemhunter.com/sarojini-naidu/biography/

"..She was born on February 13, 1879 in Hyderabad. Her father, Dr. Aghornath Chattopadhyaya, was the founder of Nizam College of Hyderabad and a scientist. Her mother, Mrs. Varasundari, was a Bengali poetess. Sarojinidevi inherited qualities from both her father and mother...

...During her stay in England, Sarojini met Dr. Govind Naidu from southern India. After finishing her studies at the age of 19, she got married to him during the time when inter-caste marriages were not allowed. Her father was a progressive thinking person, and he did not care what others said. Her marriage was a very happy one..."

Almost exactly a century ago, she wrote a charming poem titled:

Bangle Sellers

Bangle sellers are we who bear
Our shining loads to the temple fair...
Who will buy these delicate, bright
Rainbow-tinted circles of light?

Lustrous tokens of radiant lives,
For happy daughters and happy wives.
Some are meet for a maiden's wrist,
Silver and blue as the mountain mist,

Some are flushed like the buds that dream
On the tranquil brow of a woodland stream,
Some are aglow with the bloom that cleaves
To the limpid glory of new born leaves

Some are like fields of sunlit corn,
Meet for a bride on her bridal morn,
Some, like the flame of her marriage fire,
Or, rich with the hue of her heart's desire,

Tinkling, luminous, tender, and clear,
Like her bridal laughter and bridal tear.
Some are purple and gold flecked grey
For she who has journeyed through life midway,

Whose hands have cherished, whose love has blest,
And cradled fair sons on her faithful breast,
And serves her household in fruitful pride,
And worships the gods at her husband's side.

http://allpoetry.com/poem/8496457-The_Bangle_Sellers-by-Sarojini_Naidu

I am reminded of this when I saw a front page Advertisement in DC today by a famous Jewelery Chain.

It has a very cute girl stacking bangle upon bangle into a veritable tower.

The Competition is called: "Tallest Bangle Mela":

"Win a Gold Bangle Every Day!"

"Stack as many bangles as you can one above the other. If your Bangle Tower is the tallest on that day, in that showroom, you win a gold bangle!'

I must say that Bangle Sellers have much improved their Sales Gimmicks in a hundred years.

Well, there may be no itinerant Bangle Sellers in Chandrababu Naidu's Cyberabad, but the 7th Nizam's Charminar - Lad Bazaar precincts are awash with world-famous Bangle Stores and Carts.

And Ramzaan is here presently.

SN will surely recognize them as her own Hyderabadis.

Amen!

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