Saturday, March 8, 2014

BHOLU & GIRIJA - IN YOUR FOND MEMORIES.








  

YOUNG BHOLU


Very few Indian Army Units ,especially Infantry,  still have Mascots.This has been an old & honoured tradition.

They are looked after well & remain a pampered lot. Trained to march with troops in full regimental regalia ,accouterments & badges of ranks with the Regimental Pipes & Drums playing the Regimental March Past.

As a young Lieutenant, I had a personal mascot -a white & fluffy Ram -whom I had named BHOLU. My buddy looked after him more than me .He was shampooed every week  & brushed thrice a day.One fine day, I  saw that his beautiful horns had been painted in golden colour .It was my Man Friday Govind who had done it.From then on, he was known as Lambu's Golden Ram.(I was the tallest Officer in the Garrison).I had put two small satchels on either side of his shoulders & he used to carry some odd things in the pockets -that I purchased from the nearby bazar at Baloon.

He walked just behind me.What a swagger, elan & precision! Every day ,first thing in the early morning, BHOLU came to my bed to wake me up.While  I put on my PT Dress, he kept standing motionless. A handful of gram with a big piece of jaggery-all that he wanted from me. I offered it every day .I never got late for the first parade.He used to make all sorts of sounds to wake me up ;he was more punctual than me.Although he loved me a lot ,but he at times ,used to jump high up in the air &  charge at me with boyish alacrity.He never harmed me-stopped well short of me.After he started attempting  this manoeuvre with others ,that I decided to hand him over to a friend of mine who had a big farm in the foothills.I took a promise from him that no harm should ever come to him.

Soon there after my Battalion left the station to take part in War.The Farm House was en route & I shouted for BHOLU. He came almost galloping.I could see tears in his eyes.My throat was choked with emotions.I handed over to  my friend a bag full of  black gram & a couple of Bhelis( Jaggery). I had kept a separate packet of gram & jaggery for BHOLU. He relished it.



(TEARS IN BHOLU's EYES)

Our convoy was getting late.I bid my friend & BHOLU Good Bye.After the War was over, I again met BHOLU.He again came running to greet me.My friend had looked after him pretty well.He insisted that I take him as it belonged to me.I thanked him & requested him to keep him as a small present from my side.After two years I moved to Mhow & there ,on one afternoon I got a letter from my friend saying that BHOLU had passed away peacefully.


(GIRIJA AS A CUB)





 



(GIRIJA-FULLY GROWN)


I never knew that INS Virbahu had 'GIRIJA' -a full grown bear as their mascot.It was sometimes in the same year ,ie,1971 that I had handed over BHOLU to my friend,that a young Leading Engineering Mechanic,"Johnny" Johnson had come across an abandoned bear cub somewhere up North of Visakhapatnam Mountain Trail.This little cub- a girl stayed with his family initially. It was Commander Roy Millan who adopted the cub on behalf of the Submarine Squadron & named her "GIRIJA".I am told that GIRIJA soon became darling of all sailors ,so much so, that she fearlessly moved all over the complex -even inside  the barracks, climbing up & down the stairs effortlessly!

In right moods, GIRIJA also obliged the spectators with her special 'Spanish Cha-Cha-Cha '

GIRIJA was a darling & she walked around freely without doing any harm to any one.She did,however, at times, jump around a lot & repeat the antics like BHOLU.

All efforts of  Commander Roy Millan to train GIRIJA to fall in at Divisions (Similar to Drill Parade in Army) with Band playing were not successful.She passed away in 1974.

GIRIJA was laid to rest in Virbahu Garden with full honours.

It was a shining example of great love,affection,tradition,commitment,dedication,compassion, group dynamics & camaraderie of the entire submarine crew.To commemorate GIRIJA's association with Virbahu, a Light House was erected inside the Virbahu Garden which remains lit at night.

I salute my brave comrades-in-arms of the Indian Armed Forces & brave sons of Mother India  of the  Submarine Arm of our illustrious Indian Navy who sacrificed their lives for the cause of the Nation.As I am signing off,I hear of another sacrifice of a bright Naval Officer on board INS Kolkata in Mazgaon Docks.

RIP my comrades.The entire Nation is proud of you.

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