Kumartuli or Kumortuli is located in the northern part of the city of Kolkata . The locality is a traditional habitat of the potters for nearly three hundred years. The potters or the artisans or the artists settled here during the restructuring of the Kolkata colonial region by the British East India Company . Earning a livelihood by making earthen pots and utensils first they gradually shifted to the making of the idols of Gods and Goddesses for various festivals round the year. With increasing demand and quality of their creations over time the artisans became famous and Kumartuli came to be known as the hub of idol makers supplying thousands of idols, particularly of Goddess Durga , to whole of the state of West Bengal and to NRIs of around 90 countries across the globe. At least three months before Durga Puja , the biggest festival of West Bengal and one of the biggest across Eastern India, more than five hundred workshops come alive with hyper activity day and night. Fir...
Stingy, mingy, parsimonious, frugal, prudent, thrifty—there are so many words for ‘miser’! We must be prudent in using a suitable word for our lovely grandmother who just had the habit. We decided upon ‘mingy’, but definitely ruling out the possible interpretation of ‘mean’. Hard core misers are hardly enjoyable! Those who are rather habitual ones with lots of confusion and contradiction are really amusing.
In a particular neighborhood there had been a grandmother who got the reputation of being a little miserly, but most of the times she was not taken seriously and was only laughed at. Further, she was never mingy to family and close relatives. Only when ‘others’ were concerned she behaved differently.
For all the ceremonial functions including a few weddings held in her household our grandmother always insisted on visiting the neighbors to invite. She used to meet the head of the family saying, ‘Please do come!’ and then adding in a low tone, ‘Only you…alone…okay?’ Afterwards when she found somebody attending whom she did not expect she used to accost him/her too warmly, ‘Hey dear! I am so happy you came!’ and then adding in an undertone not quite audible, ‘Would’ve been happier if you didn’t!’
That afternoon grandmother was alone in the house with all members going out on different errands. Her youngest grandson rushed in home from school with a pal a little earlier than usual. Grandmother looked askance at the other boy!
‘Oh grandma, I am ravenously hungry! Give me something hot and tasty, quickly!’ Her grandson demanded.
‘Sure, my little darling! I’ll make you a steaming plate of noodles, two minutes…okay?’ the doting grandmother then turned to the other boy asking, ‘Dear me! You must be very hungry too, no?’
‘Yes…grand mom…!’ the boy said hesitantly.
‘Right! Then do me favor, honey! Run home quickly, have a good fill and join back here nice and cozy! Okay?’
My grandmother is not "mingy" at all. She joyfully shares her money with us and spoils us badly. We don't love her though because of this trait but because of her other traits that are very endearing :D
ReplyDeleteMy grandma's sister can be a bit mean to others sometimes but still soft at heart
ReplyDeletenice story :)
ReplyDeletemy two grandmas are the best becuse they take care of me whenever I'm in the Philippines :)
I can imagine this as a true story. Some grandmothers are like that even in our country.haha!
ReplyDeleteOur lovely grannies.. got to love them, got to love them..
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Thanks for the information and for sharing your knowledge.
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That one that you mentioned here is truly mingy. It's like some of those oldies in drama series. hehehe!
ReplyDeletethis makes me laugh..he..he..I'm glad that my grandma welcomes everyone with a cheerful heart and feeds those who are hungry:)
ReplyDeleteThere are really grandmothers like this. I think my Lola is one of them. =)
ReplyDelete