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CENTENARIAN |
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The times have changed... |
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Rajiben Mangjibhai Chaudhary, 106 years“The husband and wife could see each other only after marriage. These days, children approve prospective bridegroom and only then, the marriage is arranged,†|
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Rajiben knows that times have changed and people don’t follow many customs prevalent then. She still gets amused, annoyed and, at times, surprised. “Things have changed. The way people eat, talk to elders, dress and live is very different from how we used to live,†says the 106-year-old. Rajiben was born in Bapupura village of Mansa taluka in Gandhinagar to Jeetiben and Dalsangbhai. She never went to school and had always been engaged in farming and related activities, like taking care of the cattle or collecting fodder. At the age of 10 years, she got married to Mangjibhai. The couple was blessed with five daughters and three sons. In those times, there were no dairies and they would prepare their own buttermilk and ghee. The present dairy was established after all their children got married. Rajiben has used traditional medicines throughout her life. Earlier, women used ardusi (vasaka), tulsi (basil), arni (wind killer) and goli (ivy gourd/coccina indica) leaves. If a child fell ill, ash was applied on his/her entire body for treatment. “If anybody was hurt by a grass cutting tool, the bruise or wound would be bandaged after applying arni leaves. When buffaloes would fail to come in heat, they would be fed sava and gol (dill seeds and jaggery),†shares Rajiben. She laments the fact that in olden days, buffaloes never fell sick. People took good care of them and healthy, unadulterated fodder was available. These days, buffaloes fall sick due to toxic wastes in the fodder. For preserving food grains in olden days, they used to mix grains with ash or add neem leaves.In earlier days, Rajiben had financial constraints. She did farming, labour and cattle-rearing all her life. There were no machines to grind food grains. “The household income was limited. We sold bajra (pearl millet) to earn extra income. The times were such that we did not have enough money to pay fees for our children’s education,†reminisces Rajiben. During drought, people dug up new wells if the existing ones dried up. Untouchability was strictly followed. “If we had to go out with people of a lower caste, we had to purify ourselves by sprinkling water before entering the house.†In those days, parents fixed the match for their children and got them married at an early age. “The husband and wife could see each other only after marriage. These days, children approve prospective bridegroom and only then, the marriage is arranged,†a slightly miffed Rajiben says. She also shares that she never sat with or talked to the elders, be it at her father’s house or her in-laws. “Women always covered their faces with a dupatta (stole) in presence of elders.†Rajiben’s diet has always been simple - curry and rotlas (chapatti) with ghee and milk. Tandalja (Amaranth leaves) and phang (Rivea) bhajiya (deep-fried fritters), as well as muthiyas (steamed rolls), were popular. Rajiben does all her domestic chores herself and moves around with ease. Although, she lives her life with zest, she misses watching birds. “I also miss my friends,†she adds. She dreams of witnessing the marriage of her grandchildren some day. Scout: Swati Kanhaiyalal Prajapati, Gozariya, Mehsana, Mehsana |
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| Volume No. |
Honey Bee 27(2) 4, 2016 |
