Dhiru Bhai

Navratri had a different flavour in Dhanbad and very different in Jharia. Dhanbad was very very hep for me when I was small.There was a banjara family living in a big hut near Jalaram mandir. My mama house was overlooking their house. They would listen to music lodly and they fought very loudly with sticks and all. Their women were in ghagra cholis with thick silver payals. My fascination for payals and thick silver ones comes from there. The second brother was Dhiru Bhai. He was tall dark lean with a thin moustache in a very rustic way very Mills and Boon kind of a guy. He had intense eyes. One month before navratri, he would teach boys Dandiya. They boys would range from 7-20 years who would want to participate. The practise happenned in Nandvana Wadi and no one was allowed to witness the practise. Nandvana wadi was a wedding venue with a very big rectangular chowk. The show waould happen on ashtmi or Dusshera and was the most waited dance for the whole town. All boys were dressed in white kuta churidars. Dhiru bhai used to wear white churidar in those days when all men wore white pajamas with their kurtas. They would all have the same dupatta tied around their waist like a sash. The quality of Dandiya improved every year and the sash colour changed every year. They were so well synchronised and so effortless. Without fail every year , one small boy would fall sick and not come for the Dandiya. So that the partner work happens effortlessly, Dhirubhai would take his place and play dandiya with another small boy. The big chowk would be full of boys in their positions in a huge circle and then the dhol manjira would start. They would dance to the music for a long time before the singer started singing the Garba. It was always on "Maniyaro te haalo haalo".These guys actually had a live music dance rehersal before the ashtmi for their final dandiya. We were all oh so impressed. All guys looked so good and danced so well.
He also ran a gym and his younger brother Raju Bhai would teach young guys how to build their muscles outside his hut.I remember my brother Parin shaping up in his akhada. The hut was on a hillock or a pile of mud and they would cover it in mud and wash their utensils with the same mud. Few weights and a rod would be their gym. All Jharia boys nearing fifteen would start visiting it.
I dont know where Dhirubhai is or is there a building in place of his large hut. May be on my next visit to the Jalaram Mandir I would look out for their house.
He was the real Dandiya King or is it too shabby a word to use for him? He was so passionate to teach Dandiya to the boys. His formations would definitely beat any good dancer of today. My idea of the Tall dark and handsome in those days with those brooding eyes.I was always scared to even look at him.Mama said they were not nice people as they made a lot of noise.All the people in Jharia referred to them as Waghris.On a festival at mama s house, I had dropped my new gold bangle, which my granny had made for me,out of the window. Some one from their house and found and had given it to me.
As a child,I thought they were nice people, completely misunderstood and ostracised from the people.