Title:
A For Prayagraj: A Short Biography of Allahabad
Author:
Udbhav Agarwal
Publisher:
Aleph Book Co.
Genre:
Biography
Pages:
116
Books about the cities are my comfort soul reading. A for
Prayagraj is a nostalgic portrayal of Allahabad. Udbhav Agarwal knows how to tell
a story. Maybe, it’s his writing style, beautiful and clear that makes this
biography easily readable, fun and gripping.
I devoured this book, in two long reading sessions and started
writing about it immediately. Perhaps, it is an interesting anecdotal look at
the old city, ‘Before the city had a name, before it was even a city, it was
the place where the rivers met.’
It succeeds in conveying the different pools of city’s pasts,
as they appear in the present, mirage-like. Udbhav skillfully takes reader to
the streets of his beloved place. He added personal stories to make this
biography even more layered.
A young writer decides to return to his hometown to reclaim
many facets of his city. He loves Allahabad, and its Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb that
clearly transpires while reading the book. He writes about his personal
experiences, his curiosity of other writings on Allahabad, as well as his
reflections. The very personal touch is given from the beginning where he
shares his childhood visit of Kumbh Mela. I think the best way to depict his
emotion is to include that part here as well.
‘It was the year of Kumbh Mela, the largest congregation of
in the world. New designs were spread all over the canvas of the city. My last
Mela had been twelve years ago, when I still lived in Allahabad. I remember
staying in Tent with Baba for two months; my cousins and I would make balls,
out of the river loam. We’d stop by the Shaktiman weighing machines and keep
score.
Twelve years later, entering the Mela was like, entering an ‘Exhibition
centre, multiplex, Mega mall’ at peak hours. The same religious motifs- bright
Om signs – etc were up alongside Pepsi advertisements. Speakers blared
pre-recorded Ram-Kathas.’
Udbhav divides his book into easily separated chapters, so
the reader doesn’t lose the charm of reading. Each section focused on theme
based setting.
In the first sections, ‘McAloo Tikki in Allahabad’ Udbhav recollected
his childhood impressions. He talks about his school and friends and how would look
for mentions of the city in their history books. He also mentions Sunday evenings
in coffee house where he grew up, and movie days in Gautam talkies. Udbhav
certainly awed by the Chowk Ki Holi, it was famous for its booming possessions
and rowdy play, and the Chowk masjid delivered the most teeming morning prayers
in Allahabad.
In the second section, Udbhav discussed Saam Daam Gun Bed,
about crime, strategies of survival, and the crucible of street law. The way author
was drawn to Balu Raja’s story not only for details on administrative
hierarchies but also for its craftiness.
In another section, titled ‘Baikaiti’ he talks about the ‘Allahabadiyat’
in different intellect personalities. While talking with Dr. Chopra, he brings
out many stories of big writers and big politicians, such as Purshottam Das Tandon
and Madan Mohan Malviya. They all are full of confidence, kind of fakkadpan and
that was magical. Here, Dr. Chopra shares a moment of the time of emergency ‘If
Mahadevi Verma and Firaaq Gorakhpuri gave an impromptu speech, people would run
across town for them.’
Also, Udbhav showed concerned on the Writings on Allahabad, ‘Perhaps
the truest tragedy of the city was the sqandering of its creative persona.’ He spoke
about many books including Vimal Chandra Pandey’s Ii Ilahabad Hai Bhaiyaa and Nasira
Sharma’s Zero road.
‘Apna Time Ayega’, it is a fourth section of this book. A
quick read as it is played on miseducation and joblessness in small cities. ‘If
the outsiders were impressed, the insiders wanted to get away.’ This sentence
alone makes it all clear. He mentions a most favourite watch here, Tigmanshu
Dhulia’s film Haasil, watching this movie is like to have the dirt of Allahabad
beneath your fingernails.
And last section ‘F for Fyaar and F se Firaq’ is dedicated to
romance. Although the characters revealed in the book are interesting but I feel
lost here and there, maybe it is an absence of single compelling narrative.
Udbhav ends this book with an emotion that echoed throughout
the journey ‘What is it about this place, a centripetal force that spools you
back? After a decade of planned and unplanned returns, I am still not sure. Ye
Shehar Kasturi Re…’
It is definitely not a perfect read yet colourful one. Adding
to that, it is a good warm-up if you are making a visit to your own hometown. Don’t
expect that this short biography will make you aware about the historical
aspects of Allahabad. Yet it will leave you yearning to explore more about the
city.
About the Author
Udbhav Agarwal is a PhD candidate in Political Science at
Johns Hopkins University. He was born in Allahabad and has studied at the Doon
School and Vassar College. His writings have appeared in the Economic and
Political Weekly and Journal of Narrative Politics. This is his first book.
