Our father, Our solace
(Though physically
you have left us, you live in our hearts.)
Bhume gariyasi Mata, Swargat gariyasi Pita.
(This Sanskrit verse means mother is heavier or
greater than earth, Father is greater than the heaven. )
- A poet never published his poems.
- A writer never wrote his autobiography.
- A Brahmin never distinguished between castes and religions.
- A swimmer never participated in any competition.
- A brilliant student never spoke about his achievements.
- A teetotaler never even had tea.
- A father never had beaten his children.
- An astrologer never in publicity.
- A homeopathic doctor cured all those who came to him of all common ailments.
- A chief construction engineer accidentally gets suspended to be promoted and felicitated.
- A chief engineer remained apolitical.
- A worshiper of God never needed warm water even in chilly wintry mornings.
He was
our father Lingaraj Mishra (1935-2001), a rarest of rare person. He was a kind
hearted, sincere, dedicated, righteous, truthful person.
 |
| Ratnamani Devi |
 |
| Dayanidhi Mishra |
Born in Banguruba and brought up in
‘Bira-Rama-Chandra-Pur’ of Puri district of Odisha, he was born after a long
wait for a child and the only child remained the apple of eyes of his parents.
He was sent to 'Chatasali' (elemtary school) of the same village where he studied
till class 5th and completed his high school education at Sakhigopal.
Since his childhood he was very keen in his studies. In high school, he was the
brightest child of the school. When in class 6th, he had written two
essays for an essay competition in his school, one for himself and another for
his friend (on request). The essay he wrote for his friend bagged the 1st prize
and his second. There was no electricity in the village and he used to study
with kerosene lit lanterns and lamps. Thus was his passion for poems that he
had a good collection of poems written by him. Just once his mother told “Are
you going to be a poet or what?” The obedient son stopped writing. His poems
remained unpublished.
 |
| With Ashamani Mishra |
Since
there were no engineering colleges in Odisha during that time, he was admitted
to Bengal engineering college, Shibpur in West Bengal which is the second
oldest engineering college of India. During that time he turned to
vegetarianism. He was strictly a pure vegetarian person who never imposed any restriction
in diet for other family members.
 |
| Lingaraj Mishra as Engineering Student |
 |
| Lingaraj Mishra as Engineering Student |
He joined Odisha Govt. as a
junior engineer and posted at Chiplima in Sambalpur district. Subsequently, he
was promoted and posted in different places of Odisha. The hard working asst.
engineer worked at Hirakud Hydroelectric dam project (built on river Mahanadi),
longest dam of the world. Such was his simplicity that once on an official
visit to a different location, on arriving there, somebody put a garland on his
jeep driver. The official stationed there immediately corrected the mistake.
My
life savior: He loved all his children equally. He was a great swimmer, who
used to go to the canal in front of our Rengalipali house for swimming. At times, he was floating on the surface of
the water, himself facing upward as a lifeless body, which is a very rare style
of swimming. As a 3yr old, I watched people jumping to the canal water and
fluttering their hands and legs. In an attempt to swim, I jumped into the canal water and as soon as I
started flapping my hands and legs, I drowned. Immediately my father realized this.
He searched and saved me.
 |
| We the favorite of our father |
When the Puri house was being
constructed, he came from his work place to see the construction work. His
father who was there (used to call him ‘Baya’)
fondly offered his engineer son a small ripe guava. He accepted happily. Namranti Phalino Brukhyas, Namranti Gunino
Janah. (Meaning, Tree full of fruits
bends down, similarly a person full of knowledge remains calm and down to
earth)
When
still in Rengalipali his father breathed his last. This Message was delivered
thru a telegram and all of us went to the village. He bowed and he kept
standing in the entrance room for hours. Like his father, he worshiped in our
sacrosanct puja room for an hour everyday, decorating the idols, photos and
salagrams (naturally polished rounded stones, believed to be parts of Sri
Krishna) with fresh flowers and freshly grounded sandal wood paste.
He
was different from his father. He never got up leaving his unfinished food on
hearing the voice of non bhahmins. He mingled with all types of people. Once in
Rengalipali, his father sprinkled gangajal (preserved water of river Ganga) on
the sofa on which he was sitting with one of his friend.
After
the demise of his father, he let me and my elder sister (Dolly nani) to stay
with his mother for two years. As little girls, we thoroughly enjoyed the
festivals, traditional foods which included more than ten types of pithas (traditional
cakes). We were in the safe caring hands of our grandma, who was extremely
sober, affectionate, caring, who believed in ‘Atithi Devo Bhavo’ (All Guests treated as gods). Along with her, on
frequent occasions we used to distribute cooked foods to all workers with their
entire families.
Bira-Rama-Chandra-Pur
is still famous for celebration of
‘Champaka Dwadasi’ (Marriage celebration of Lord Krishna and Rukmini) with its
typical Katha (wooden) chakra. A 3 – 4
ft tree trunk was hollowed and filled with powders of sulphur, phosphorous and
all powders used in fireworks. It was mounted on an 8 -10 ft pole and on
ignition, rotates in a high speed sprinkling fire from both the ends,
continuously rotating for few minutes. This enchanting marvelous sight is
watched from a distance of at least 100 metres. My father knew how to prepare
fireworks too.
As
he grew up in Vilage ‘Bira-Rama-Chandra-Pur’, it was his favorite place. He provided employment guidance to many
people from the village. Most people of the village still admire him as their
life saver. At the village he constructed pillar and roof to the entrance of
Mani-Naga-Durga temple.
As
a project engineer (Executive Engineer) in charge of Orissa Construction
Company (OCC), his contribution for the Balimela dam project is commendable. The
dam project work was going on in full swing. Once in a week, we accompany him
to the dam construction site. From Chitrakonda, the water was supposed to come
to Balimela through huge pipes, made to fall on turbines on the foot hill. I
remember him personally inspecting by climbing high up in the hill on raw
unfinished structures. Many times on weekends, we accompanied him to the
roaring deafening turbines location. Usually expenditure for these kinds of
projects exceeds the amount sanctioned. During his tenure, while in charge of
OCC, there was a profit of 1 cr. ( in 1970s).
Because
of his career and specialization in dam construction, he was always posted to
different dam projects in remote parts of Odisha. Rengali posting was exception where in was in
quality control department. During his posting at Jeypore (Odisha) as a
superintendent engineer, occasionally we visited tunnels and by-pass of tunnels
along with him when he visited for inspection.
 |
| Lingaraj Mishra - Busy at Construction Site |
At
home, mother took all the responsibilities. For our education, we all stayed
with our mother and grandmother at Puri. Six of us educated and wedded in
appropriate time. Due to this he was separated from family and posted in
interior places near forests, took a toll on his health. He suffered from
malaria many times. During March 1994 on the day of Holi, he suddenly fell sick
by vomiting huge quantity of blood and went to coma. During that time all his
son-in-laws, and Bubu’s father-in-law, Mr. UN Choudhury, did their best for
him. All around him including Sanjay (who visited him from Mangalore) donated
blood while he was in coma. He showed signs of improvement after blood
transfusion from Bubu and Debu, youngest of us. Afterwards with help from
eldest son-in-law Pravakara we came to know that he was wrongly operated and temporarily relieved. Further he was diagnosed as portal hypertension due to liver
cirrhosis.
While
posted to Mukhiguda and Khatiguga for Indrabati dam project as a chief
constructional engineer of a small dam, he wrote immediately to his superior, to
strengthen and construct a concrete dam instead of a temporary earthen dam to
block under constructed power house in down stream. His superior did not take
any action. Afterwards when there was heavy rain, the temporary earthen dam
collapsed. He got suspended and fought for his innocence in the high court. Eventually
he won, thus reinstated promoted and posted to Baripada for another dam project,
from where he retired from his active service life. Even after retirement, he
joined a firm (Indo-Japanese collaboration), went to Indonesia to improve
irrigation and canal construction and worked there for 2 years. During that
time our mother had accompanied him for few months and they visited Singapore
too.
 |
| We with our Parents |
After
retirement he spent more time for his hobby on Astrology. As an astrologer, he
prepared detailed horoscope for all family members and many relatives. He could
accurately calculate and predict many incidents. He predicted the approximate
time of death of his mother and of his own. He knew that he would be short
lived and always said to our mother that she will live for much longer time.
In
October 2001, again he fell sick and admitted in Kalinga hospital, Bhubaneswar.
All his children and relatives visited him there. As he knew that this could his
last few days. He requested his children to take care of our mother. During
that time Sima, Milly with Nalini and Bhabani took care of him. On 19th
Nov 2001, a auspicious day Naga Chaturthi, also a Monday in the month of Kartik he succumbed to liver cancer while at home surrounded by near and
dear ones.
While
with him, my mother and all six of us lived a blissful life. Everybody
progressed in their lives. Mother visited USA where both his sons resided.
After her stay at her own house at Puri, she continued to stay with her eldest
daughter.
Nainam
Chhindanti Shastrani, Nainam dahati
pavakah, Na chainam kledayantopo, Na sosayanti Marutah. Means No weapon can cut this, no fire can burn this, no
water can wet this, nor wind dry it
As a token of Gratitude to my Dear Father:
Your Loving Daughter Julie (Sarojini Tripathy)
