The Voyage
Bhupen Hazarika

1. State whether the following statements are True / False:
   (i) Bhupen Hazarika had brought his Rolleiflex from home.
   Ans:- False.
   (ii) The sight of the Egyptian pyramids enthralled Bhupen

Hazarika.
Ans:- False.
(iii) Bhupen Hazarika’s companion on flight from Guwahati to

Dumdum was Bhaben Das.
Ans:- False.
(iv) Bhupen Hazarika had a weakness for Kalmou Soak.
Aus:- True.

2. What was the name of the airport situated in Guwahati in

1949?
Ans:- The name of the airport situated in Guwahati in 1949 was

Kanhikuchi.

3. Who was the Governor of Assam during the inauguration of

the airport in Guwahati?
Ans:- Sir Akbar Hydari was the Governor of Assam during the

inauguration of the airport in Guwahati.

4. How much was the fare from Guwahati to Dumdum in 1949?
   Ans:- The fare from Guwahati to Dumdum in 1949 was 55

rupees.

5. In which country is the ‘Temple of the Tooth Relic’ located?
   Ans:- ‘Temple of the Tooth Relic’ is located in Sri Lanka.
6. What type of leave did the French sailor avail when he came to

the shore?
Ans:- ‘Shore leave’.

7. Name the two locations that Bhupen Hazarika reminisces

about in ‘The Voyage”.
Ans:- Bharakmukh and Uzan Bazar.

8. What did Hazarika consider to be his only aim?
   Ans:- Hazarika considered to be his only aim was to keep going.

charaiveti, charaiveti.

9. The ship set sail later than the scheduled time. How late was

the ship?
Ans:- One and a half day.

10. Name the two places associated with Buddhism mentioned by Bhupen Hazarika in The Voyage”.
    Ans:- Satenath and Bodh Gaya.
11. Which two Indian states associated with dances other than

Assam, are mentioned by Bhupen Hazarika in ‘The Voyage?
Ans:- Manipur and Gujarat.

12. Write brief account of Hazarika’s stopover in Sri Lanka?
    Ans:- Hazarika observed multicultural atmosphere of the city

when he visited it. He could hear music broadcast by Radio

Lanka which have English and Hindi tunes. Rich Parsi

Marchants from Bombay were selling varity of American dresses

and watches in their stalls, some South Indian porters carrying

baggage on their backs, he encountered a French sailor who was

on the shore leave.
He also visited the city of Kendy known for its

Buddhist heritage. The temple of the tooth relic left a deep

impact on him and he felt as if the was in Sarnath and Bodh

Gaya. The same ambience and the same echoes he felt.
He also had the opportunity to visit the drawing room

of the Lankan family and to watch to performance of local dance,

which reminds him of different Indian dance forms performed in

different state. Hazarika’s visit to Sri Lanka highlighted the

cultural affinities between the people of Sri Lanka and India.

13. Briefly present your view about Hazakika’s experience of

visiting a Sri Lankan family home.
Ans:- Hazarika’s experience of visiting a Sri Lankan family home

was an unique one. He describes entering the drawing room of a

moderen Lankan family, where he found a piano and a Madonna

painting by an European artist. The children were singing

English song and Hazarika was surprised by the similarities

between these Lankan home and his own experience in Shillong.

Despite being far away from Assam. Hazarika felt a sense of

familiarity and connection, emphasizing the university of certain

cultural aspects.

14. Present your views on the food and flavours mentioned by

Hazarika in ‘The Voyage”.
Ans:- In Hazarika’s account, he mentioned a dish called ‘Kalmou

Soak’ that his grandmother used to cook for him although he

longs for it during his journey. He is unable to find it in Sri

Lanka. He also mentions ‘tenga’ and ‘bamboo shoot’ which are

treaditional Assamese ingridients. This references are to food and

flavours highlight Hazarika’s nostalgia for his native Assam and

his longing for the taste and aromas of home. It reflects how food

can evoke powerfull memories and emotion especially when one

is far away from familiar surrounding.

15. How does Bhupen Hazarika recount his feeling about being an Indian as he moves forward in his journey? Give a brief

description.
Ans:- As Hazarika continues his journey, he reflects on his

evolving sense of identity. He releases that as he moves beyond

India’s boundary, he begins to see himself more as an Indian

student rather than solely identifying it with his Assamese roots.

The experience broadened his perspective and depends and

deepen his love for India, blurring the distingtion between being

an Assamese or an Indian. Hazarika’s journey helps him embrace

a larger national identity and see himself as a part of diverse and

united India.

16. Present an overview of Bhupen Hazarika’s experience

during the course of his journey abroad from your reading of the

‘voyage’.
Ans:- The journey taken by Bhupen Hazarika is not merely a

journey but an experience. He chooses a long way for his journey

so that he can enjoy the journey to the fullest. He started his

journey from Kanhikuchi airport of Guwahati. Through out his

journey the encounters diverse culture and observes their

influences in different locations. In the cafes on the footpath of

Sri Lanka he could hear music broadcast by Radio Lanka which

had both English and Hindi tunes, rice Parsi mercents were

selling varity of Amarican dresses and watches in the stall. He

found Tamil porters carrying baggages there. He also encunters

French sailor on a two-daya shore-leave.
Then he talks about the city of Kendy, which he calls

a lovely place for the followers of the Buddha. He weldnesses

different kind of dances that reminds him of Assam’s cultural

ethos. In Sri Lanka, he notices the co-existance of Lankan and

European elements in the architecture, music and life style when

he visits a home of Lankan family.
He also recounts his increadiable memory at sea

when je witnesses to a star above the crescent moon. As he

continues his journey to Europe he encounters a convergence of

cultures on a large scale.

17. ‘Bhupen Hazarika’s representation is not merely an account of a journey, it is also a narrative about the convergence of cultures in different locations’. Comment on the statement based on your reading of “The voyage”.
    Ans:- Hazarika’s narrative groes beyond describing his personal

experience and observation. It delves into the interconnectedness

and fusion of cultures that he encounters during his journey. The

representation of culture in ‘The Voyage’ show cases the dynamic

natures of human interaction and continued exchang of ideas,

treaditions and values.
His experiences of Sri Lanka where he witnessed a

dance reminded him of Assam’s cultural ethoes. He reflects how

the threads of culture create a unifying harmonic bond.
His visits of different place made him release that the

society, culture and treaditions are not isolated entities but inter-
twined in various ways. He notices the co-existance of Lankan

and European elements in the arcitecture, music and lifestyle.
Through his experience, Hazarika emphasizes the

importance of cultural understanding, respect and appritiation.

He reecognizes that despite cultural differences, there are shared

elements that unit people across borders. His narration serves as

a reminder of the beauty and richness that emerges when

cultures converge, resulting in a more diverse and interconnected

world. It celebrates the diversity of human experiences while

emphasizing the common threads that bind us together as a

global community.