IMPRESSIONS OF RECENT VISIT TO GANGTOK ,SIKKIM.

Autar Mota was in Gangtok Sikkim recently. This land of Lepachas , Bhutias and other migratory population essentially Nepalis( Mostly Hindus . Nepalis  with small but powerful Trading communities( from Bihar , Rajasthan , UP and West Bengal) is presently the most preferred destination by tourists to escape summer heat and dust of the plains . It rains almost every day. You also enjoy sunshine almost every day. You see clouds every day . Sometimes dancing in the main Bazar of the Town . Sometimes near the Hills and quite often over the vast skyline. With maximum daytime temperature hovering around 24 degrees Celsius ,we could feel the cold climate even during peak summer season . Yes cold breeze makes you to pull out a shawl or a cardigan from the suitcase especially during morning and evening time. O! Kanchenchunga! Yes one has to wait for the Glimpse of the Mount Kanchenchunga to emerge clear from clouds . Sometimes for a week’s time . We too had to wait for two days . Clouds cleared it for just half an hour and then again eclipsed it . Every body from the Hotel rooms started clicking the magnificent view. I am told that more clear view can be captured from Darjeeling . Kanchenchunga is the third highest mountain in the world ( Height 28,000 feet)

                                                                                          

Prayer wheels form an integral part of the Budhist Worship . Lama Lendup at LINGDUM Monastery Sikkim informed me that Mantra recitation is the essence of Budhist meditation hence mantras are also written on wheels that are moved by hand , water and wind. Mantras are also written on cloth displayed as Prayer Flags atop buildings . The Prayer wheels or MANI WHEELS usually contain the Mantra OM MANI PADME HUM. It is believed that when the wheel is turned or rotated , the effect of the Mantra spreads in the environment . I had seen the hand held Prayer wheels . I had also seen the fixed Prayer wheels rotated by worshippers . Just 10 Kms from Gangtok enroute to the famous View point, I saw this Prayer wheel run continuously by water of a streamlet

                                                                                                 

Nepali style of Rangoli to welcome guests .kashmiri Pandits too make Rangolis on auspicious occasions . It is known as Vyoog.

Isn’t this like the kashmiri Bread ( Kaandhur Tseot ) ? The man came at 5 AM and kept calling PHALLEY! PHALLEY ! . I asked the Hotel waiter what does he sell. “ Sahib Phalley ! Nepali Bread " With sizeable presence of Nepalis in the state , Locals too have adopted to various traits of Nepali way of life.Pawan Chamling present CM has also a Nepali. Budhist influence is visible every where predominantly in construction of Buildings and religious places.You have the day break at 4.30 AM in north east . People sleep at 10 PM and get up at 4.30AM . It is all visible at4.30 AM.

         

Welcomig Guests with Khaada and Nepali Cap.  Khaada is a silken  scarf.                                                                                

                                                           

Let us learn a lesson.These trucks move in the town early in the morning and collect garbage from houses . These men knock each house or wait at crossings for people to come with their domestic waste. Dumping garbage on roads or lanes is an offence in Sikkim and violators could be imprisoned apart from being fined. That keeps Gangtok neat and tidy.                                                                  

                                                                              

LINGDUM MONASTERY ABOUT 25 KMS FROM GANGTOK SIKKIM.It was a great experience to visit and be in the monastery for about three hours ."Om Mani Padme Hum", "Om Bajrasatwa Hum" and such other prayers are inscribed everywhere in tis monastery . yes on the walls, over the doorways, along the beams .Lingdum is just an hour's drive from Gangtok.Stepping inside the monastery grounds, you are simply awestruck to see the Main Building's architecture , Murals , paintings , statues , adornments and of course the location of the sprawling complex set in the background of green hills.I can only add a couplet of Jigar Moradabadi 

.
Unn Ki Hareem E Naaz kahaan aur Hum Kahaan
Naqsh o Nigaar e Pardaa o Durr Dekhtey Rahey 
Har Lehjaa shaan e husn Badaltee rahee Jigar 
Har Aan Hum jahaan e Dighar Dekhatey Rahey

Kyaa Dekhtey Hum Unn Ko Magar Dekhtey rahey.


O ! That respectable elegance and me just a poor onlooker !
What else could I comprehend except those 
Beautifully decorated and carved walls, curtains and doors. 
The grace of this beauty kept changing its appearance ,
Every change made me to visit a different world of elegance.
What could a poor onlooker like me do at this sight !
Hence I just kept looking awestruck.

                                                                          

                                                                                                                   
' SHIVA 'AS CONCEPTUALISED BY LEPCHAS OF SIKKIM. STATUTE OF SHIVA OUTSIDE A LEPCHA SHIVA TEMPLE IN THE PARK ADJACENT TO BANJAKHRI WATER FALLS NEAR GANGTOK.

                                                                                                    

 Roughly 30 kms from Silliguri on Silliguri - Gangtok highway , lies an important bridge across Teesta river known as CORONATION  BRIDGE. The road from   this bridge goes  to  Bhutan, Assam , Manipur and Nagaland etc. . John Chambers, the last British executive Engineer of the Darjeeling Division Public Works Department (PWD), carried out the design, drawing and planning of the bridge. It was named to commemorate the coronation of  KING GEORGE VI in 1937 and was completed in 1941 . The foundation stone of the bridge was laid by JOHN ANDERSON the then Governor of Bengal in 1937. The bridge has been built on the CANTILEVER system. Since it was not possible to obtain support from the Teesta river bed due to the depth and current of water, the entire bridge was supported by a fixed arch, which had its two ends fixed on rock layers on either side of the river.    

Beautiful Assembly building on hill top Gangtok approached by a cable car as well. There are 32 MLAs in Sikkim Legislative Assembly .Sikkim State has a population of about 6 lakhs and almost entire state is hilly.River Teesta is considered as lifeline of Sikkim.. Sikkim has about 75 monasteries, the oldest dating back to the late sixteenth centuary . The per capita income stands atRs 11,356, which is one of the highest in the country.Literacy in Sikkim is 69.68%, which breaks down into 76.73% for males and 61.46% for females...Sikkim has the third highest per capita alcoholism rate amongst all Indian states, behind Punjab and Haryana.Nepali is the lingua franca of Sikkim. There has never been any communal violence in this part of the country.

                                                                             
  

O ! THOSE LOVELY FOGGY MORNINGS OF GANGTOK....

SANSAAR KI HAR SHEY KAA- ITNAA HI FASAANA HAI
EK DHUNDH SE AANAA HAI -EK DHUNDH MEIN JAANA HAI.

                                                                                      
                                                                    




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FIVE SHIKARAS IN DAL LAKE SRINAGAR

                                                                                      
FIVE SHIKARAS IN DAL LAKE .
PHOTO AUTAR MOTA DEC 2010.

Number five has always attracted me. When I saw five lonely Shikaras in Dal lake I just clicked .Vedas have also commented on Five . kabir makes repeated mention of five .May I elaborate ?

The Vedas declare
“ Human body is made up of five elements - earth, water, fire, air and ether. These elements are associated with five types of sensations, i.e., smell, taste, form, touch and sound. It is the presence or the absence of these five attributes of sound, smell, touch, taste and form that determines the pervasiveness of the elements..”
These five also manifest themselves in human body in the shape of Limbs , eyes, head , mouth and ears .
I believe every genuine Intellectual must also come under five . These five are :-
“Truth , sensitivity , stability , fearlessness and commitment.”

 Five basic colours of life are Blue , red , white ,black and Yellow. Our Muslim Brothers pray five times( Nimaaz ) to almighty . Five things are essential component of Sikh Faith . There are five oceans in the world. . The new generation needs five things to move on Cell Phone , ipod , laptop , Credit/ Debit cards and surely MONEY. Five completes the cycle of life . I say seed, root ,tree branch and fruit.

Sri Hanuman has five faces (Pancha Mukha). Brightest star has only five corners .Almost all amphibians, reptiles, and mammals which have fingers or toes have five of them on each extremity. There are traditionally Five Wounds of Jesus Christ in Christianity: the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, the wounds in Christ's hands, the wounds in Christ's feet, and the Side Wound of Christ.

 A Perfect fifth is the most consonant harmony, and is the basis for most western tuning systems. Channel 5 is a television channel that broadcasts in the United Kingdom.5 is the most common number of gears for automobiles with manual transmission. Modern musical notation uses a musical staff made of five horizontal lines

The five petaled  flower and five pointed star symbolizing the quintessence. For Graeco-Roman: Five is the nuptial number of love and union.. It is the number of Venus. Venus years are completed in groups of five. Apollo as god of light has five qualities: omniscience, omnipresence; omnipotence, eternity, and unity.

The 'Five Pillars' of Islam are the foundation of Muslim life:

Faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad( PBUH);
Establishment of the daily prayers;
Concern for and almsgiving to the needy;
Self-purification through fasting; and
The pilgrimage to Holy city of Makkah for those who are able.

According to Hindu scriptures , man is led astray by five things l. These are Kaam , Krodh , Lobh , Moh and ahankaar . Now see what Confucius has to say 
"To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect Virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.

Five exists in the abode of the beloved as well. Don’t you believe me ? Then see what kabir says :-

ABODE OF THE BELOVED .

Sakhiyaa Woh Ghar sab se Nyaara .

Ghar nahi Aghar Naa bahaar Bheetar
Pind Brahmaand kachhu Nahee
Paanch tatv Gun Tin nahin Tahan
Sakhi Shabd na tahin,
Mool Naa phool Naa Beli Naa Beeja ,
Bina Braksh phal sohe .
Sakhiyaa Woh Ghar sab se Nyaara.
( kabir )

O Companion !That abode is unmatched .
No home ,No Homeless ,Neither outside nor inside ,
Micro and macrocosm are also absent ,
Five elemental constituents and the trinity are both not there ,
Witnessing un-struck shabd sound is also not there ,
No root nor flower , neither branch nor seed ,
Without a tree Fruits are adorning !!!!!!
O Companion !That abode is unmatched




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RAJMAASH - RICE SHOPS OF PEERAH ON JAMMU SRINAGAR NATIONAL HIGHWAY

                                                                          

                                                                                  

                                                                                 

Roughly 120 Kms from Jammu  or 180 Kms from Srinagar  , lies a small hamlet of shops   famous for  RAJMAASH( Beans )  AND RICE . This is not simple RAJMAASH and RICE. You have the luxury of relishing it with 20 Gms of Local Desi Ghee and a bonus in the shape of special mouthwatering  Anardhaana (Pomegranate )and Onion Chutney.You may order fresh curd or Tandoori Chapaati . Enter . Sit in the balcony on backside of any of these hotels to enjoy  the scenic view of river  CHENAB  pouring out from the turbines of Baglihaar Power Project . This is PEERAH. A midway halting point on Jammu Srinagar Highway. Any one and every one stops over here . Even our Chief minister Omar Abdullah  had his Rajmaash -Rice some days back over here. His father Dr Farooq too Relishes the Rajmaash – Rice of this place . Can I  add spice to  this write up .Yes   some lines from a Gazal  of Ahmed Faraz;

zindagi hum tere daghoon  se rahe sharminda
Aur tu hai ke sadaa Aina- khaanay maange.
Yehee  dil thaa ki  tarastaa thaa  maraasim ke liye,
Ab yehee Tarq e Talauk ke bahaanay maange






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HE FORMED THE FIRST KASHMIRI MAZDOOR BOARD IN LAHORE.

                                                                                        
TARA CHAND BYULBUL OR KASHYAP BANDHU


This man fought for the rights of kashmiri labourers in Lahore .


As a young boy in Lahore , Tara Chand saw the miserable plight of the kashmiri labourers who would migrate to various cities of Punjab in winter . Shabby living conditions .Exploitation . Unregulated working hours .Wage amounts retained (every time these people returned home after winters ) by some unscrupulous people( Consisting of Both Hindu Traders and Muslim Timber Merchants in Undivided Punjab ) to force the hapless labourers to come again and again to the same exploiter.
Young Tara Chand was Hurt . He took the issue so seriously that he organized them into a fighting force and formed first kashmiri Mazdoor Board in Lahore. Acting on the advice of Allama Iqbal , whom he visited frequently , Tara Chand became the first secretary of Kashmiri Mazdoor Board Lahore sometime around 1927 . The board organized a massive Rally in Ludhiana wherein Pandit Moti laL Nehru was invited to speak.

“ The Plight of these poor labourers is a cause of worry for all of us . So is the plight of the population in that part of the land of our ancestors . I can not overlook it .” said Pandit Moti lal Nehru in this conference .

Yes that is the story of Tara Chand ( 1899-1985 )Of village Gairu ,Noor Pura , Traal kashmir ..He wrote poetry in urdu and kashmiri under a pen name BULBUL. I quote a couplet :-

Bulbul naa Yeh wasiyaat Ahbaab Bhool jaayein
Gangaa Ke badle Mere Jhelum Mein Phool Jaayein .

“O bulbul ! my friends should not forget this will of mine ,
“When I die , my ashes should be consigned to Jhelum instead of river Ganga.”

Tara Chand on his return to Kashmir in 1930 came to be known as Kashyap Bandhu. The non availability of space for any broad based activity for kashmiri masses ( Created due to arrival of sheikh Mohd Abdullah on the scene ) led this young man to focus on Social evils of kashmiri Pandit community though he remained steadfast in his commitment to the ideology of Sheikh Mohd Abdullah and and others leaders fighting for self rule against the Maharaja.. . The demand for self rule in kashmir was raised from Muslim conference platform on 27th august , 1938 and kashyap Bandhu also addressed the mammoth gathering at Hazratbal along with Sheikh Mohd Abdullah, Mirza afzal Beigh ,Prem Nath Bazaz ,and Jia lal Kilam. At every point of time , Kashmiriyat flowed  THROUGH  his veins .He raised his voice against the Maharaja through the news papers that he edited . For this he faced several imprisonments . He was also arrested along with Sheikh Mohd Abdullah in 1953 and was in various jails of the state till 1958 . He is responsible for :-
1 Widow remarriage amongst kashmiri Pandits
2 Introduction of Saree and kameez salwar in kashmiri women
3 Spread of education amongst Girls .
4 The reform movement aimed at stopping wasteful expenditure on marriages and other ceremonies .
Many elders recall the Pro Bandhu ji and anti bandhu ji slogans raised by kashmiri pandit groups.
PRO SAREE GROUP OF YOUNG FOLLOWERS OF BANDHU JI
Traavee Zooj pootsch neree Vodda Nein ye
Chhuyee Mubarak Dhoti Mahaaraein ye
( Leave this Zooj and Pootsch connected with traditional Pheran. Move bare headed .Welcome to theee in this Saree O bride! .)

ANTI SAREE GROUP

Tara Chand Bulbulo Traav israar
Assi naa baa Traavoy Naa Zooj Nerivaar.

O Tara Chand BulBul ! leave this insistence .
Never shall we abandon Zooji and nerivaar.
(Zooji and nerivaar is Connected with traditional Kashjmiri Pheran )

Kashyap Bandhu succeeded in bringing Saree and Salwar kameez to kashmir. So strong was the reform movement in marriages that many marriages took place with just 5 Baratis . Many young followers of Bandhu ji married widows in Kashmiri Pandit community .

Kaashiro Gaash Aav bar Mutsaraav

Gobruss Saet saet Koor parnaav.

( O Kashmiri . ! look for the light outside,

Impart education to  daughter as well  along with your son.)

“I have Fond  memories of Bandhu ji to share. In fact My father Ghulam Rasool Nazki wrote a column “DESH KE  GHANI  KE  KALAM  SE ” in DESH  a news paper that Bandhu ji  edited. O Yes ! Bandhu ji also wrote a column  “Haak Aanchaar ” in that News Paper . It was based on satire with rustic Village Humour.  Bandhu ji would  also come  to our house in Bandipora  to meet my father. I was just a kid. They were close  friends. He  had his independent style of working . No one could force him  to toe a particular line. He was media shy  and avoided self  publicity . I met him many times with a request for a Radio / Doordarshan Interview but he would always avoid it.”

Says Eminent kashmiri Poet Farooq Nazki.

  Yes K K Nayyar the then Station  Director  Radio Kashmir srinagar finally succeeded and recorded a two hour interview of  Bandhu ji’  possibly in 1984 or 1985 ..Bandhu ji was forthright and frank on various issues except when Mr Amin Pandit writer and historian asked him

“ Bandhu Ji , It is reported that you met Sheikh Mohd Abdullah for an hour on   8^th August 1953( when Sheikh Mohd Abdullah was arrested ) and both of you had some secret Parleys. Can you tell us what transpired between you and sheikh ? ”

“I can Not tell you ”

“ Bandhu Ji people want to know it . If you can not tell who shall tell it  ”

“ I can Not . I am committed not to  reveal .”

“ Ok Can you specify the issues that came for discussion ”

"This is a secret that lies buried in the silence of the graveyard after sheikh sahib’s death .. As also shall it go to flames once I am carried on my funeral Pyre. So do not seek it ”

 I am informed by some friends that this  precious interview was kept in Radio Archives for the posterity .But  Alas ! This recording is not available . Perhaps lost  in the din of unfortunate  happenings  in the valley during  last two decades..

One is tempted to call him as Raja Ram Mohan Roy of Kashmir.


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ONE IS PAINED TO FIND THAT NIGEEN LAKE SRINAGAR IS ALSO CHOKED.

I shall not say a word . I have just uploaded three  photographs of Nigeen lake captured by me in December2010 to establish my point that Nigeeen lake is also facing extinction. It also needs immediate attention.

  I am presently  revisiting Novels , essays and other works of Albert Camus . As usual i am coming again and again to his milestone Novel OUTSIDER. This time i observed that Marie Cardona  the Character created by Camus  in this novel,needed more space .I put forth my argument as  under:-

Marie Cardona ! I wish Albert  camus ( Pronounced as Kaamoo ) had given more space to this Character in his novel “OUTSIDER”

Marie is a bright Character in Outsider. She is intelligent , soft spoken , caring, Young and has dreams like every woman of her age with regard to  settling down in life with a man whom she loves or I should say adores for his peculiarities .Fun filled and bubbling with enthusiasm for life , She  is a contrast to  Meursault’s  seriousness and a little laziness.

Is that  laziness in the  character of Meursault a result of   being so truthful ??

 The strength of Marie’s character is her integrity and commitment .Imagine a girl in the social set up  that we live in ,going to prison and  meeting  the man whom she loved, especially when the person is facing Death sentence for a murder. Not thinkable even .Havn't we come across  the strange behavior exhibited by people  in Hospitals ? At least i have often seen it. All the well wishers and sympathizers vanish  from the Hospital once the  attending doctor demands that some of them  should join to donate blood for the patient whose welfare they  have come to seek. I can not call it    timidity . Man is always in the process of protecting his social face .But when you  confront him with such like situations , he forgets that social face as well.  He behaves with pure selfish instinct. Here Marie establishes that she is of a different tribe.   She rises above the issue of social face saving   when she goes to meet Meursault in his prison cell. She gives him hope and a little happiness .She waits for him   leaning against the iron bars that separate the visitor from the prisoners she says

“you will get out and we shall get married ”

“Look after yourself and take care”

“Have you got everything you want ? are you all right ?”

The reader wants to know what happened to Marie Thereafter. Camus keeps us guessing .

 ( Autar Mota )                                                                                                


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4 PM VIEW OF HARWAN GARDEN OF KASHMIR

                                                                                               
4 PM  View of  Harwan garden of kashmir

Bulbul Naa Yeh Wasiyat Ahbaab Bhool Jaayein
Gangaa Ke Badle Mere Jhelum Mein Phool Jaayein.
( kashyap Bandhu or Tara Chand Bulbul )

O Bulbul ! Never should friends forget this will of mine ,
"Immerse my ashes in Jhelum Instead of river Ganga."




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THE CRUEL SUN IS OUT TO FINISH POOR SNOW.

                                                                                


The Cruel Sun . Out to finish poor snow .
Photo  of a Sunny day after the snowfall in srinagar Kashmir( Dec   2010 ).

Ek Khwaab hai ke baar-e-digar dekhte hain Humm
ek aashnaa si raushni saare makaan mein hai
har jaanisaar yaad-dihaani mein munhamik
neki kaa har hisaab dil-e-dostaan mein hai
( Parveen Shakir )






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A VIEW ON WAY TO AROO NEAR PAHALGHAAM KASHMIR

                                                                                   
 A VIEW ON WAY TO AROO  NEAR PAHALGHAAM KASHMIR.
 THE ENTIRE AREA IS ALSO KNOWN AS VALLEY OF SHEPHERDS
Photo  March 2011

Me kis ke haath bhejoon ussey aaj ki duaa
Qaasid, havaa ,sitaaraa koyee uss ke ghar na jaaye.
Palkon ko uss ki apane dupatte se ponchch duun
kal ke safar mein aaj ki gard-e-safar na jaaye.
( Parveen Shakir )




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