GANDA SINGH BUILDING LAL CHOWK SRINAGAR, KASHMIR .

GANDA SINGH BUILDING LAL CHOWK

                                                                       
This building lies in Main lal chowk just opposite GHANTA GHAR.. Many shops used to be there . Some continue to exist while others have changed owners .I would buy medicines from the Unani medicine shop AL KOUSAR. This building also had shops like BROCA PRINTING PRESS, SHIV JI’S X RAY CLINC , ALI MOHD AND SONS BOOK SELLERS ,MOHINDER NATH JANKI NATH ,NISHAT WINES , STANDARD OPTICIANS etc.cte. The footpath path Market near this building had the Cap sellers , Pen sellers , Roadside Wazwaan shops and Tibetans selling woolens bought from Ludhiana . I vividly remember the Delicious kebabs. Butter Toasts and Tea served at Juniper Hotel inside Ganda Singh Building lal Chowk Srinagar .My friend Ramesh Trisal would go for eating footpath Kebabs in this area . He would order for Seekh Kebabs and stand far off from the Footpath . Once ready the kebab seller would signal him to come over to munch the preparation hurriedly lest he be seen by anyone .

I am informed by Tej Partap singh son of late S S Broca proprietor of Broca Press lal Chowk Srinagar as under

“ Ganda Singh was famous Civil Engineer from Punjab who designed and constructed old Amira kadal Bridge at a specific request from Maharaja of Kashmir . Later he built a Building for himself in lal Chowk on Land donated by His Highness Maharaja Hari Singh . That Building came to be known as GANDA SINGH BUILDING. Sardar Ganda singh also laid out the plan for completion of Maharaja Bazaar across Amira kadal Bridge . The family lived in this huge Building during summers and some relations of late Ganda Singh continued to live till 1989 . Entire shops in the building have been sold out   except our portion. In fact we owned our area by virtue of a proper sale deed . ”

I am not sure about what Tej Partap says. May be he is correct . There is no other source to check up at the moment .But then late Sati Sahni , a senior journalist from our state once told me that he bought his new Stewart Warner radio from a shop in Ganda Singh Building lal Chowk srinagar . In fact the first radio shop in Kashmir was opened in Ganda Singh Building only ..


Chaman pe ghaarat e gulchin se jaane kyaa guzri....
kafas se Aaj saba beqaraar guzri hai (faiz) .______


Nobody knows what befell the garden,
in the wake of flower gatherer's pillage_
so restlessly has the breeze flit past the nest today.








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A VIEW OF ROAD TOWARDS GULMARG GOLF COURSE

    
 Gulmarg Golf  Course  Road . 
Gulmarg Kashmir March 2011.                                                             


Jisse teri taraf uthne ka ik saleeqa ho
Ussi nigaah pe pehraa dikhaai deta hai

Tum apne sheh'r ke logon se poochh ker dekho
Meri tarah koyee tanhaa dikhaai deta hai








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A VIEW NEAR AWANTIPORA KASHMIR (MARCH 2011 )

                                                                              
A VIEW NEAR AWANTIPORA KASHMIR MARCH 2011.




saaye kee tarah saath firain, sarv-o-sanobar
too iss qad-e-dilkash se jo gulzaar mein aavey.
uss chashm-e-fusoon_gar ka agar paaye ishaara
tootee kee tarah aaeena guftaar mein aavey.
( Ghalib )


The Pine and the Cypress keep close touch with you like your shade ,
How attractively and with stature you enter this bed of roses !
Should it get a nod from those magical eyes ,
Even the lifeless mirror may start talking like a parrot.




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ONE POEM ,FOUR PHOTOGRAPHS AND FOUR SEASONS OF KASHMIR

                                                                               (  SPRING )

                                                                              ( SUMMER )

                                                                              ( AUTUMN  )

                           

                                                               ( WINTER )     


TO THESE PHOTOGRAPHS  I ADD MY POEM 


 (Some One Again At The Door )

Some one again at the door !
Again speaking softly 
“ Is any one over there ?
Look ! I come this way.”
. Soft Knocks ! Gentle Low tone voice again seeks me 
“ Are you there ?” 
In excitement I think of 
Roses ,Smiles , Seasons , Colours , Birds and Sky .
Sitting in my closed room ,
I am undecided about opening the window.
My heart throbs fast with new combinations .
It puts an awkward question to me 
“ Why don’t you have what you sought ?
Go and welcome ,
Roses , Smiles , Seasons , Colours , Birds and Sky. ”
But then another voice within me declares loudly 
“It needs courage to look your own face in the mirror, 
You Clumsy Barber !
You talk of writing Meghdoota but write nothing .
You talk of Painting Gurenica But paint nothing ,
You talk of playing delightful Notes on Sitar but scatter pain alone .
Come this way , 
let me write this insignia of suffering on your forehead .
You should get what you deserve ”

(Autar Mota )

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AUTAR MOTA INSIDE MALLINSON GIRLS SCHOOL SHEIKH BAGH SRINAGAR

                                                                          

MALLINSON GIRLS SCHOOL SHEIKH BAGH SRINAGAR

Foest lane, lal chowk

Srinagar, Jammu and kashmir190001

 Previously known as Miss Fitze School, Fateh Kadal  srinagar which was later shifted to Shiekh Bagh and renamed after Miss Mallinson.

“O Jenaab Idhar se Kidhar se Gustaa hai . Idhar Parvaiz koul Sahib Nahin hai. Woh Sir ji Baahar Gayaa Hotaa hai. Aaj school Bundh hai . ” said the gate keeper when I entered 

Mallinson Girls school from Sheikh Bagh Gate . 

“ O Sir where from Do you enter the school ? Pevaiz Koul sahib is not here . He is out of station . The school is closed today”.

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JUST ONE TREE SPREADING HAPPINESS IN SHALIMAAR GARDEN SRINAGAR

                               
Just One tree spreading happiness in Shalimaar Garden srinagar( Photo March 2011) .

Meyee Sulee Peutha taarie Khotmutt ossahumm Tschei Dilbaro
Jaanbaazuss tschei Loguyee Tseiriy Pahunn Praznaavanuss.
( Lines from kashmiri poem of  Poet Ghulam nabi Dhoolwaal Jaanbaaz )

I fell for thy love from day one I knew thee,
I knoweth not why you took such a long time to know this “Jaanbaz” !                                               






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AHDOO'S RESTAURANT SRINAGAR FINDS PLACE IN 101 FAVOURITE EATING OUT PLACES IN INDIA

 You find this news item displayed inside this restaurant if  you enter from residency road side . I had gone there   to have my faouriteTea and Chicken patties .The manager at the counter readily obliged for this click.


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PEERZOO ISLAND RESTAURANT THE BUND SRINAGAR KASHMIR

                                                                                    


PEERZOO ISLAND RESTAURANT

Walking on The Bund near GPO Srinagar , I found that a new restaurant had come up on the island created by Jhelum river diversion. Crossing the diversion canal through a small foot bridge , I enter a beautiful garden with green grass and rows of flower beds . Trees . Shade . Chairs . Tables . Tourists ; local and Europeans sipping Tea , coffee and enjoying Veuth Rooz Pakaan ( silent Flow of river
 Jhelum ) 
.Enter PEERZOO JHELUM RIVER BANK RESTAURANT .Elegantly built structure on river bank in wood with main hall , Counters , Riverside galleries , A landing Ghaat for Speed Boats (meant for down and up river ride along all the seven bridges of srinagar city ). A spot Just near the Erstwhile Grindlay’s Bank Ghaat of river Jhelum . This restaurant is adequately fenced to create a garden like ambience .Wonderful concept of a restaurant on Jhelum Bank. One can see presentation convent school clearly on otherside of the river while sipping tea in the Khatambandhi roofed Gallery of this stylish restaurant. My pictures convey the remaining details . 


Teri nigaah bhi kaisee ajab kahaani hai
Mere alawaa kissi se padhi nahin jaati
Ajab mizaj hai in khandaani logon kaa
Tabaah ho ke bhi dariya dili nahin jaat


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FORGOT TO POST SOMETHING ON PANCHAM FOR HIS BIRTH DAY IN JUNE . HENCE THIS UPLOAD AND WRITE UP. YES BELATED.

                                                                                 
 FOUR  VIEWS OF KASHMIR AND SOME LINES ON R D BURMAN.

“ Kitni Khoobsurat yeh tasveer hai, mausam bemisal benazeer hai, yeh kashmir hai yeh kashmir hai”

R D Burman composed  this beautiful  song for Bollywood movie  BEMISAAL. The song was  sung by Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar.Later When he saw the rushes of the song picturisation  in Kashmir , he exclaimed 
“ Orrey !Yeh Kashmir to kobeeta ke maafiq Sundhar hai. ”
“Great ! Kashmir is as beautiful as a poem ”

R D BURMAN OR PANCHAM ; A TRENDSETTING COMPOSER OF YESTERDAYS. 

It is certainly quite unfair on our part to compare father and son: Father S D Burman and son R D Burman ( 1939-1994 ). One a legendry composer essentially basing his compositions on Indian Folk Music of  styles while the other an innovator creating new compositions with western instruments and also combining Indian Folk tunes with western Harmony. Those who understand Raag , Mukhdaa, Antaraa, , Melody , and also Harmony with western scales and tunes shall understand the genius named R D Burman affectionately called PANCHAM by his friends and admirers . 
PANCHAM introduced some western Instruments and styles in Indian film Music. . He made frequent use of Saxophone, Chime , Trumpet ,Cello, Drum , Conga, Guitar , Vibraphone and Piccolo with Staccato and Boss nova styles for our film songs . He remains one amongst the great Music composers of Indian Cinema. His songs and style ! Unique and Innovative!. Songs too loud but rhythms INFECTIOUS . Songs with Flat seventh note . Chorus!. Chants! Songs with Antaraa starting on the fourth note ( Ma ) . A wonderful shift in scale experience for the connoisseurs. Recording songs with 80 musicians or 40 violinists. Rapid change of notes and beats . A Journey from Chote Nawaab to 1942: A Love Story ( 287 films).That is Pancham. That is his style. That is his contribution to Indian Cinema and Music.
His team Kersi Lord( Who played Electric organ for the song O Mere Sona Re Sona re Sona Re ) , Dilip Naik( Violinist remember the opening Guitar piece of the song Aa Jaa Aa Jaa Mein Hoon Pyaar Teraa ) , Soumitra Chaterrji ( Guitarist ) , Manohar Singh, Basudev Chakraborty, Devi Chand Chauhan and Asha Bhonsle . Pancham made frequent use of Nepali and Bengali Folk tunes like the Popular song Deewana Mujh saa Nahin Iss Amber Ke Neeche .He also made use of Pahaadi tunes and infact ‘ O Mere Sona Re Sona Re ” is a Pahaadi folk tune laced with Jaaz cum Bossa-nova pieces. Sheer Dimension! . Sheer freshness of scales and styles! Great Innovations.! 
.

 Pancham’s composition “ Kuchh To Log kaheinge ” for Amar Prem proves his class . The touchy song “Tujh Se Naraaz Nahin Zindagi ” is as fresh and soothing today as it used to be when Pancham composed it. Only these two composition are sufficient to establish Pancham as a great original composer . Shall you believe when I say that Mehmood had offered the role of Bhola in PADOSAN to Pancham . Initially Pancham had come to Mumbai to make a career in acting . And Lo! Pancham created a record by scoring music for PADOSAN. Remember EK CHATUR NAAR. The song has a mixture of Raag Jhinjhoti, Straight lift from the popular Bhajan “Van Chale Raam Raghurai ” and Lata’ Ji’s song “Chanda Re Jaa Re Jaa ” from Ziddi with many instrumental innovations .Pancham is also remembered for using Carnatic instruments like Mridangum , Veena and Nadaswaram in his compositions. So Long so much on this great master .

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LONELY PATHS ?? WHAT ARE THEE LOOKING FOR ??????

                                                       ( Near Awantipora in kashmir )

                                                             ( Shivpora  Srinagar )       

                                                   ( Tangmarg Gulmarg Road kashmir )


Kisskaa Rastaa Dekhe- Aye Dil Aye Saudaayee
Meelon Hai Khaamoshi - Barson Hai Tanhaayee 


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