Monday, December 28, 2015

YASHODHARA KATJU .. A FORGOTTEN BOLLYWOOD ACTRESS OF KASHMIRI ORIGIN


                                                                      



YASHODHARA   KATJU ( Born 1927 ) .. A FORGOTTEN ACTRESS  OF INDIAN CINEMA

She belonged to a reputed Kashmiri Pandit  family of  Lucknow. Her father had shifted to Lahore on account of his employment .   Later the family moved back to Lucknow as  her father , Jeevan Lal  Katju, was appointed on a senior  administrative position  by the  British  Government and transferred to the united Provinces . Her father later resigned  his government  job and joined   the freedom struggle of the country . He was a well known Congress leader from the  UP. Her Mother's name was Kailashwati Mulla Katju. She was the   sister Ananad Narain Mulla , the well known Urdu poet and  the Judge  of Allahabad High court .

Yashodhra was fondly called as Chunnu by her parents.  Other members of this Katju family were her brothers Moti Lal Katju , Pyare Lal Katju  and her three sisters Chandra ( Manno) , Usha ( Panno ) and Manorama . Manorama ( Journalist and former editor of the  film Journal Screen  )  married a European  journalist named Harold Phillip Mcleod Walter while  Usha was  married to  Prakash Narain  Masaaldaan ( a Kashmiri Brahmin ). Katju family was closely related to Nehrus of Allahabad  .

Yashodhara studied in English medium schools and was fluent in English , Hindi and Urdu. Apart from that, she was a highly  talented girl who  was equally well versed with  singing  and  dancing  .  For some time she also joined Bhatkhande Music Institute ,Lucknow  to learn music  but devoted more time to dancing and got herself  trained  as a professional dancer   ( Kathakali , Katahk  and Manipuri )   from some masters of  Lucknow . Later she took dancing lessons in Bombay as well.

According to Dr Sunil Kothari ,

“With help of Kathak Guru Mohanrao Kallianpurkar ,  Pandit Sundar Prasad( Kathak maestro of Jaipur Gharana ) started Bindadin Maharaj School of Kathak named after the great Kathak Guru Bindadin Maharaj near Babulnath Temple in Mumbai. It attracted a few young female dancers like Nalini Jayant, who later on became a well known film star, and Yashodhara Katju who also joined films.”

 All this apart , this talented girl nursed a desire from her childhood to join films and accordingly, much against the wishes of her family , she moved to Bombay in 1941. The family  is reported to have sought intervention of   Pandit Jawahar Lal  Nehru also  to dissuade her from joining films but she proved adamant. Katjus were closely related to Pandit  Jawahar Lal Nehru’s family . It is said that Chander Mohan Wattal ,  another actor of that period  too  tried to dissuade her from acting in films  but she remained adamant. Her parents finally consented  to her decision and ensured a boarding and lodging for her in Bombay .

Prior to her , Shyama Zutshi was the first Kashmiri Pandit  girl who joined films in 1934 .She acted in  Shiv Bhakti  produced in 1934 .

And in  1941, at a young age of 14 years , she was offered a role in a movie named LALAJI produced by  theNational Studios . The movie was completed in 1942. Her co-actors in that movie were Yakub, A. R. Kabul, Wasker,  Amar, Sunalini, Vatsala Kumtekar, Maya Devi and  Krishnakant .

Between LALAJI (1942,  her  first Movie  )  and DO PHOOL (1973 her  last movie ) ,she acted in about 85 films . Her co-stars included Jagdish Sethi, Pahari Sanyal, Shanta Apte, K. C. Dey,  Manorama ,Motilal, Shobhana Samarth, Leela Misra, Trilok Kapoor, Sadhana Bose, Khurshid, Kanhaiyalal,  Ulhas, Yakub,  Jairaj,  Rehman, Suraiya,   Prem Adeeb, Nirupa Roy ,Shyam, Suraiya, Kuldip Kaur ( K K ),  Jeevan, Cuckoo,Bharat Bhushan, Lalita Pawar,  K. N. Singh, Meena Kumari, Jankidas,  Durga Khote,  Mukri, Bhagwan, Jagirdar, Nigar Sultana, Ajit, Pran, Agha, Sunder, Anwar Hussein, Jayant, Shakila, Naseem Bano,  Guru Dutt, Ratan Kumar, Mahipal, Ifftekhar, Bina Rai, Rajendranath,  Helen, Madhubala, Sapru, Sulochana, Sunil Dutt, Meena Kumari, Daisy Irani, Ashok Kumar, Kumkum,   Vaijayantimala, Begum Para,  Kamajit, Tuntun, Balraj Sahni, Devanand , Prem Chopra  , Rajendra Nath , Aruna Irani , Mehmood  and  Rajendra Kumar.

From the younger generation, her co stars included Rakhee Gulzar, Rakesh Roshan, Hema Malini, Simi Garewal, Kabir Bedi, Zeenat Aman,  Vinod Mehra ,Mumtaz and   Mehmood Junior . She worked with almost all prominent directors in  the film industry including S.S.Vasan, Devendra Goel ,Guru Dutt, Mohan Segal, P. L.Santoshi ,M.Sadiq ,D. N. Madhok,H.S.Rawail,B. R. Chopra, Rafiq Rizv, Kishore Sahu,Dev Anand and Mahesh Kaul.

She started as a  co star , moved to lead roles , shifted to comedy ( Mostly with Bhagwan , another comedian of her time  ) and finally did some memorable performances as a character actress (Seema , Hare Rama Hare Krishna and Do Phool  etc.)  .

Yashodhara had a younger sister named Manorama Katju. Manorama edited Screen  , a popular  Film Tabloid . Manorama later started her own magazine but closed it after sometime and moved permanently to England.


  Her close friends included Nalini Jayant , Laita Pawar and Nirupa Roy.Sometime around 1958, she married a Naval officer ( Commander Bhandari ) and lived a happy married life..After 1973, she did not act in films and  slipped into oblivion .She  died of a sudden  heart attack.


( Avtar Mota )
 
 
Creative Commons LicenseCHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.

Saturday, December 26, 2015

ANY INITIATIVE OF PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP BRINGS SMILES ON BOTH SIDES OF INDO PAK BORDER


                                                                               



Whosoever takes the first step towards Peace and Friendship , He surely makes every sensible man on either side of the border feel happy…
( News..  Indian  Prime Minister  visits  Pakistan  on a goodwill Mission and Meets his counterpart )

Today Poet Ali Sardar jafri would have again sung …

"Haathh Mein Haathh Liye Saara Jahaan Saathh Liye
Tohfaa e Dard Liye Pyaar Ki Saugaat Liye
Rahguzaaron Se Adaavat Ki Guzar Jaayeingay
Khoon Ke Dariyaaon Se Hum Paar Uttar Jaayeingay
Aur Phir Harf o Navaa KI Na zaroorat Hogi
Nafrat Uth Jaayegi Mehmaan Mohhabat Hogi
Guftagu Bandh Na ho
Baat se baat Chale
Subah Tak shaam e Mulaaqat Chale
Hum Pe hansti Huyi Ye Taaro Bhari Raat Chale…"
( Ali Sardar jafri )
               Or
                                                                
“Khilengay Phool Bahut sarhad e tamanaa par
Khabar na hogi yeh nargis hai kis ke aankhon ki
Yeh Gul Hai kis-ki jabeen kis ka lub hai yeh laala
Yeh shaakh kis ke jawaan baazuvon ki Angadaai
Khudaa karay ki yeh shabanam yuun hi baras-ti Rahay
Zameen hamesha lahoo ke liye taras-ti Rahay ….
( Ali Sardar jafri )         
                        Or
Tum Aao gulshan e Lahore se Chaman bardosh,
Hum aayein subah e Banaras ki Roshini le kar,
Himalaya ki havaaon ki taazigi le kar ,
Aur oss ke baad ye poochhein ke kaun dushman hai?
    ( Ali Sardar Jafri )
                           
( Autar Mota )

CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.

Friday, December 25, 2015

URDU POET ALI SARDAR JAFRI AND THE ANCIENT WISDOM OF THE SACRED VEDAS.


                                                                               


URDU POET ALI SARDAR JAFRI (1913-2000) AND THE ANCIENT WISDOM OF THE SACRED  VEDAS .

Urdu Poet Ali Sardar jafri was a Great admirer of the ancient wisdom of the SACRED VEDAS . In a poem titled “VED E MUQADUSS” he wrote ….
.
(Ved e Muqaduss )

Shaoor e Insaan ke Aaftaab e Azeem ki Awaleen shuaayein,
Jo Lahn o Awaaz ban Gayee hain,
Voh Awaleen Aalam e Tahhayur,
Zameen Kyaa hai ?
Aasmaan Kyaa hai ?
Sitaare kyon Jagmagaa rahe hain,
Tahhayur ek Naghmaa e Mussalsal
Tahhayur ek Raqs e Vaalihaana ,
Tahhayur ek Fiqr e Aarifaana ,
Koyee hai Khaaliq to voh Kahaan hai ?
Aghar Nahin hai to Phir yeh Kyaa hai ?
Yeh dil Mein Kiss ke Noor ki Ziyaa hai ?
Bashar ka jalwaa hai Ya Khudaa hai ?
( Ali Sardar Jafri )

I have tried to render this great poem to simple English as under …

( The sacred Vedas )

Those first rays of the beaming Sun of Human consciousness ,
That which is sound’s melody now ,
That earliest Marvel ,
What is this world all about ?
What is that sky over us ?
Why do these stars shine in the skies ?
And these spectacles  coming like
An uninterrupted song ,
A dignified dance ,
Or like a Spiritual thought in self study.
Who is the Creator ?
And Where is he ?
If he is nowhere around ,then
What is this all about ?
Whose splendour lies inside this heart ?
Is it a Mortal charisma
or the presence of the creator himself ?



( Autar Mota )


Creative Commons LicenseCHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.

Thursday, December 24, 2015

FASCINATING MEMORIES OF KASHMIR IN BHISHAM SAHNI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH TITLED " TODAY'S PASTS ..A MEMOIR "


                                                                                  





“BHISAHM SAHNI.. TODAY’S PASTS A MEMOIR “By Snehal Shingavi (  Published in 2015  by Penguin Books Price Rs499/= Pages 434) .This Book is English Translation of  Hindi Autobiographical work of Bhisham Sahni titled “ AAJ KE ATEET “ Published by Rajkamal Prakashan in 2004 . Now translated into English by Snehal Shingavi in 2015....,) ,

                                                                           
                             BHISHAM SAHNI ( 1915-2003 ) IN A KASHMIRI  PHERAN.

                                                                            
   ( Bhisham and Balraj Sahni.. Not just Brothers alone  But Great Friends as well Apart from being Two  Affectionate Human Beings )

While Reading Bhisham Sahni’s Autobiography in English , I came across so many  wonderful anecdotes .Surely, some   Memories of Kashmir come up fascinatingly in this Book. I share some anecdotes.. ..

(1)
“ Before pakistan was formed , we were in kashmir and had gone to Wular lake.There was a Bengali in our group of friends who had some interest in Palmistry . I also placed my palm before him. He did not say much but certainly said
“ Your  left  arm will be injured. “
I shook my head and after 12 years , myi broke my left arm after falling from the  roof of my “Bunglow”   in Ambala . Once we were at Shimla when a sanskrit scholar looked at sheela’s palm and said that her 76th year will be significant. And it is true that she passed away  at seventy six.”
(2)
" All My cousins used a word Mattu ( Moa’t in kashmiri ) when they addressed me . They said it with love but Mattu ( Moa’t ) was an insane person who roamed the streets of srinagar “

(3)
“ In summers , we used to go to Srinagar . Kashmir was created for sightseeing , after all.What destination was better for celeberating Honeymoon than kashmir ?One morning , I got two bicycles . One of them was mine and the other was a Girl’s bicycle that I borrowed from a neighbour. Sheela and I set of . We went to Dal Lake . We could have parked our bicycles on the shore , enjoyed the lake on a houseboat and stopped at Ahdoo’s Restaurant on way back for our Lunch . But I changed my mind. Why not go to Ganderbal.Sheela was really happy . Her hair was gently blowing in the breeze and there was a smile  on her lips . But the roads were bumpy and the heat was intense. Sheela was finding it difficult to continue her cycling.  Her face had turned red  and she  felt exhausted .  She had just taken her Exams a few days ago and then she was exhausted from the wedding . She was sweating and tired.
“Ganderbal is one of kashmir’s oldest places . Kheer Bhawani is next right to it. Lake Manasbal is not that far. You will like it . Just a little more “ I said to her . She kept cycling  though she  was extremely tired .  soon She began to cry . We were outside the Temple and I got her something to eat.We relaxed under a tree but  Sheela did not say a word.She just kept shaking her head.My heart stopped. It was afternoon when a bus arrived for srinagar . I put the bicycles on the roof of the bus bought tickets and got into the bus .Sheela looked at me and smiled for the first time.And when the Bus started , she put her head on my shoulders and soon fell asleep.”

(4)
“My wife sheela was suddenly fired from AIR . To supplement our income , she was teaching English to two foreign women at an embassy . Her Higher ups in the government gave a reasoning that she needed permission from Government to teach foreigners . She was sad. Soon she was selected as translator in Moscow as she knew Russian language. But she did not like that job .She did not enjoy her work.
She belonged to a family of Police officers and grew up in a different atmosphere than the one in our home.But according to customs, she had come to live with us and adopt many of our ways of life.However ,Two or three years after we were married , the Nation was partitioned and subsequently , we began living increasingly on our own and running the househld. We began to struggle with our shared present and dream about our shared future . But basically all our decisions were made with an eye on my work, whether it was in IPTA , or teaching at Ambala college , or working for the Teachers Union or later my writing or my job at Moscow. She not only Completely supported my work , she also actually denied her own ambitions . There is no doubt that every fibre of my being is grateful to her for this . Often she used to say ‘ When we were married , I said to myself that this man is mine. Whatever he is , he is mine. ’She put her hand into mine with that faith and maintained that faith until the very end.”
(5)
“Going to Vietnam was like going on a pilgrimage . I also saw the ordinary little shack , The former home of the Nation’s Great leader Ho Chi Minh : More splendorous than the biggest of Mansions . His walking stick , umbrella , Hat and jacket were still hanging in one corner of the shack.It seemed like he had gone out for a little while and would return anytime now.”
(6)
" I was an innocent child , wandering around the alleys and streets like a tramp;from one alley to the next , aimlessly , and for so long that when shadowy darkness of the evening began to descend , i would have covered an unimaginable distance ! Then my brother or family servant , Tulsi , would find me after a search .Finally my father tied a round , Brass medallion around my neck with words .. THIS BOY IS THE SON OF BABU HARIPRASAD SAHNI OF CHACHI NEIGHBOURHOOD ; IF ANY ONE FINDS HIM WANDERING AROUND , PLEASE SEND HIM BACK HOME. "
(7)
“ Muktibodh (Prominent Hindi Poet of twentieth century ) was sick in Bhopal and in very bad shape.His writer friends Nemi Chand jain , Shrikant verma , Ram Kumar , Amrita Pritam and myself decided to meet the then Prime Minister Shastri ji and seek financial and Medical aid for the poet. And after we met Shastri ji , next day Muktibodh was brought to Delhi for treatment . He was admitted to Medical Institute but he did not survive . All of us were overwhelmed by the speed and concern with which Shastri ji had an ailing writer brought to Delhi “
(8)
“ Once the Afro Asian writers conference was held in Tunis . At that time ,Tunis was the HQ of exiled PLO leader Yasser Arafat .I was the executive secretary of Afro Asian Writers Association. We were joined by Kamleshwar , Balu Rao , Joginder Paul and Abdul Bismillah . I was invited to PLO HQ.I got a surprise when Yasser Arafat personally came to escort me and my wife inside the venue. Once inside , we met twenty or so Palestenian writers .Yasser Arafat had tea with us . He was happy at Indian Government’s condemnation of unfair treatment of Palestine issue by Imperialist powers . When I mentioned Gandhi ji and other leaders of our country , Arafat said, “ They are not merely your leaders , But ours as well. we respect them as much as you do .” Arafat peeled fruits for the delegation. He made us tea with honey .He spoke about his Engineering degree , endless travel and usefulness of honey. I felt at ease with him. I also felt the need to go to the Washroom and when I emerged , Yasser Arafat was standing there holding a towel for me .”
(9)
“ When I recall , I recall the days of childhood when Balraj and me used to play . He would be Rana Partap making me his horse Chetak.And then Brother deciding to leave home and father repeatedly trying to get him understand that he should not leave . And then I see Balraj in Do Bigha Zameen. Then one after another ,many faces appeared to me that did not belong to Balraj, But were really his.
Balraj’s son Parikshat is doing good work Now. This was the same Parikshat who sat behind me on the horse when I was getting married and put his tiny arms around my waist and said that he won’t let me go anywhere .I saw him in films . I saw him playing the role of an elderly kashmiri in Tele serial Gul Gulshan Gulfaam. These are glimpses that our loved ones give us , leaving marks on our memory . There is no empty place in life.”
(10)
“ In an Afro Asian writer’s conference , while discussing the works of Manto , Poet Ali sardar jafri made an argument that it was great that Manto had put up the lives of prostitutes at the centre of his works, But why didn’t the victimized , exploited prostitutes in his stories ever become rebels ? Why didn’t they destroy their exploiters ?"


Here is a book that gives you a Grand account of the progressive writers Movement in India especially the post partition period with stalwarts like syed Sajjad zaheer , Ali Sardar Jafri , Mulk Raj Anand , Rajinder singh Bedi , Mohan Rakesh and many more . Bhisham sahni takes you on a trip to Russia where he worked as Translator or to Kampuchea and Vietnam. Prior to this , he gives you a glimpse of Arya samaj Movement in Punjab and the typical Middle class life style images of His Home town Rawalpindi . He also takes you to kashmir where the family had set up a home for spending summer months .Infact , Balraj sahni’s wife Damayanti belonged to a respectable Arya samaji ( Punjabi ) family of kashmir .


The technique of recording very small incidents and then making history out of them is only known to Bhisham sahni and he surely excels in this unique skill. With this technique he reveals how A gentleman tried to retrieve a golden Bracelet from the arm of his wife who lay dead in well during Hindu Muslim riots or when Yasser Arafat stood outside the wash room with a towel for the author .
 I have read his short storries and his great novel TAMAS . TAMAS left a lasting impression on my mind . So was his excellent short story , ‘Chief ki Daawat’ . As a writer, he demonstrated towering humanism, compassion and an ability to bring into sharp respite the human essence of even a patently inhuman situation. TAMAS tells many stories of everlasting pain and suffering with a bold and compassionate perspective . Any person who wishes Peace must read this book. It shall make him understand why it is so important to safeguard peace at any cost .

To Bhisham and his brother Balraj , kashmir remained unforgettable. A place where they spent the summers of their childhood ..During winters , the family would move to Rawalpindi..

I end up this brief write up with a line that I read in this book only….

" Tujh Mein sau Naghme Hain
Aey Taare Rabaab e hasti "

( O Life's Musical instrument , each of
your strings releases hundreds of songs )

Still Reading …

( Autar Mota )



Creative Commons License

CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.

SANSKRIT AND ANCIENT VEDIC CULTURE IN RUSSIA



                                                                   
                                                                       




( VISHNU from the Trinity of Brahma Vishnu and Mahesha  )

SANSKRIT AND ANCIENT  VEDIC  CULTURE  IN  RUSSIA


“Do all human beings have a close universal origin? Who were the original Vedic Aryans. How Vedic society was a global influence and what shattered this once world-wide society. The Vedic influence and proof of its ancient existence has been found in such countries as Britain, France, Russia, Greece, China, Japan, Egypt, and in areas of Scandinavia. Further there are strong links between the Vedic and other ancient cultures, such as the Sumerians, Persians, Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, etc.All the major religions of the world were influenced by the Vedic tradition and still contain many Vedic elements within them.”

( Source ” Proof of Vedic Culture's Global Existence” by Stephen Knapp)

“The Vedas has a two fold interest, it belongs to the history of the world and to the history of India. In the history of the world the Vedas fills a gap which no literary work in any language could fill.”

(Max Muller)

RIGVEDA refers to a country named RUS ? Is it present day RUSSIA ?

In 2007, Dr Alexander Kozhevin from Archeology Department of Ulyanovsk State University found An ancient Vishnu idol during excavation in an old village in Russia's Volga region, raising questions about the prevalent view on the origin of ancient Russia. The idol found in Staraya (old) Maina village dates back to 7th to 10th century AD. Staraya Maina village in Ulyanovsk region was a highly populated city 1700 years ago, much older than Kiev, so far believed to be the mother of all Russian cities. Prior to unearthing of the Vishnu idol, Dr Kozhevin has already found ancient coins, pendants, rings and fragments of weapons in this region. Dr Kozhevin, who has been conducting excavation in Staraya Maina , said that every single square metre of the surroundings of the ancient town situated on the banks of Samara, a tributary of Volga, is studded with antiques.
                                                                                                

                                     
 ( Photograph of the Ancient  vishnu Idol discovered in Volga region of Russia  )

Adds  Dr Alexander Kozhevin ,
“ We may consider it incredible, but we have ground to assert that Middle-Volga region was the original land of Ancient Rus. This is a hypothesis, but a hypothesis, which requires thorough research,"
.
According to Dr. Acharya Somuchidononanda Pandey an Indian Sanskrit scholar ,

“ In the Rig Veda, there is a passage that goes, Itham ascati pasyat syantham, ekam starayath mainaa-kaalam. This translates into Staraya Maina is the name of the land of the 45 rivers (on whose banks the noble Rishis conducted the famous Horse Sacrifices), where the sun god descends into one fifty two forty seven. While the first line identifies a location, the second line talks about the exact latitude and longitude at which the solar spectrum produces interference lines at one, fifty two, and forty seven. The discovery of the idol confirms the location in Russia, identified in the Rig Veda as rus soviath sapthamahanagaratham (the ancient and holy land of the 722 flying vehicles). The ancient connections between the Russians and the Indians has been unequivocally confirmed. In Russian orthodox Christianity, worship is conducted very much like in Vishnu temples. The Russians refer to the feast of Vizhnyir Ekoratsya Vikhunh, directly corresponding with Vaikhunda Ekhadasi. The Russian language also owes a lot to Sanskrit, whose origins 50,000 years ago roughly correspond with the language of the people of the Smritzyi archaeological site, along the banks of the now-dried up Vernstokhlin (Varnasatyakhalini) river system.”

 We already know that Slavic rituals and Slavic names for their gods bear close proximity to Ancient Vedic sources . And then in 2007 , an ancient Vishnu Idol was found in Volga region that led further credence to the thought that ancient Vedic society extended to Russia as well. And an abundance of interesting place names (toponyms) Sanskrit origin in Russia. For example, the river Ganga and Padma in the Arkhangelsk region, Moksha and Kama in Mordovia. Tributaries of the Kama are Krishneva and Hareva. Indra — the lake in the Yekaterinburg region. Maya — the city near Yakutsk, etc.

Adds Professor Alexander Vasilyavich Medvedev, chairman of the religious affairs committee of the Urals region.

“The problem amongst our leaders may not be so much in having to accept your movement, but to accept that the Vedic culture could have very well been the original culture here in Russia.You know in Russia practically all the scientists accept that the Vedic culture once flourished here, the center being in the Volga river region.. The debate among our scientists is only if the Aryans came from India or they originated here.”

And is Vedi sanskrit the mother of present day  Russian language ?

Noted Scholar Dr Shashi Shekhar Toshkhani adds ,

“ I am happy to find you referring to the incredible lexical energy of Sanskrit . It is not just Russian or Polish, words derived from Sanskrit are present in the vocabularies of all European languages, starting with classical Latin and Greek. The Slav languages are replete with words taken from Sanskrit. As we know,the discovery of lexical similarities between Sanskrit and European languages in the 19 th century had thrilled European linguists, as in it,  they found "milennial roots" of their linguistic culture. According to Dr. Lokesh Chandra, one of the most eminent scholars of Indian culture, "Sanskrit words in the European languages are millennial roots that reach down into the endless soil of time." It is not only the adoption of the basic vocabulary, he says, "Sanskrit verbal roots, prefixes and suffixes, as well as the generative system,became the building blocks of European languages." It is because of the "Westward push" of the Sanskrit speaking Indic people, and not the assumed "push to the East" of the Aryans that Sanskrit became the "substantive base of the Indo-European languages", Dr. Lokesh Chandra says, giving overwhelming evidence to substantiate his views in this regard.”

                                                                                                             

( Photograph from  a page of Noted Hindi writer Bhisham sahni's book " TODAY's PASTS A MEMOIR ". Sh Sahni adds that there are many words in sanskrit and in Russian that appear common , especially those words that are in religious contexts.  In this book , He also adds that Mrs Kamla Ratnam ,wife of  the then  Cultural ambassador of the Indian embassy at Moscow had compiled a Book on the subject and uncovered hundreds of common words in  sanskrit and Russian )

    Some more words that are common in sanskrit and Russian 

Russian 
Sanskrit
English
Krov
Kravya
Blood
Okhotnik

Akhetika

Hunter
svoi
Sva
One’s own
Tebya
Tva
Thou
Nosorog
Narsingha
Rhinoceros

Dr W R Rishi (1917-2002) eminent scholar and linguist worked as Translator in Indian Embassy Moscow for some time.. He wrote several books on affinity and closeness between Sanskrit and Russian language. In his scholarly book "India & Russia – Linguistic & Cultural Affinity" he writes ,

“In the sphere of vocabulary, there is such a large number of words which are common to these two languages that it has not been possible to mention all of them in this chapter. Only a list of basic words common to both these two languages has been given. Moreover, as explained in the succeeding paragraphs of this chapter many of the grammatical rules are common to both these languages and the number of words common to these two languages formed after the application of such common grammar rules could be further multiplied.”
                                                                                                         

            
(A Photograph of stone inscription in Baku. Special Thanks to  Austria Based  Artist Kapil Koul for the above photograph.)

 Adds Kapil Koul
 " I found this image in a book about Azerbaijan: inscribed stone (in Devnagri script/ Sanskrit) in the wall of the forte in Baku, 12 th Century."And  according to Dr Shashi Shekhar Toshkhani 
"The Azerbajan inscription referred to by Kapil Kaul Ji is regarding the Jwala Ji (Goddess of fire ) temple in Baku." 
Furhter one can see Swastika engraved on the stone . oldest swastika is reported to have been found in stone engravings in Ukarine .it is surely a Vedic symbol representing what is known as PURASHAARTHHAA or combination of Dharma (natural order), Artha (wealth), Kama (desire), and Moksha (liberation.) )


Journey of a religion or culture  , quite often,  means the  journey of a language . We must understand and try to find out which religion or culture  traveled where along with the language.  So many factors are responsible for journey of a language.




 ( Autar Mota )

PS

 In his Book  "Arctic home of Vedas" , Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856-1920),  believed that the climate of North pole must have been friendlier  in ancient times as has also been mentioned in some ancient scriptures mailny Vedas  and Zoroastrian Avesta. He also brings in  some geological, astronomical and archaeological witness to support his theory .  And according to him, when the climatic conditions changed ,  the Aryans moved  southward into present-day Europe, Iran and India. Although this theory has never gained widespread reception among mainstream scholars since it was first published in 1903 yet Tilak has made a undeniable case which is not easily refutable.Some western Historians also believe that Arctic to  be the primordial cradle of the Aryan race.

There is another Book Titled ANCIENT INDIA 2000 BC to 800 AD ( Published in 1904 by LONGMAN LONDON ) that deals with this theory .According to this  the book” A section of Aryans apparently got disgusted about “animal sacrifices and the use of the fermented Soma wine”, struck their tents and led off their cattle to Iran to found the Avestic tradition.”


Another book “The Origin of the Aryans “ by Isaac Taylor. Isaac Taylor (1829–1901)  provides a comprehensive summary of the problematical issue of the origins of the Indo-European peoples. Taylor’s book was the first major English-language work to reject the Ex oriente lux theory of Indo-European origins in favor of a birthplace in southern Russia. He points out  that language alone cannot be a final indicator of racial origins.Using a thorough evaluation of cranial, archaeological and cultural evidence, he presents his conclusion.


Creative Commons License

CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

"' DARK CLOUDS ....SILVER LINING" AN EXHIBITION BY RAVINDER JAMWAL WELL KNOWN SCULPTOR OF OUR STATE .


                                                                           










       
                                                              
"' DARK CLOUDS ....SILVER LINING" AN EXHIBITION BY RAVINDER JAMWAL WELL KNOWN SCULPTOR OF OUR STATE . 

DEDICATED TO THE VICTIM OF FIRING FROM ACROSS THE BORDER .


Saw This open Exhibition in the lawns  of Jammu University  .The Exhibition opened on 15th of December 2015  and concluded on 17th

Ravinder Jamwal ( Born 1960 at Birpur , Jammu ) is a well known sculptor of our state . A post Graduate in Portraiture from M. S. University Baroda , Ravinder Jamwal is known for his experimentation and innovation. He uses paper ,  Plastic ,Snow, Metal and other mediums for his creative work and quite often fuses his objects with vastness of nature . He does wonderful snow sculpture on mountain tops .He also uses rivers , Ponds, Lakes and mountains skillfully to create sculptures based on folklore , customs , Ballads and Human pain and suffering .

Some of us might have come across his Impressive sculpture of Fearless Zorawar Singh on his galloping horse installed at Bahu Plaza Crossing or Or the statue of Gen Bikram Singh at Bikram Chowk ; So are his 35 other installations at prominent places .

Ravinder ji has held numerous Exhibitions and shows both within the state and outside . He has regularly been commissioned for various Portraits and Statues by Government and Non Government institutions . 

                                                                                   

( Left to right.. Shri Ravinder Jamwal , Autar Mota , Artist  Bhushan Kesar and Poet Agnishekhar )


During a discussion with this Blogger , Shri Ravinder Jamwal informed ,

“ Autar ji I hold a firm belief that every domain is subject to its limitations . These limitation apply equally to man made domains or domains of the nature . And Life keeps recycling for its flow and movement . Birth – Death – Rebirth cycle .you get my point . The people living along the border whether in India or in Pakistan have felt this cycle of tranquility and hostility perpetually .There is a persian quote of jalaal Rumi, 

“ Hamchoo Sabzaa Baarhaa Roedhaa Imm “ 
Or “ Like Greenery we keep coming again and gain”

The recycling of life is the Moral Undercurrent of my expression for both Natural as well as man made objects . My work also rests transcendence of the apparent world . It is an outcome of my state of mind , heart and yes soul. So enjoy and welcome. “

                                                                              

                               
 (A snow sculpture done by shri Ravinder jamwal at Natha top.)


Through  his work , Shri Ravinder Jamwal has successfully   given expression to the pain and suffering that the people of this state in general and  more specifically the border resident have been undergoing since last two and a half decades. One can safely say that the agony of Poor Border residents  happens to be even older . These Sculptures represent  tales of pain and uprootment .  An uprootment that affects Man, Animal and crops .On a little higher plane , it affects Mind ,Psyche and ultimately  human happiness and Individual liberty .  
For these poor Border residents ,the uprootment , settlement and then again Uprootment represents the cycle of recurring  dark clouds  of  suffering with brief spells of sunshine or    Normalcy.

                                      

                                                  (At the Inaugural ceremony of Maharaja Hari Singh's Statue in Jammu done by Sh Ravinder Jamwal        )                     

  
                                                           ( Shri Ravinder Jamwal with his wife )

 Yes he remains thankful to his dedicated wife who has been a great support to him in his creative activity. She remained at the exhibition all along ;Attending to Guests and Explaining the creations .                           
( Autar Mota )

Creative Commons License

CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.