HAS KASHMIRI VANVUN EVOLVED FROM BRAHT-SAMA AND SHAIVA TATTVAS?

( Photo source.. Dr Advaitvadini Kaul . Family photo of Mekhla ceremony of her brothers 1954 )

HAS KASHMIRI VANVUN EVOLVED FROM BRAHT-SAMA AND SHAIVA TATTVAS?

In the Bhagwad Gita, ( Sloka 35 of Chapter 10) Sri Krishna tell Arjuna:-

“ Bṛhat-sāma tathā sāmnāṁ
Gāyatrī chhandasām aham |
Māsānāṁ mārgaśīrṣho ’ham
Rtūnāṁ kusumākaraḥ ||

(Among the Sāma hymns, I am the Bṛhat Sāma;
Among poetic metres, I am the Gāyatrī.
Among months, I am Mārgaśīrṣa,
And among seasons, I am spring, the source of flowers.)

‘Among the Sama hymns, I am the Bṛhat Sāma’

I will only refer to the first line of this great Sloka. Bṛhat Sāma is one of the most splendid and spread-out hymns of the Sāma Veda, sung during important Vedic rituals. It is a specific, highly elaborate chant of the Sāma Veda. It belongs to the Vedic Yajna tradition, sung by trained priests. It is scriptural, liturgical, and ritual-specific, with strict melodic structures (sāmans). Its purpose is cosmic alignment through sacred sound, not social or folk expression. So Bṛha-Sāma is: elite Vedic ritual music, preserved in textual and priestly lineages. It symbolises grandeur, spiritual resonance, and devotional depth. Sri Krishna means that wherever sacred sound reaches its highest elevation, that brilliance is His manifestation. The word “Sāma” means melody or song, and the Samaveda is revered as the Veda of Chants. It is the very soul of Indian music, the sacred foundation where Bhakti (devotion), Shraddha (faith), and Swara (melody) unite to create a profound spiritual experience. Sri Krishna elevates the Samaveda to the highest place when he tells Arjuna:

“Among the Vedas, I am the Samaveda; among the celestial gods, I am Indra. Among the senses, I am the mind; among living beings, I am consciousness.”— (Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 10, Verse 22)

 Kashmiri Vāṇvun does not descend directly from the Bṛhat-Sāma of the Sāma Veda in a linear historical sense. However, both emerge from a shared and ancient Indian understanding of sacred sound as an operative, world-constituting force, rather than as aesthetic music. Vanvun is not just a poetic form; it is ritualised memory. Traditionally sung by women during rites of passage in Kashmir, such as birth, marriage, and seasonal change. It works as a living archive, carrying history, myth, and collective emotion through rhythm and repetition. This makes it a powerful bridge between cosmic myth and human experience.

In the Sāma Veda—especially in expansive chants such as Bṛhat-Sāma—sound is not composed for pleasure or artistic display. It is elongated, vowel-dominant, ritualised, and effective. The chant functions to align the human, cosmic, and divine orders through nāda. Meaning is secondary to resonance; grammar dissolves into vibration. Time is ritual time, not chronological time.

A strikingly similar sound logic governs Kashmiri Vāṇvun. Though situated in domestic and communal life rather than in yajña ritual, Vāṇvun is likewise non-entertainment sound. It is obligatory, performative, and efficacious. Sound does not describe auspiciousness; it produces it. Like Sāma chanting, Vāṇvun prioritises vowel elongation, cyclical unfolding, collective voicing, and suspension of ordinary temporal awareness.

The conceptual bridge between these two traditions becomes clearer when viewed through Kashmiri Śaiva metaphysics. Kashmir was not merely a recipient of Vedic culture, but a region where Vedic sound-ritual consciousness was reinterpreted through Tantric Śaivism. In Śaiva philosophy, particularly in the doctrines of Nāda and Spanda, sound is Śakti in motion, emerging from the silent luminosity (Prakāśa) of Śiva.

Vāṇvun embodies this metaphysics in lived ritual form. The silence preceding the chant corresponds to Śiva as unmoving awareness. The first elongated voice marks the awakening of Śakti as vibration. As voices gather and individual authorship dissolves into collective resonance, the chant enacts the Śaiva movement from pure consciousness to manifested communal form. Māyā is not negated but embraced, allowing metaphysics to enter human life through marriage, birth, and blessing.

In this sense, Vāṇvun may be understood as a domestic, feminised, vernacular enactment of an ancient nāda-centric worldview, one that also underlies the Sāma Veda. The connection is not musical genealogy, but ontological continuity—a shared civilizational intuition that sound, when ritually released, alters reality.

Kashmiri Vāṇvun may be better understood, within a Kashmiri Śaiva interpretive framework, as a domestic and communal enactment of the Śiva–Śakti tattva schema, in which sound emerges from stillness, assumes ritual form, and resolves into collective resonance. Typically, Vāṇvun begins with silence—the attentive stillness of the gathered women. In Śaiva philosophy, Śiva tattva is Prakāśa, pure and unmoving awareness, and this silence may be read as corresponding to that ground of consciousness. Vāṇvun consistently arises from silence rather than from ambient noise, indicating that sound is released deliberately as a ritual act.

The first vocal intonation, often initiated by an elder woman, introduces an elongated sound. In Śaiva doctrine, Śakti is vibration (Spanda), and the onset of sound may be interpreted as the activation of this vibratory principle. As the lead voice names the ritual context, such as the bride, groom, or blessing, sound acquires referential form while remaining expansive, corresponding to the Sadāśiva stage in which awareness begins to recognise itself through differentiation. With the emergence of a collective response, individual vocal identity dissolves into shared resonance, a movement that may be aligned with Īśvara tattva, wherein the relation between subject and object is reorganised, and the community itself becomes the locus of articulation.

Repetition, emotional inflexion, and human variation situate Vāṇvun within Śuddha-Vidyā and Māyā tattvas. Here, Māyā is not a defect but the principle that allows metaphysical sound consciousness to enter lived, domestic ritual life. In this sense, Vāṇvun may be seen as Śaiva metaphysics enacted through practice rather than articulated through formal doctrine.

In 2015, I visited Bali, Indonesia. I visited several temples during the evening, when the deity was worshipped with both vocal and instrumental music. I could feel a strong resemblance to Sāma Veda chants. I was told the following by a Balinese scholar:

“Balinese temple music aligns strongly with Vedic sound logic, particularly that of the Sāma Veda, at the level of principle rather than melody. I mean sound as operative power. Like Vedic chant, Balinese temple music is not meant for entertainment but for ritual efficacy—to sanctify space, invoke presence, and regulate cosmic order. Much Balinese sacred music emphasises sustained sonority, cyclical repetition, and layered vibration rather than linear melodic development—an approach consistent with the aesthetics of Vedic chanting. Performances unfold according to ritual sequence, not concert duration, echoing Vedic yajña-time rather than aesthetic time. Some forms of Balinese temple chanting, such as kakawin recitation and priestly mantra intonation, show features comparable to Vedic chant: elongation of vowels, controlled pitch zones rather than melodic freedom, collective or antiphonal sound fields, and the dissolution of individual vocal identity into ritual sound. These features closely resemble Sāma-style sound behaviour, even though the musical languages differ.”

Every verse of the Vanvun may be understood as a generative seed (bīja), containing within it a latent cosmology that becomes actualised through sound. When articulated within the sonic discipline exemplified by the Sāmaveda and interpreted through the metaphysical framework of Shaiva Tattvas, these verses are not merely recited but brought into manifestation. Sound, in this tradition, is not a vehicle for meaning alone; it is a transformative force that unfolds concealed potential into audible and experiential form. Our ancestors did not approach these verses as static repositories of wisdom. Rather, they engaged them as living structures, animated through rhythm, pitch, and collective utterance. Chanting functioned as an act of ontological participation, wherein speech moved beyond symbolic reference to assume a world-creating role. Each Vanvun chant thus enacts a progression—from articulated word to embodied world, and from the manifested world toward the divine principle that underlies it. This movement reflects a Shaiva understanding of reality in which the sacred is not opposed to the worldly but revealed through it, and where sound serves as the mediating power that bridges human expression and transcendent order.

Thus, Kashmiri Vāṇvun stands not as “folk music” but as Śaiva metaphysics and Vedic sound consciousness lived through voice, preserved outside texts yet faithful to one of India’s oldest understandings of sacred sound.

( Avtar Mota )

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HARI KRISHEN KAUL : THE ENTHRALLING STORY AND PLAYWRIGHT OF KASHMIR

                                               

THE STORIES OF HARI KRISHEN KAUL: "FOR NOW IT IS NIGHT" 

Hari Krishna Kaul (1934–2009) was born in Kashmir and lived there for most of his life. He taught Hindi literature in various colleges of the University of Kashmir until he was forced to leave in 1990. Kaul started his literary career writing short stories in Urdu and Hindi but switched to writing in Kashmiri in the mid-1960s. His first collection of short stories in Kashmiri, Pata Laraan Parbat, was published in 1972 and immediately established him as a major writer. Three other collections of short stories and numerous television and radio plays followed, cementing his position as an important figure in the modern literary landscape of Kashmir. His only novel, Vyath Vyatha, was published in 2005. He was the recipient of many awards including the Sahitya Akademi Award for Kashmiri fiction in 2000.

I have been an admirer of Hari Krishen Kaul since my college days. He is  Maupassant when he presents social realities , he is Chekhov when he probes below the surface of life of his characters and he is Manto when he uses biting sarcasm against double talk , false prestige, corruption and myopic thinking .All in one. 

Hari Krishen Kaul's stories are like a mirror to Kashmiri life, reflecting the intricacies of human relationships, cultural traditions, and the turmoil of conflict. These stories are woven with wit, satire, and a deep understanding of the human condition. These stories often critique societal norms, bureaucracy, and politics. Kaul's relatable characters come to the reader with their struggles, hopes, and fears. He has the skill to blend humour and pathos.

Hari Krishen Kaul's stage, radio and television plays instantly touch deep chords with Kashmiris .With his pen and sharp observation, he enters households of middle class families wherefrom most of the situations and characters of his plays evolve touching multiple issues of life and existence . The characters come alive in are real flesh and blood to whom one can easily relate to. The character of Lala Sahib of his drama Yeli Watan Khur Chu Yevan lives( When Paths are confusing) in the hearts of Kashmiris to this day. Lala Sahib , the widower and father of two middle aged sons tragically finds himself getting sidelined in the affairs of the family. His sons then live separately and he finds himself irrelevant in both the families. He can't decide where to go as he has nowhere to go. This character has become immortal in the minds of Kashmiris who heard the play on Radio or saw it on the television.

Another example of remarkable characters created by Harikrishna Kaul is the old accountant of the comedy Dastaar. The famous lines from Dastaar ," Rama Lagay Chaanya Lilaye" resonated in Kashmiri families even decades after the play was first telecast on Doordarshan.

Hari Krishen Kaul's play Naatuk Kariv Band remains a milestone in Kashmiri literature .It was first staged at Srinagar's Tagore Hall and also telecast on Doordarshan. Based on Ramayana , in this play Hanumana is shown revolting against Rama's decision to banish Sita. Rama was shown representing the powerful politicians while Sita represented the common masses. Shiekh Mohammad Abdullah paid standing ovation to the playwright and the actors after he saw its live performance in Tagore Hall, Srinagar.

About Hari Krishen Kaul's plays, noted actor and producer Bihari Kak says this :-

"Natuk Kariv Band was the play we performed on stage through the Rangmanch Theatre. It was directed by Jawahar Wanchoo, and I portrayed the character of Hanuman. The play was adjudged Best Play at the Academy competition, and I was honoured with the Best Actor Award. Prof.G  L Labroo was among the three judges on the panel. Later , we performed this play in Mumbai between 1976 and 1978. I have carefully preserved the original brochure of those performances.Prof Hari Krishen Koul was a great writer and intellectual. After exile,  we once shared an Ashtami lunch at his residence in Delhi—myself, Shadi Lal Kaul  and Prof Hari Krishen Kauk. During that meeting, we discussed many creative and cultural matters, especially his work Rajatarangini, which I was keen to make serial. He graciously gave me the script in his own handwriting, prepared as a screenplay. Unfortunately, before the project could be realised, he passed away. The handwritten screenplay is still in my possession, preserved with deep respect."

The English translation of his popular stories is in the market . The stories are well translated and very well selected across his various  story books. 

A master in humanising his observations, Kaul  captivates his reader through authenticity, emotional connection and engaging narrative techniques.The reader  immediately strikes familiarity with his characters. They are people with whom one  deals almost everyday. That is why readers instantly  identify with his situations and characters. Premonition of what is going to happen in the valley is visible in his stories . Alienation and loneliness of elders is another subject that he deals with.Biting with is the hall mark of his Stories Through his stories , he carves portraits of everyday living, and if one looks closely, these stories present a world of desire and yearnings that is by and large absent in Kashmiri prose.

In his story , Na vanini layak katha  (That which we can not speak of) , Magga , Rahman Gadda ,Gir Gagur,   are  some  a character that all of us know. He doesn't hesitate to bring in Hema Malini, Sheikh Abdullah , Mirza Afzal Beg to create authenticity.

 

Poshkuj of "Taaf"  or "Sunshine" comes close to everyone's grandmother. She is simple, affectionate , obstinate and undemanding at the same time. She doesn't know double talk. But her observation  is deep and meaningful.She feels happy to see a bigger and clear sky in Delhi where she can breathe freely. She feels relaxed to see no Muslims  around her  in Delhi . Possibly she has not to indulge in double talk . She is  also relaxed in Delhi  since  her elder daughter in law is not around  , who as per Poshkuj,  torments her . This is a story of the 1960s or a period of  the early second half of the last century.  

Reviewing the book for The Hindustan Times, Saudamini Jain writes this :-

"Kashmir shines through these stories. And not just in curfews, fear and feelings of loss. There are localities and landmarks of Srinagar, life around its historical bridges, the Jhelum river. Windowpanes glisten in the sun, soft muslin curtain flow like waterfalls. Whiskey is served with walnuts and apples.A writer recalls the medieval Kashmiri mystic poet Lal Ded — the story goes, he recounts, that Lal could spin wool into fine threads, but angered by her mother-in-law’s unappreciation, she threw it all into the lake and lotus stalks sprang from it. In To Rage or to Endure, another surreal story and the last in this collection, published a decade after Kaul had to leave Kashmir almost overnight during the troubles in 1990, every year a grandmother makes garlands of dried sliced gourd and aubergine to welcome or guard herself against Shenĕ-Buddĕ, the Kashmiri Old Man Winter."

Except through  his stories , where else can one  find characters like Nath Ji, Pyari, Jawa Lal  ,Billoo,, Dyedh, Roop Ji, Atandhati,Setha, Tarzan, Pahalwan, Pedro ,Swami Ji, Makhan ,Usha Ji, Vosta Mohammad, Master Neelkanth, Molvi Sahib, Tara Chand, Sonamaal ,Gaasha and many more . Molvi Sahib is a school teacher who forgets to check homework  but  demands Shivratri walnuts from every student once  the school opens after a long winter break . All  full of life and easily identifiable .

The book, 'For Now ,It Is Night' is a collection of 17 stories written from 1969 to 2001.The stories  gradually capture the erosion of shared living and old value system in the Kashmiri society. The stories also present a backdrop of what happened in Kashmir in 1990.

Read the book to know more about situations and characters created by Hari Krishnen Kaul who comes out as the most readable story writer from Kashmir.

I wish he wrote in English for  wider  recognition and  readership.   Very late , his stories have come to the English speaking world through the book, "For Now It Is Night " . I recommend the book to everyone who loves literature .

( Avtar Mota)

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MY POEM "HOMELAND"

                                       

FOR  JANUARY 19, 1990 , THE DAY WE WERE EXILED  

This Hudson Riverfront in Jersey  City has given birth to my five poems on exile . One titled ," Homeland" goes as under 

(Homeland ) 

When I was young, 

Father once said this to me,

“Son, remember this truth of life:

A child's growth, like a flower,  needs

The nourishment of mother's tender love alone.

A young man's dreams, ambitious, and free,

Require the fuel of money's golden might.

And when life's autumn leaves begin to fall,

A person needs a hand that will not let go.

A companion's presence is the heart's last light at that time.

Unlucky, indeed, are those who miss these precious gifts, 

At life's appointed time.”

I believed him,

Until 1990 arrived.

Until my homeland was torn from my arms

And we were driven into the heat and dust of distant plains,

Where memories burned hotter than the sun,

And exile settled deep in our bones.

Then I learned what father never knew.

A child needs a homeland

Before he knows his mother’s name.

A man needs a homeland 

Before he learns the value of money.

And in old age,

When strength fades,

When faces blur,

When even companionship grows silent,

One needs nothing

But the soil that remembers his footsteps.

For homeland is the first lullaby,

The last prayer,

The breath between birth and death.

(Avtar Mota)

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SWAMI FROM MADURAI

                                     

SWAMI FROM MADURAI 

Before 1990, there used to be a low budget hotel in Karan Nagar run under the name  of Madras Hotel. I have seen many  people , mostly door to door sellers of ladies dresses, petty  traders who thronged Kashmir in summer season, foot path dentists, magicians , many hawkers from South India  staying in the Hotel and  paying rent on monthly basis in advance. That worked cheaper. The hotel provided normal accommodation and hot water bucket  on extra payment. Dosa, Vada, Sambhar , coffee and Idli was also served at this hotel's  restaurant. 

One Swami from Madurai (Tamilnadu) would stay at the Madras Hotel for full summer season. He would rent a bicycle for the season and move in the  localities inhabited by Kashmiri Pandits selling   Saris to them. He brought cheap Kanjivaram and Tussar silk  Saris and  sold them to Pandit families  who would pay in installments. These Saris were bought for dowry of girls. Swami had understood the entire social rituals in a Pandit household. I have heard him saying this :-

" Didi Kalavalinu anjah Sari  kam hoyenga. Ondeh Sari Saas Lenga . Nallah Tussar Silk ." 

( For distribution to relations in her in-laws house, five saris shall be insufficient for my   sister. Take one for her mother in law . I shall give one good Tussar silk Sari .)

 

It was through Swami  that I first saw the famous and graceful  Madurai Sungudi cotton Sari. Later , Swami also started selling bed covers and bed sheets .  With this new item, Swami became popular in some Muslim households. At my mother's insistence, Raja our neighbour and wife of Mohammad Sidiq baker , purchased two double bed covers  as dowry items for her daughters.Raja would save money that her husband gave her . She kept this money  with my mother who always advised her to buy something for her daughters. It was my mother who forced her to buy copper utensils for her daughters from Zaina Kadal . 

Swami would start clearing his stocks by October end and he would return to Madurai after Deepawali . He would devote his last one week exclusively for collecting what was due to him. This last collection he would carry by hand in the specially created pocket of his undershirt. A loose kurta and a Lungi was all that he wore . However, he would move with woollen gloves, woollen  socks, fur cap, muffler right from mid- October. No shoes , just simple Bata bathroom sandals with socks . Swami was a Shaivite. He would go to Shankaracharya Temple on Sundays . He was vegetarian and never ate anything except Dosa, Rasam, and his favourite Saapad-curd( Dahi -chawal ). Swami would come to my bank branch to exchange currency notes or ask for notes of bigger denomination when he had to leave Kashmir. 

Swami had a unique style of packing up after selling some Sari or bed cover or bed sheet. He would count the remaining stock  to be packed on his fingers saying softly, ' randeh, mund, naala anjeh...',  etc. Move his head in confirmation that  everything was okay. Thereafter, he would put his stuff neatly one over the other in  a cloth  and tie the bundle with a thin rope. The bundle was then tied to the  back carrier of the bicycle with a piece of similar rope . The back carrier was wide enough to hold the bundle safely.  And he would leave saying," amma , didi, thambi , vanakam vanakam ".

One day Swami saw  a purse falling from the hands of a woman as she boarded the  local bus at Surateng in Rainawari.  The bus sped away towards Khanyar . Swami picked up the purse and followed the bus upto Shiraz cinema where he fell down and got some bruises on his arm and leg. He put the purse in his pocket, went to JLNM Hospital to get the minor  wounds dressed up . Thereafter , he came to Rainawari Police station and handed over the purse to police . Later, Chuni Lal Watloo ( shopkeeper) , who was well connected with Rainawari  Police Station  , told me that the purse had three gold rings  and one gold chain apart from twelve hundred rupees in cash . It belonged to a Muslim lady of Khanyar who had come with  some ailing relative  to  JLNM Hospital. 

Beete huve lamhon ki khushboo hai meray ghar mein ,

Book rack pe rakhe hain yaadon ke kayi  album. 

( Avtar Mota )

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FILM MOTHER INDIA AND THE FIRE INCIDENT

A FIRE ACCIDENT ON THE SETS OF “MOTHER INDIA” CULMINATED INTO A LIFELONG BOND OF LOVE AND TRUST.

                                                                

(Photo: Nargis visits Sunil Dutt recovering from the fire accident on the sets of Mother India)

 

From the moment the haunting strains of “Duniya mein hum aaye hain to jeena hi padega “fill the air, it’s clear that Mother India is no ordinary film. This 1957 cinematic masterpiece, directed by Mehboob Khan, transcends the boundaries of time and space to deliver a story that resonates with audiences even today.

Mother India (1957) is widely regarded as one of the greatest Indian films ever made, essentially for its epic storytelling, iconic performance of Nargis, an easily relatable social commentary, cinematic grandeur, and its timeless themes of love, sacrifice, and motherhood. Mother India has inspired countless films and filmmakers, cementing its status as a classic. Mehboob Khan’s direction, coupled with iconic cinematography, Naushad’s scintillating music, and Shakeel Badayuni’s lyrical brilliance, contributing in creating something timeless for Indian cinema. The story of Mother India was written by Wajahat Mirza, based on an idea by Mehboob Khan. The screenplay was penned by S. Ali Raza, with dialogues by Agha Jani Kashmiri. Naushad brought western orchestra to Hindi cinema music through this film. This use of a western-style orchestra in Indian cinema influenced many later films, such as Mughal-e-Azam (1960), which features similar dissonant orchestral music to create the atmosphere at tense moments.

                                                                

                                      (Mehboob Khan )

The film made us see the most powerful portrayal of motherhood and sacrifice in the character of Radha, a poverty-stricken but strong-willed woman who battles extreme hardship, exploitation by a greedy moneylender, and personal tragedies to raise her sons and uphold her moral values. Her ultimate act of sacrificing her own son to maintain justice became an iconic cinematic moment that symbolised the triumph of righteousness over personal love. Radha’s unwavering determination became a powerful metaphor for the young nation itself—enduring immense suffering through poverty, natural disasters, and social injustice, yet remaining committed to dignity and progress. Nargis’s portrayal of Radha earned her international acclaim and established the archetype of the strong, self-sacrificing Indian mother in Hindi cinema.I must have seen Mother India more than ten times. The reasons were obvious: its powerful story, the iconic performance of its lead actress, Nargis, and its deep symbolic resonance as a reflection of a newly independent India’s struggles and resilience.

Mother India was dubbed in several European languages, including Spanish, French and Russian; it did substantial business in Greece, Spain and Russia and was released in the Eastern Bloc countries.

 TITLE OF THE FILM

 The title of the film was taken from a 1927 book titled Mother India by American author Katherine Mayo. The controversial book attacked every aspect of Indian culture and wrote against demands for independence from British rule. He decided to reclaim the title of the much-hated book, and put out a press release, with the now legendary lines, “There has been considerable confusion and misunderstanding in regard to our film production Mother India and Mayo’s book. Not only are the two incompatible, but totally different and indeed opposite. We have intentionally called our film Mother India, as a challenge to this book, in an attempt to evict from the minds of the people the scurrilous work that is Miss Mayo’s book.”

MEHBOOB KHAN, THE PERFECTIONIST

Mehboob Khan was a total perfectionist. For Mother India, he pushed everyone to get it just right. The film’s grand sets, intense drama, and iconic performances—nothing was compromised. He insisted on using real farmers as extras in the film’s farm scenes to add authenticity. He rehearsed the epic sequences in the movie until they were flawless. Radha’s (Nargis’s character) looks, the village setup—every detail mattered to Mehboob Khan. It is said that Mehboob Khan put his time, money, and mind into Mother India to create a masterpiece

During the filming of Mother India, Mehboob Khan was so meticulous about the film’s sets that he had entire villages built from scratch in Maheshwar, near Pune. He wanted the film’s rural setting to be as authentic as possible. One night, a powerful storm hit, and the sets got severely damaged. The crew was worried, but Mehboob Khan said, “No worries, we’ll rebuild it all.” He got the sets rebuilt overnight, and filming resumed the next day.

For the Holi song/dance sequence, Mehboob Khan brought the iconic classical dancer Sitara Devi. . Her electrifying style of performance and her spunky nature saw her being cast in several films. Her debut was ‘Usha Haran’ in 1940, followed by ‘Roti’ (1942), ‘Nagina’ (1951), ‘Vatan’ (1954), ‘Anjali’ (1957), and the  special dance sequence in ‘Mother India’ (1957).  

Mehboob Khan was inspired by American author Pearl S. Buck and her books, The Good Earth (1931) and The Mother (1934); he also saw the film The Good Earth (1937), directed by Sidney Franklin. The Mother chronicled the life of a Chinese woman, including her married life and lonely struggle after being abandoned by her husband.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was a big admirer of Mehboob Khan’s work, and the two shared a strong bond. Nehru even wrote the foreword for Mehboob Khan’s film Mother India (1957), highlighting its themes of India’s struggle for independence and rural development.

THE FIRE INCIDENT

The fire incident in Mother India happened on the film’s set in the Umra area of Surat, Gujarat The accident occurred during the fire scene when the wind direction changed, and the fire grew out of control, trapping Nargis The fire on the sets quickly spread to a vast area.  Nargis got trapped inside the flames, and shooting came to a halt. Everybody was in panic, looking for buckets of water to throw on the leaping flames. However,  Sunil Dutt actually jumped into the fire and rescued Nargis. He suffered burns on his face, chest, and hands and was admitted to the hospital. This act of bravery and empathy by Sunil Dutt won the heart of Nargis and ultimately culminated in their marriage, solemnised in 1958.

 Mother India won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and was India’s first submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It also won Filmfare Awards for Best Film, Best Director (Mehboob Khan), and Best Actress (Nargis). Javed Akhtar has this to say  about Mother India :

“The canvas of the story is huge and there is something so very Indian about it. Mehboob Khan himself was from a small village in the Kathiawad region in Gujarat, and he was quite familiar with its culture and landscape. Therefore, the smell of the soil, the feel of the fields and the breeze of the villages, everything quintessentially Indian, is all there in the film.”

 

(Avtar Mota )

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POONCH AND KASHMIRI PANDITS

                                        

 ( Poonch Palace, which houses several Government  Offices  at present  )     

POONCH  AND  KASHMIRI PANDITS 

My friend Rakesh Dhar informs me  this:-

"Poonch is located amidst green hills with the narrow Poonch River flowing through the town. It is a peaceful and calm place with a scenic backdrop of snow-capped peaks of the Pir Panjal range. Many people used to call the Poonch River 'Tohi'. The Poonch River is also mentioned in Kalhana's Rajatarangini and Nilamata Purana as Taushi. George Buhler has clarified in his writings that the ancient form of the word Tohi is Taushi.

I am from Kashmiri Mohalla, Poonch. Our locality was also known as Mohalla Kashmiri Panditan, Poonch. We have been living there since the Afghan rule in Kashmir. We are the progeny of fleeing Kashmiri Pandits or the victims of suppression during Afghan rule in Kashmir. Poonch was a separate Kingdom of Dogra rulers. In 1827, Raja Dhian Singh received Poonch and Mirpur as Jagir from Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He was the brother of Raja Ghulab Singh. Dhian Singh served as the Wazir (Prime Minister) of the Sikh Empire for over two decades, wielding immense power. The Dogra rulers ruled Poonch from that period. And Shiv Ratan Dev Singh was the last ruler till Poonch became a part of India. Before Dogras ,  the Muslim Rathore Kings ruled Poonch . However, it also remained a part of the Kashmir Kingdom before the Muslim rule in Kashmir. You must have read Lohara ( Loran Fort )  in Rajtarangini. Folklore of the area makes mention of Queen Dida of Kashmir. 

The Dogra rulers of  Poonch constructed Poonch Houses at various places like Jammu (2), Dehradun, Haridwar, Rawalpindi and Kud .

There used to be a regular bus service between Srinagar and Poonch via Uri and Haji Peer. Uri is about two hours motor drive from Poonch. In 1965, the people of Poonch heaved a sigh of relief after our army conquered Haji Peer Pass. The bus service was resumed for some months, but after the Tashkent talks, Haji Peer was given back to Pakistan, and everything stopped. Before 1947, Srinagar was connected with Poonch through many routes. A trek via Tangmarg took just 6 hours. Then you had the Mughal Road via Shopian. 

As far as I know, Kashmiris with surnames like Kar, Dhar, Misri, Raina and Zushi lived in Kashmiri Mohalla. The males from the Kashmiri Mohalla didn't speak the Kashmiri language, but they celebrated all the festivities like Kashmiri Pandits. They would soak walnuts in water on Shivratri day and perform Puja. Our ladies would wear Dejhur. We would relish the Roth prepared on Ganesh Chaturthi. Our elders would wear Janew and perform Tarpan for deceased ancestors. Except for language, we were Pucca Kashmiri Pandits. The road connectivity via Uri retained our links and cultural moorings with Kashmir. My elders tell me that we would visit Bhaderkali Mata Temple and the Sharda Shrine before 1947. Some priests from Kashmir had also settled in Poonch, which retained our ancient socio-cultural moorings. I remember two priests, Pandit Nityanand Ji and Pandit Amarnath Ji. Both were very popular amongst Kashmiri Pandits of Poonch. The Zutshi family of Poonch were landlords. Their ancestor was a respected official in the Darbaar of the Raja of Ponch. Kashmiris of Poonch got their children educated, and many families moved out of the town for green pastures. The Bakshi family of Kashmiri Pandits also owned sizable agricultural land in Thana Mandi, falling between Poonch and Rajouri. These Bakshis were possibly related to the Bakshis of Srinagar.The majority of Kashmiri Pandit ladies of Kashmiri Mohalla spoke fluent Kashmiri possibly because we never lost touch with Kashmir due to Baramulla Poonch motorable road.

Poonch had something unique. The trading community from Kashmir had also settled in the town. They many Khatri surnames like,Puri, Khanna, Chopra,  Suri and Kapoor that were a part of the mainstream Kashmiri Pandit culture. . They observed all the festivities of KPs, and their womenfolk wore Dejhuru.The womenfolk from this trading community spoke fluent Kashmiri .They would also perform Mekhla of children. They would prepare Roth on Ganesh Chaturthi apart from celebrating Shivratri like  Kashmiri Pandits. They were a trading community.I believe more than 50 families of this trading community from Kashmir have been living in Poonch since the 18th century or even earlier.I am not sure how old their presence is in Poonch. " 

( Avtar Mota )

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MY POEM '"TO ALBERT EINSTIEN "

                                                                    

(Avtar Mota outside the House of Albert Einstein on Mercer Street in Princeton, USA  ..Year 2018)

(To Albert Einstein)

If you are a gem born of eternity,

I am the dust that remembers the feet that walked over it.

If you are a mountain carrying the sky,

I am the trembling pebble at your feet.

My smallness cannot climb your vastness,

Cannot touch your towering mind,

Not by distance,

Not by language,

Not by any measure this world allows.

And yet I have to  say this to you ;

Across centuries and silences,

One wound beats the same in us both.

You were torn from the soil that named you,

Driven from the home that shaped your breath.

I, too, walk with a homeland folded like a scar inside my chest.

But exile is the same cold night whether it falls on a giant or on the smallest soul.

So, I speak to you not as an equal,

But as one broken compass to another,

Both of us still pointing endlessly,

Towards a home that no longer exists.

 

(Avtar Mota )

 

PS

In January 1933, Hitler became Chancellor of Germany. The Nazi regime quickly began persecuting Jews and political opponents. As a Jewish intellectual, Einstein was a direct target. Nazi propaganda attacked him and labelled his work as “Jewish physics”.The Nazis confiscated his property and put a bounty on his head. While Einstein was travelling abroad, the Nazis raided his Berlin home. Realising it was no longer safe to return, he decided to leave permanently. Einstein moved to the United States, where he accepted a position at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, and remained there until he died in 1955.

 

 

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SUSAN SONTAG WROTE THIS WHEN SHE SAW ALBERT CAMUS..

                                              

SUSAN SONTAG  WROTE THIS WHEN SHE SAW ALBERT CAMUS..

Susan Sontag ( 1933-2004 ) noted American author   wrote extensively about literature, cinema, photography ,  media, illness, war, human rights, and left-wing politics. Her essays and speeches drew backlash and controversy, and she has been called "one of the most influential critics of her generation". About Albert Camus , She wrote this :- 

"The cigarette dangles between the lips, whether he wears a trench-coat, a sweater and open shirt, or a business suit. It is in many ways an almost ideal face: boyish, good-looking, but not too good-looking, lean, rough, the expression both intense and modest. One wants to know this man."

Long back , I read her book ,'Styles of Radical Will' (1969). I felt impressed . It had a set of essays on film, literature, and politics . It is certainly a serious work. Through her incisive analysis, Sontag invites readers to reconsider the complexities of art and culture, challenging conventional perspectives and pushing the boundaries of critical thought.

( Avtar Mota) 

PS

Smoking is highly  injurious to health. It may kill a person .

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THE OLD THREE WHEELER TEMPO

                                          

THE  OLD THREE  WHEELER TEMPO

We saw them in early 1970s  in Jammu. We saw them in Srinagar as well. People gave them many nicknames yet loved this mini mode of transport that arrived in the state after the buses used  for public transportation. It was locally reshaped and remodelled in Punjab , the" Land of Jugaad Engineering". I saw it being used as passenger vehicle as well as for carrying goods . It would carry plus  20 persons in Punjab ; some seated and some standing  even on its tyre mudguards . 

In Jammu , I believe  it was distributed by Chinar Agencies ( owner Brij Lal Sadhu )  for Bajaj Tempos Ltd ( now Force Motors) . Brij Lal Sadhu had his business establishment ( Chinar Agencies) at Parade Ground ,Jammu.  Sadhu had come to Jammu after his successful business ventures in Kolkata. He had an Ambassador car with West Bengal registration number plate. This company later brought the matadors to Jammu .Saw this  heritage vehicle inside "SAADA PIND " Amritsar recently. It carried two popular  quotes written on trucks or matadors.

"Hans mat pagli pyaar ho  jaayega"

"Zara kam pee meri rani 

Bada mehanga hai Iraq ka paani "

( Avtar Mota)

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MY LATEST POEM ' HELPLESSNESS '

                                                                            

 ( Photo Muthi Camp Tents ... Photo Courtesy Vijay Kaul )

(Helplessness)

The refugee tents
Can drape a curtain over our wounds,
Hide our nakedness,
Mask the absence of milk for the baby,
The dwindling medicine for the sick,
And the few grains of rice left in the canister.

But no drape, no shutter, no shade
Can hide helplessness.

We saw this helplessness in the silent gaze of our gods,
Their eyes fixed, mute, as the hammers fell,
As the guns roared in the hands of our tormentors.

We saw this helplessness in the sacred thread,

The Janew or Gayatri, our protector,
When the killers pointed their barrels at us.

Helplessness is my little daughter,
My brightest, sweetest child,
Playing  in  the mud outside the tent.

Helplessness is my own failure to give her,
A doll, A storybook,  A new dress for the Navreh.

“My child, my darling little one,
What right have I to your laughter,
To your tiny, trusting eyes,
to your playfulness in this exile?
When all I carry is this helplessness.”

( Avtar Mota )

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