RAMCHANDRA JI TEMPLE SATHU BAR BAR SHAH SRINAGAR KASHMIR

                                                                                   

                                                                             

 " Moti Lal Aaj Nahin Aayaa . Bechaara Pareshaan Rehtaa Hai "

said swami ji to his followers sitting on a bed and smoking cigarette. swami ji was concerned about Shri Moti Lal Mattoo his disciple. That is how the saints in valley acted as fathers and parents to their disciples . This applied equally to Muslim Peers and Murshids .I saw him  in the house of Pandit Som Nath  Koul Bagh at Abi Guzar srinagar  .That was my Massi 's house . I believe it was perhaps 1970. Swami Hare krishna had numerous followers in jammu and srinagar .I happened to know some of  his followers  from Rainawari especially  Pandit Moti Lal Mattoo and  Pandit Shyam Lal Peer  . I  also happened to know his trusted devotee Qalandhar Badshaah . Swami Ji would spend his time praying in a room at Ramchandra ji Temple sathu Bar Bar shah Srinagar .He spoke little  kashmiri but understood every sentence perfectly.Swami ji  spoke softly and would distribute half smoked cigarettes amongst  his followers ..Many Muslims too would visit him and Swami ji would ask his host to offer them tea and would also give them half smoked cigarettes.  I saw him Many times in his room in Ramchandra ji Temple sathu Bar Bar shah.During winters he woud go to Jammu or to Plains of india Upon my recent visit to this temple , i also visited the room where he would sit and pray.  During entire summer season , Swami ji would cover his body with just one spotless white cloth .Sometimes in October he would use a shawl to over his shoulders. His personality had a grace and aura . None could remain casual in his presence .

That was the story about Swami Hare Krishna ji  who would stay at Ram Chander Ji Temple Sathu Bar Bar Shah Srinagar . I happened to know a  muslim motor spare parts trader from Haroon family living near the Temple . This particular gentleman , though a muslim would also pay visits to Swami ji in the temple and seek his blessings.

The temple of Ramchandra ji at  Sathu Bar Bar Shah is on a raised Platform.This temple is about 1 Km from Lal chowk and proximal to backside Gate of Sri  Partap  College. Srinagar  It is also about 100 yards from Sathu Bar Bar Shah Bridge . The temple complex is about 10 feet above ground level.It has a Hawan or Yagya shala , a residential building , six rooms in a row , open ground , and above all a central temple dedicated to Lord Rama . A grand  Hawan would always be performed in this temple on Ramnavmi day . This Hawan would coincide with Spring festivals in valley .The temple was  managed by Dharmarth trust jammu and kashmir .Since 2002 the gates of the temple have been opened  again and a hawan is performed reinagar ,gularly now on Ramnavmi day. some photographs of this temple  were  clicked  by me in july 2009 .

I am informed that the Frescos on the walls of this Temple were done by Well Known Painter Kailash Nath Fotedar who lived at Barbarshah Srinagar . Shri Fotedar was a student of Sir Amar Singh Technical Institute Srinagar and had studied art Under Fredrick H Andrews .
 
I  am also adding  some lines from a poem of master zinda Kaul ( 1884-1965) to end this post .Master ji as he was popularly known in kashmir,  was brought up in extreme poverty . Struggling with poverty , sorrows and other pangs of existence  , Master ji gave a knew direction to poetry in Kashmir . He was well versed in Persian , Urdu and Hindi .His poems like Premuk Nishaan ( Token  of love ), Naa Taiyaari ( Non prepared ness ), Sanyaasi ( Sanyasi ) and KarNaavi Taarukh Na  ( O boat Paddler Take me across ) are a treat to read ..Incidentally Farooq nazki's sahitya award winning book Naar Heytun Kazalwans bears the title  taken from  poem Naar Haa ( Beware! It is Fire )  of late Master ji .Farooq Nazki pays due tributes to master ji in the preface of his  book. The lines are 

Naar Heutun Kazalwanas ,

Shor Woth Bahaar Ha.

Diluss Heutun Jigar Taeteoy 

Kraekh Gai Zi Naar Ha.

From study of his poems ,I could understand that master ji had great faith in the capacity of a man . He had a vision for the world .Enjoy some lines  from his poem Karnaavi Taarukh Na(O bBoat Paddler !Take me across ) This particular poem has been published in his book Sumaran.  I have attempted to translate the lines  for readers of this post  .

Where  every one shall have work to do ,
Where none would be idle,
Where disease , ugliness and falsehood ,
shall not come in  the way   of development of human mind, .
Where people shall have neither less nor more than what is  needed ,
where guns shall not blast  smoke and terror ,
where bombs shall not rain from the sky ,
where none shall be our enemy ,
where no armies shall fight each other .
O Paddler of my boat !
Take me to that world.!

(  Text and Photographs By Autar Mota )

PS 
A Photograph of swami Hare Krishna is also uploaded for the viewers of this post .



CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
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FIVE MORE DUBS OF OLD BUILDINGS IN SRINAGAR AND JAGAN NATH AZAD

 I have already put up a detailed post on DUBS of kashmir in June 2009. while moving in srinagar city i captured some more views of DUBS of some old buildings in srinagar city . Here they are with something on renowned urdu poet jagan nath Azad.

Incidentally my mail Box goes full in two days presently .  Many mails keep coming to me . My earnest desire is to attend all. these mails . Though some mails  i attend individually while  others are dealt through my posts.  I am thankful to Dr Shakeel Meer from  Nambalhar kashmir  who has sent me some photographs of his grand father sufi  Poet samad Mir  of kashmir  . Doctor sahib has also sent me a brief and additional information on this great poet . I intend to make use of it  later. Dr Mir had seen  the name of his grand father in one of my posts.One gentleman Surrinder Turki has written to me that Persian poet Pandit Taba Ram Turki was his ancestor . He has added to my current knowledge on this learned pandit from Rainawari  kashmir .Today another reader  from UK has asked to me to say a few  lines on Poet Jagan Nath Azad who lived in our state for most part of his life after 1947.I am under obligation to say  something  on this poet today .

Professor Jagan Nath Azad was born in Mianwali District  ( Now In Pakistan )on December 5, 1918.His father  Trilok Chand Mehroom was  a noted  urdu  poet .Jagan Nath Azad was  MA  in persian  and headed the   Press information Bureau  of Govt of india in our state  for quite some time . I saw him in his srinagar office opposite Partap Park   as well as in Jammu . After retirement ,he was  professor emritus of urdu in  jammu University. Azad sahib was a noble to the core and always missed Mianwali and Rawalpindi .An authority on Allama Iqbal 's philosophy and poetry, Azad sahib was a widely travelled man.He was  respected in India , Pakistan and middle east for his scholarly pursuits.His books have been published from Lahore , Karachi ,New Delhi and  Mumbai and one from Paris .. This book from Paris is a collection of Natia poems in praise of Prophet Mohammed ( PBUH ). The book has been translated to French by Dr. Hameedullah .His books on Allama Iqbal's philosophy are a treasure for the  serious reader .

Azad sahib was a close friend of Sahir , Ali Sardar Jafri , Majrooh , Ale Ahmed Suroor  and many stalwarts and progressive  writers of india.Azad sahib also worked in Publication Division New Delhi for some time where he came in close contact with Maulana Abul Kalam Azad , Hasrat Mohani, Dr Zakir Hussain , Jigar Moradabadi , and Josh Malihabaadi  Some thing more about late Jagan nath Azad is that he wrote the first national Anthem of Pakistan. He worked in Radio and one day Qaide Azam Mohd Ali Jinnah called him to his office and requested him  to write the first national anthem of Pakistan.. The request was in confirmity with the speech of 11th  August 1947 wherein  Quaid e Azam  had said " I dream of a pakistan where  Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims not in the religious sense because that is a matter of individual faith but in the political sense as the citizens of the state " Thus Azad sahib wrote

Aey Sar Zameen  e Pak,
Zarrey Tairey Hain Aaj Sitaaron Se Taabnaak
Roshan hai Kehkashaan See Kahin Aaj Teri Khaak.
Aey Sar zameen e Pak.
( O Land of Pakistan ,
Each particle of thy constituent is being illuminated by Stars ,
Even your dust is as bright as the Rainbow )

That was the first national anthem of pakistan written by a hindu and played till the death of Quaid . After the situation deteriorated   in Lahore , Azad was advised  by friends   to leave for India . He reluctantly left his birth place . After the death of Quaid  e Azam late Hafeez Jalandhari was commissioned to write the new national anthem of Pakistan.

Many times Azad sahib  would say that he wanted to write a song of peace which millions in India and pakistan would jointly sing . He was the tallest votary of Indo Pak Friendship in the subcontinent.

His devotion to Allama iqbal remained  unshaken  throughout his life.. Azad Sahib says

Ahle Haram Mujhe Na Hikaarat se Dekhna ,
Qafir Hoon Ek Qalb e Muslamaan Liye Huey.

He is nostalgic about Raavi ( The river that flows through Lahore ) even on the banks of Yamuna in India( His new Homeland ) .

Shaam ke Saaye Mein Jamuna ki Ravaani Dekh kar
Mujh Ko Aey Azaad Raavi Ka Samaan Yaad Aa Gayaa.

 On his first visit to his birth place Mianwali after 1947  , Azad sahib read a poem  in a Mushiara in pakistan with tears rollling down his eyes . I quote some lines from this poem ,

Teri  Mehfil  se  jo Armaan o   Hasarat   Le  ke   Niklaa    Thaa ,
Woh Hasarat Le ke Aayaa hoon Woh Armaan Le ke Aayaa Hoon.
Main Apne Ghar Mein Aayaa Hoon Magar Andaaz To Dekho ,
Ke Apne aap Ko Maaninde Mehmaan Le ke Aayaa hoon .

I like his Poem "Khwaab Ki Tarah se hai Yaad Ki Tum Aaye The". I would recite this poem to my friends on request . The lines of this poem are still etched in my memory.

Jis Tarah Daamne Mashriq mein Sehar Hotee hai ,
Zarey Zarey Ko Tajalee Ki Khabar Hotee hai,
Aur Jab Noor Ka sailaab Guzar Jaataa hai ,
Raat Bhar Ek Andhere Mein Basar Hotee hai ,
Kuchh Issi Tarah se hai Yaad ki Tum Aaye The ,
Khwaab Ki Tarah se hai Yaad Ki Tum Aaye The.

I am also giving english eqivalent of some urdu words used in the poem to make you understand the meaning of the lines .

( Mashriq = east ,sahar = Dawn ,Zarey = minute particles ,Tajalee = bright light, Noor = light or Prakash and sailaab = Flood)

This noble soul left this world on 24th July 2004. Peace be to the soul that always strived for peace in this subcontinent.His family still continues to live in jammu .I quote some lines from his poem to end this post.

Hamein Thaa Kaam Bahut Ruk Sakey na Pal Ke liye ,
Guzar Gaye Tere Koochey se Hum Sabaa Ki Tarah.

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\.

FIVE VIEWS AND THREE LEARNED PANDITS OF RAINAWARI SRINAGAR KASHMIR

Rainawari comes to my mind quite often . I can not help it . Today again  , i have uploaded some photographs of this area .You can see the jogi lanker bridge photographed from Shiva temple ( Boad Mandar). I also went inside Vishwa Bharti Women's college where my immediate family members  studied  and photographed an inner view of this college .A view of Kraal Yaar chowk  and  Shiva Temple gate ( Boad Mandar )  has also been uploaded . I also want to pay my tributes to three great men of this area who have done exceptional work in their respective  fields .

Pandit Keshav Bhat Jyotshi( 1873 -1946 )

This learned pandit was a profound scholar  and astrologer . He lived near Jogi lanker bridge and  did pioneering work in collecting , correcting and updating  old  texts of kashmiri  Pandits and  documents  relating to their  religious practices   .    He   visited almost entire kashmir valley to collect some rare manuscripts  .He brought out cheap and affordable  books like Nitya karam Vidhi , Shiva puja , Ganesh Durga strotavali , Soundarya Lahiri , Panchastavi , karm kaand , Veda kalpadrum , Mekhala samaskara puja , Parthishewar Puja , Bhavani Sahstra Naama and many more thriough his printing press established   for this purpose only at Regal chowk srinagar  . After his death his elder son late Prem nath Jyotshi continued with the work started by his learned father while  Pandit Tika lal Jyotshi  younger son of pandit keshav Bhat worked in Broca Press lal Chowk  srinagar .  Pandit Shamboo Nath ( S/o Pandit  Prem Nath Jyotshi ) too continued for some time with this work but the later generation abandoned the printing press and converted the premises to stationery shop( Simon Stationers ) which they ultimately sold  and shifted to Jammu. Pandit keshav Bhat  edited the Panchaang ( Jantri or Almamac ) for circultion amongst pandits of kashmir printed from Krishna Printing press only.  . His panchaang ( jantri ) had a seal of authenticity .

Clad in Pheran  with a Pulhor ( Grass shoe) in his feet ,Pandit keshav Bhat would daily go to Nunar on foot   where he worked as a teacher .Incidentally two great grand children  of this learned  pandit namely Autar krishen and Tej krishen were my friends as they studied with me in DAV Rainawari. .


Pandit Taba Ram Turki ( 1776-1847 )

This learned pandit was a persian poet of exceptional quality . His poetry reached as far as Central Asia  . He wrote under the pen name 'Betab '.Pandit Taba Ram lived in jogi lanker area .  Three or four  families of Turkis  continued to live in this area till  January 1990. Pandit taba Ram  was a Personal friend of Mulla Mohd Taufiq who lived in Jamia Masjid area of srinagar city . Mulla Taufiq and Taba Ram would share ideas and poems by  seeing each other or through exchange of letters .Betab also visited lahore and wrote Masanavis . He was a witness to defeat of Afghans and arrival of sikh forces of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore . Defeat of Azim khan the Afghan governor has been vesified by him in his Jangnama.Betab  also composed Ranjit Nama and Akbar Nama .He also visited Afghanistan and met his patron Prince Mohd Akbar Khan. Gwasha lal koul eminent historian and author writes that " Jangnama of Betab stands at same footing as Shahnama of firdousi ". Reportedly some of his Great Grand children now live in Jammu and Mumbai. Some friends amongst   Turkis  living in Rainawari   whom i knew personally , had nothing to do with literature or fine arts . I happened to know some of them closely.

Pandit Samsar Chand koul Ganhaar ( 1883-1977 )
                        
                                                              

                                           ( Pandit Samsar Chand Koul and his wife )

This learned pandit lived close to Vaitaal Bhairava temple of Motiyaar Rainawari.Masterji as he was affectionately known in Rainawari,  was a teacher in CMS  school fateh kadal  srinagar . Apart from being an erudite scholar , he was a bird watcher , a trekker , a historian and an authority on flowers and plants of kashmir . Masterji was a member of National Geographical society USA, Royal Geographical society canada  and society of world watchers UK . He authored some exceptionally informative books on birds, flowers and plants of  kashmir  and ladakh. . Perhaps none was so close to Missionary teachers  like Tyndale Biscoe or Eric Biscoe or or Dr Smyth Morrris as this learned pandit from Rainawari. Conseqquently he imbibed many missionary traits .Masterji taught many poor boys absolutely free   . Samsar chand ji fondly known as Sama kak,  was a widely traveled Man and had profound knowledge of astronomy as well. His students included Dr Naseer , late Bakshi Ghulam Mohd , Agha Ashraf Ali ( father of poet Shahid Ali ) and Prof Mohd Sultan want (  Ex HOD Department of English university of kashmir ). It  is satisfying to see that  almost all  his grand children   Particulary Surrinder Koul and Utpal koul carrying forward their illustrious Grandfather 's legacy .

He was a personal fiend of Dr Vikram Saarabhai with whom he was in regular correspondence . Viram sarabhai was also a Bird Watcher and a regular visitor to kashmir since 1940. I am informed that Master ji had also invited Gurudev Tagore to his house in Rainawari during Gurudev's visit to kashmir.

About Master Ji Dr B L kaul Writes :

" In 2015 I dedicated my book titled" Advances in Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Biology Vol.6" to Master Samsar Chand Kaul Ornithologist. Master ji deserves all praise and respect for his love of nature. The well known physician Dr. Nasir Ahmed Ex Principal GMC Srinagar showed me a book " Birds of Kashmir " presented to him by his revered teacher at CMS School Fateh kadal. He was all praise for Master Ji. I wrote an article in Greater Kashmir in October 2010 titled" Feathers are ruffled with winds of change in Kashmir" and mentioned Master Ji's contribution in the field of Ornithology.”

I end this write up on Rainawari with english translation of the  poem  Bright are Thy tresses, brighten them even more  from Baal-i-Jibreel composed by Allama Iqbal ( 1877-1938 ) .This beautiful translation is by Naeem Siddiqui. 



Bright are Thy tresses, brighten them even more,And ravish my eyes,
ravish my mind, ravish my heart and soul.
That love should be concealed, and beauty should be veiled!
Reveal Thyself to me, O Lord, or reveal me to myself.
Thou art the eternal ocean; I am a rivulet.,
Make me a part of Thee, O Lord, or make me fathomless.
If I possess a pearl within, give it a starry lustre,
But if I am a piece of brick, give it a diamond's sheen.
If of spring I cannot sing as a bird of paradise,
Make this half-enrapturcd soul a skylark of Thy spring.


PS
Mr surrinder Turki whom i did not know in Rainawari  and who reports to belong to a family of Turkis living in karan Nagar has sent a mail  to me  on 12.01.2010 saying that he happens to be a direct descendent Of Pandit Taba Ram Turki. Nabi Hadi's book titled "Dictionary of Indo-Persian literature" specifically mentions   name  of this learned pandit at page 134. I have personally checked this aspect  on the Internet version of this book as conveyed to me by Mr surrinder Turki. That is an addition to my knowledge .That is for all readers to share.

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\.