" 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
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.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.
