"PRAN NATH BHAT" AN UNKNOWN ARTIST FROM KASHMIR

                                         

                                                                            

                                       

NAIDYAR  BRIDGE RAINAWARI ....A watercolour   by Pran Nath Bhat..

This water colour decorates the living room wall of my house. Bought for Rs700/- from Pran Nath Bhat in 1995   .Pran Nath Bhat , an unknown Artist is no more now. 

I came across Pran Nath in Purkhoo tented accommodation (for Kashmiri Migrants). He was illiterate, unable to express himself , extremely poor and survived only on G

government relief and ration . He  smoked   Beedis as cigarettes were beyond his reach .

" Late S. N Bhat (artist) was my uncle. I am from Badiyaar area from the Bhat clan. I was a runner with Dwarka And Co, Chemists Budshaw Chowk, Srinagar. I have no money for paper ,colours and brushes. I want to paint.I also knew Mohan Raina artist. He would give me some financial support apart from some paper  and colours .I have not performed Kaah Nethar ceremony of my new born children. What to do? I am a worthless man."

This is what he told me outside his tent in 1995 . I was working as manager of our bank's Dumana branch.

And then we gave him a loan of 5000 rupees . 

After about a week I again visited  Purkhoo camp of Kashmiri Migrants  and met the leaders of the camp . A leader  , Dwarka Nath  by name came closer to me and started shouting:

" Has bank started financing *Kaah Nethar ceremony also ? We will tell Lone Sahib ( the then Relief Commissioner  who was helpful to Kashmiri  Migrants.) to take action against all."

I came to know that Pran Nath had bought water colours , brushes and drawing paper for about 2000 rupees and spent the rest amount on Kaah-Nethar ceremony of his children. The leaders who complained to me had also enjoyed a sumptuous meal with  fish  cooked in Kashmiri style inside his tent.To me, Pran Nath   admitted everything and also revealed  having bought a saree for his wife for Kaah Nethar out of the loan amount  .

After about 10 days, Pran Nath came to the bank with a bundle of about 15  Kashmir sceneries done in watercolour  .The first that was shown to me was Rainawari's  Naidyar Bridge.

"How much for this?"

" This is all yours. Nothing sir.

I thought for a moment  and then  told him;

" I am paying 700 rupees. But this money will go in our loan account. "

Maj Gen. Wahi Retd. ( he lived at Barnai during those days) a  respected customer of the bank was also in my chamber that moment  . He felt interested in the man and his work. He also bought one or  two watercolours  . I paid Pran Nath 400 rupees and the rest of the   money was deposited in his loan account. I asked him to keep 5 watercolors with me.  Next day ,my boss Mr RIS Sidhu( retired as Chief General Manager of the bank) visited the branch for inspection . He was a lover of fine srts and an honest and  upright officer .He bought one that had Dal Lake and Shikara . Remaining four were bought by my relations and the money so collected was deposited in his loan account.  Within period of about two or three   months,  entire loan amount with  interest  was repaid under this arrangement .Later , every fortnight ,  Pran Nath would come   with 5 watercolours that  I passed on to my friends and relations for Rs 600 or  Rs 700   per watercolour. Once the loan was adjusted, the sale proceeds would be deposited in  his savings bank account.

I introduced him to some schools( to be employed as drawing teacher ) but because of his language and total  lack of communication skills , he could not adjust himself beyond one month at any place .He spoke only Kashmiri .A sample of his lingo:

"Iss ko tapaali . Ye zudd mondu Hai. Yeh drawing nahin hechhegaa"

" Hum ayaalbaar hai . Tankhaah waqtas pyath deita. Teel tomul khatam."

 

" Idhar Jammu garma traeth ,   Naar , dumm ta gumma. Hum   mar gayaa . Hamaara Kashmir fiza"

After my transfer from Dumana , I lost contact with him. In 2004 , I headed Rehari Chowk branch and one day he appeared  all of a sudden. He came with 5 watercolours and wanted  them to be sold for 5000 rupees . I directed him to meet some good customers and he got what he wanted. I also gathered that he  was educating his children and had also got addicted to liquor.

At Rehari Chowk office, I  believe I also requested Maj Gen Goverdhan Singh Jamwal Retired  (PVSM)to help him out  in sale of his water colours. I also requested Dr Dara Singh's brother ( who owned a Petrol Pump ) to buy his watercolours. Mrs Gayatri Jamwal ( Daughter of Capt Dewan Singh Ex.ADC to Maharaja Hari Singh) was also requested  to help him out. She was a VIP customer of that branch and  spoke fluent Kashmiri.

And then one day I came to know that Pran Nath  had breathed his last due to some incurable liver disease.I felt very bad  . 

Ramesh Kumar Bhat , my  colleague and son of late S N Bhat( well known artist ) confirmed later that Pran Nath was from their clan. He also confirmed many other things that Pran Nath had conveyed to me.Everything that Pran Nath had  spoken  to me turned  out true on my  cross checking.The painting hanging in my living room brings forth so many interesting anecdotes about this simple ,poor and shy man .

(Avtar Mota)

PS

*Kaah-Nethar is the purification ceremony after  child birth. It was  performed on the eleventh day after delivery when the mother left  the confinement room.  Prior to this, " Shran Sonder" or the post delivery  bath ceremony  was also performed.  On Kaah Nethar day, relations were invited for a sumptuous meal.New clothes were also given to the mother of the child. Many  Kashmiri Pandits still  perform Kaah- Nethar ceremony that used to be performed without fail in every household .In Hindu SAMASKARAS, Kaah Nethar is knowñ as Jatakarma  or Birth Ceremony.

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\.