THE STRANGE MARRIAGE PARTY OF LORD SHIVA

                                                                        

THE  STRANGE  MARRIAGE PARTY OF LORD SHIVA..

 

 

Goswami Tulsidas has beautifully described the story of Shiva’s marriage with Parvati in Ramcharitmanasa, the famous epic describing the story of the Ramayana.

 

Did Shiva come in his Rudra Avtara as a bridegroom ? Was Rishi Narda knowing these facts?Queen Maina , Parvati's mother was told something like this by some terrified children who were the first to see this unique marriage party of Shiva .

 

"Tan Chhaar bayaal kapaal bushan nagan jatil bhayankara,

Sang bhoot preit pisaatch jogini bikat mukh rajnicharaa." 

 

(The groom has his body smeared in ash, and he wears serpents and skulls by way of ornaments. Except these coverings, he is otherwise naked, sports a thick lock of knotted hairs on his head, and generally looks very fearful. He is accompanied by horrifying ghosts, phantoms, ogres and female spirits who have strange faces and mouths, and who move out only during the night .)

 

The children did not know the importance of Parvati’s Tapa. These innocent children didn't know who Shiva actually was to whom Parvati wanted to marry . 

 

Hara is another name of Shiva . In Kashmir, Shivratri was known as Hara-Ratri which later came to be known as HARA-RAATH ( Shiva's night in Kashmiri ) or HERATH. There was a practice in Kashmir to worship HARI-HARA or Vishnu and Shiva together as one entity . Hari-hara idols /images from Kashmir are displayed in many Museums world over. The scriptures say:

 

" Sivasya hridayam vishnur-vishnoscha hridayam sivah." meaning Vishnu is the heart of Shiva and likewise Shiva is the heart of Vishnu.

 

Shivratri is generally celebrated as a Union of Shiva and Parvati( Uma ) or Shiva and Shakti. Some people believe that Shiva performed Tandava on Shivratri while many believe that Shiva became Neel Kantha on this day .

 

Shiva -Parvati worship is popular in Thailand, Bali, Cambodia ,Nepal and many more countries. I saw many temples dedicated to Shiva Rudra, Dewa Siva and Dewi Parvati in Bali.In Tantrik Buddhism , Parvati is worshipped as Tara.

 

Kashmiri Pandits also worship Parvati as Bhadrakali, Shailputri, Mahakali , Ambika ,Uma, Gauri ,Prakriti and Tripura Sundari. The Devi Mantra "Sarva-Mangala-Maangalye Shive Sarvaatha-Saadhike -Sharanye Trayambake Gauri Narayani Namos-tute " is also a Parvati mantra and often recited in Kashmiri Pandit families. 

 

To get rid of the fear of death , Kashmiri Pandits continue to recite ' Ati beeshan kattu baashan yama kinkar Patali , krititaadan paripeedan maranagama samaye, umayasaha mama chetasi yamashasana nivasan, Shiv Shankar Shiv Shankar hara me har duritam " from Shiva Chamar Astuti.

 

The sages say:

 

" Shiva is a householder yet fiercely independent ascetic . Shiva is innocence divinified .Shiva is the supreme Yogi. Shiva is the greatest dancer in this Brahmanda .As Rudra , Shiva is ferocious . Shiva is trustworthy guide . Shiva is a blissful lover. As Dakshinamurti, Shiva is a benevolent teacher who accords wisdom to seekers of salvation. Shiva is the protector . Shiva is the destroyer.Shiva is beyond the cycle of death and birth. He maintains the law and order in this universe. As Neelkantha, Shiva is the ultimate well-wisher of all living creatures . Shiva is Ardhnarishvara or beyond the classification of male and female. As Ardhnarishvara , Shiva personifies the dissolution of sectarian strains in this world. It represents two conflicting ways of life which are needed for continuity of creation in this universe. None can exist without the other ."

 

SHIVRATRI GREETINGS.

HARA RATRI GREETINGS.

HERATH GREETINGS TO MY  FRIENDS. 

 

 

(Avtar Mota)

                     

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KASHMIRI POET ARJUN DEV MAJBOOR

                                                                            

                                     

ARJUN  DEV  MAJBOOR (1924-2015)

( Poet Arjun Dev Majboor with his wife)

He was a Kashmiri poet who translated Kalidasa' s Meghdootam into Kashmiri apart from translating Nilamata Purana into Urdu . Arjun Dev was born at Zainapora in Pulwama .He was influenced by Kalidas, Ghalib and modern Kashmiri poet Dina Nath Nadim.

 In his youth, he went to Lahore to study where he got influenced by Arya Samaj. Later , he was influenced by Marxism . 
                                     

   ( Majboor's House )

              ( Majboor's Jammu House ) 

             ( Arjun Dev Majboor)

     ( Desh Rattan Kaul Majboor  and Shyam ji..Son and daughter in law of poet Majboor)

Majboor did a pioneering job in compiling Kuliyaat of poet Lala Lakshman. Lala's poems were in circulation through oral medium. Lala had never written anything on paper. He would recite and people remembered his verses which were always full of comic satire.

        

‘Waves’ , a collection of Arjun Dev’s 30 poems, selected and translated into English by Prof. Arvind Gigoo, made him known all over the country as a respected poet of Kashmiri language.

I add two samples of Arjun Dev Majboor's verses:

"Dil saen boodaan vuth saen assan

Aeki baala khasaan beyi baala vasaan

Aeis lookh chha pakavaen rail patter

Pai kyaa aeissi peithi Kean kya kya pokh"

In English ,I would say:

"Our hearts may have aged ,

but our lips have not abandoned smiling.

Like rails we are spread on paths,

We don't know how many trains moved over us."

"Dishaayan aath bhaarav raechh paannai

Vasaan devta yeiti aeis aasmaanai

Yeti Gautam Buddhas saet shiv Shankar

Viharan mandran ganzraan baraabar."

In English ,I would say:

" Eight brothers guarded us in eight directions, 

And gods also descended from skies over here.

Along with Lord Shiva ,

Buddha ensured harmony between

 the temples and Viharas over here."

I add some wonderful anecdotes of Prof Arvind Gigoo about Majboor...

(1)

"Majboor recited long passages from Obra Shech, his translation of Meghdootam of Kalidas. It was brilliant. Enthralling! The room resonated. Majboor’s voice was marvellous. I was all attention. I was breathless. I am a good listener. Lyrical quality and imagery were splendid. (I am sorry for having used literary terms). Recitation of Obra Shech gave me immense joy."

‌(2)

" Majboor talked about his involvement in Democratic National Conference. He talked about his determination in youth to create a classless society in Kashmir. He talked about his association with politicians. I said: ‘You have wasted your time in politics.’ He readily agreed but said, ‘I have not wasted even a single minute so far as my writing goes.’ He talked about his poverty, life in his village, schooling in Srinagar, his ambitions, his restlessness, his education in Lahore, his association with writers and scholars, his hard life, years of unemployment and his passion to change society."

(3)

" I translated forty Kashmiri poems of Majboor into English. I went on polishing and polishing them. It took months. He lost patience. He wanted me to work quickly. One day I handed over twenty-six poems to him.

‘Where are the remaining poems?’

‘I rejected them. But I will not give you the rejected ones because I know that you will publish them. And I will not translate any more.’

Majboor became sad.

After a couple of months Waves was published. The second edition (containing thirty translations) is better than the first. The drawings of Vijay Zutshi are breathtaking. Waves got an award in Kolkata. Majboor came back an excited man."

(4)

"Majboor throws a party. There are about twenty persons. We have drinks. Vijay Zutshi and P K Goja sing songs. Others recite verses. I laugh and make others laugh. Humour is my weapon to fight my shyness and to conceal the real ‘i’ in me. I love my foolishness. We have more drinks. And then an excellent dinner is served. Majboor and I are talking. Moti Lal Saqi comes. He recites a poem on migration, loss and home. He goes on weeping. ‘My soul is wounded’, Saqi says sobbing.

My illiterate old mother calls Majboor ‘ Mehjoor Sahib’. She refuses to be corrected.."

(5)

" Sudhir, an actor, dramatizes Kshama Kaul’s Hindi translation of Majboor’s Thuk Thuk. The last portion of the poem creates an atmosphere of terror—terror of militancy. There is not even a whisper in the hall. Such is the effect of art. I find tears in the eyes of some. There is applause. Majboor is watching his success."

(6)

" Abhinav Theatre. Jammu. A CD of Majboor’s songs is released. The songs are sung by Shamima Dev Azad and Rashid Farash. Pandit Bhajan Sopori has composed the music. When the CD is played there is a sad silence in the hall. Nostalgia is evoked especially when Majboor’s 'Yeli Yād pyvān sonhäry vatan' is played. Majboor feels triumphant."

(7)

" Majboor was a lover of good food, spicy mutton and tasty dishes. He was a man of strong likes and dislikes. He never indulged in backbiting. I never found him discussing persons critically. One evening he got tipsy at ‘my place’. He spent the night with me. Nobody had the guts to question him.

Next day.

‘Listen to this poem. It is titled thukthuk.’ I listen. One of his best poems. Depicts the cultural history of Kashmir. The last stanza is superb. Shows the horror of militancy.

‘How did the idea of writing Thu Thuk come to you?’

‘I was watching an advertisement on TV: ‘Knock Knock’.’

‘It reminds me of ‘knock knoock’ in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.’ "

Majboor was a postgraduate  in Hindi. He has more than 21 publications to his credit which include his poetic collections .
                                   

   (Majboor with his mother and family)

 (L to R Prof Arvind Gigoo, GR Hasrat Gada, Vijay Zutshi, M Y Taing, Maharaj Santoshi and Majboor)

                ( A portrait of Majboor) 

More on Arjun Dev Majboor shortly...

( Avtar Mota)

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SAHIR LUDHIANAVI , MOHD. RAFI AND MADAN MOHAN.

                                       

SAHIR LUDHIANAVI , MOHD. RAFI AND MADAN MOHAN.

"Maine jazbaat nibhaaye hain
usulon ki jagah,
Apne armaan piro laaya huun
phoolon ki jagah,
Tere chehre ki ye saugaat
kise pesh karun...
Ye muraadon ki haseen raat
kise pesh karun...."

Year 1964.. At  the recording of the  song 'Rang Aur Noor Ki Baraat Kisse Pesh Karoon' for the Bollywood movie GAZAL. Mohd Rafi  enjoys reading the beautiful Lyrics penned by Sahir.

SAHIR is engrossed in his own world while  Madan Mohan looks with satisfaction..

(Avtar Mota)


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PEEPAL TREE AND DOGRI POET YASH SHARMA.

                                         

PEEPAL   TREE    AND  DOGRI  POET   YASH SHARMA......

Peepal, a deciduous tree with a  life span that may exceed  100 years. Unlike other trees, it gives 24 hour oxygen supply intaking  carbon dioxide during day and night . This is possible  due to a special photosynthesis process.  So Peepal  is like a life sustaining machine on this planet.

The plant has enormous medicinal value and finds repeated mention in Ayurveda.
It finds mention in sacred scriptures of Hindus. Skanda Purana links it with Vishnu while Bhagwat Geeta connects  it with Sri Krishna.It is also linked with Brahma and Shiva. Buddhists call it the sacred tree of enlightenment.  Peepal is the Bodhi tree . Peepal is the  Vriksh Raja  mentioned in Rigveda.

I found so many Peepal trees in Jammu sanctified, revered and considered auspicious by people. Similar is the reverence for this tree all over India.
In a way, this  tree is also  linked to cultural ethos of the country.

 Over here, want to  add  Dogri poem ' Peepal Tree' by  eminent Dogri poet Yash Sharma ji .  I read the poem once more today. So simple  , refreshing and conveying profound human pathos. The translation into English from Dogri  has been aptly done by Squadron leader Anil Sehgal. Seema Anil Sehgal ( Yash ji's daughter) is married to Squadron leader Anil Sehgal. The poem appears in Squadron leader Anil Sehgal's  book  'Tale of a Virgin River' published by  Monk Books, Mumbai.

Yash Sharma (1929-2011 ) has been an eminent   poet, actor, broadcaster, playwright and lyricist.  He would sing his poems in Kavi Goshthis  and  Samelans .  In 1950,  Harivansh Rai Bachan suggested to Yash ji to switch over  to his mother tongue  Dogri . He met  Harivansh Rai Bachan in Dharmshala .

Yash ji's poetic collection 'Jo Tere Man Chitt Laggi Ja' won him the coveted  Sahitya Akademi Award. Those amongst us who know DOGRI surely know the beauty and richness of Yash ji's poetry.

Here is the beautiful poem....

 (THE PEEPAL TREE)

As I approach my village
the Peepal tree
standing at the edge
of the slope
reminds me of my father.
Now that mother
and father are no more,
from whom can I expect
that warm embrace?
My heart flinches
as my sisters-in-law,
my closest relatives,
walk indifferently past me.
The apricot tree
standing firm in the middle
of the courtyard
reminds me of my mother.
As I rush towards it,
she appears, spinning the wheel.
My eyes grow wet.
Tied with maternal love
the headscarf is drenched with tears . . .
Who can defy destiny?
I embrace the pillars
and recall the abandon of childhood
those carefree games
those bird nests . . .
Oh mother,
why did you bear daughters?
And why, oh father,
did you marry them
to distant places?
They keep returning home
uninvited.

.

(Avtar Mota)


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IMPRESSION OF JAMMU ..1940...PART..2

                                   

IMPRESSION  OF JAMMU  ..1940..... (Based on  interview no. 2..done in 2000)
‌
‌ " I was born in 1924. I vividly remember Jammu of 1940. We lived  close to Sherawala gate at Dounthali or Panjtirthi locality. Apart from Jogi gate and Gumat gate, this was one more gate for entry to the old city. Images of large lions were made from plastering material on this gate. So people called it Sherawala gate. We could see horses, camels, elephants entering and coming out from this gate. Camels were used in entire Jammu province more specifically in Kandi areas for carrying  firewood, fodder, grass ,merchandise, milk, agricultural produce ,etc.  Maharaja Hari Singh had some elephants along with elegant looking  horse driven royal Buggies. Water works station built during the rule of  Maharaj Partap  Singh  was close by . There were some huge water ponds or Talabs in the old city. One outside the Palace , one near present Sabzi Mandi ,one near  present Rajinder Bazaar , one in Mohalla Kalithian .
‌
‌Rajinder Bazaar had dancing and music Kothas . It was known as Urdu Bazaar .During evenings,  affluent from the city would come to this area for listening to music and watching dances. Singers and dancers from Lahore would also entertain  VIPs over here.
‌
‌ Even though tap water was supplied to city for half an hour in the  morning ,  people preferred to go down to Tawi river  for morning bath . Women were seen on this steep Dakki right from 5AM. Women  brought  fresh  water in bright  shining brass   Gaggars on their heads . There was a well near  Tawi bank and women brought  water from this well. Men too went to Tawi river for their ablution .Professional water carriers known as Jheewars were still around .
‌
‌ Gujjar women would bring milk using Dakkis to climb and enter the city. They would come in groups chatting . By 11.30 AM these women would return to their home . They would carry home some  provisions essentially , cloth , Jaggery  ,spices ,common salt , etc. Every milk seller sold milk, curd and Desi Barfi prepared from khoya.
‌
‌ Some Tongas were driven by Pathans who lived around Kachhi Chhawni or Ustaad Mohalla. Present Karan Nagar area was a forest cum garden maintained from royal treasury. There was a water pond in this area . The area  had flowers and trees. Maharaja's VIP staff lived close by .
‌
‌The city was known by its Dakkis or steep paths . Pacci Dakki, Sirajaan Di Dakki (locality of shoe makers and dealers in leather ) ,Naiyaan Di Dakki (locality of Barbers) , Dalpatian Di Dakki,etc. Dalpats ,a warrior community of Rajput's were settled in Mohalla Dalpatian.
‌
‌Maharaja had brought artisans and settled them in various localities like Julahe da mohalla ( Julla Ka mohalla) was inhabited by weavers. The goldsmiths  from Jain community were brought from Punjab who established their business in Pawaden da  Bazaar now known as Jain Bazaar. Skin tanners were settled near Talab khatikan. These tanners needed water for their profession .
‌
‌During summers, shops would be closed at noon and reopened around 4PM. During winters,  Darbaar move brought activity in the city . Mashqis would sprinkle water in city roads and lanes during summers.
‌
‌Tea was  not an item of breakfast. Milk, Lassi, Chapaati, Paratha ,Makki da doda( maize bread) ,yogurt, home made pickles ,etc were consumed during  breakfast . Mustard oil and Desi ghee were used by people for cooking. Ghee from Hydrogenated oils or  any other cooking  oil was unknown .

People built Chowgans or meeting places in localities. Fattu Chowgan or Chowgan Slathian were prominent Chowgan in the  old city.
‌
‌I have gone to Wazirabad now in Pakistan. My maternal uncle took me to Wazirabad in train. He was employed as a Munshi with a timber merchant in Jammu.    One direct  train  connected Jammu with Wazirabad via Sialkot. Wazirabad was one and half hour train journey from Sialkot. It was a peaceful town on the bank of river Chenab. It was known for its   furniture manufacturing  . Deodar logs were carried to Wazirabad through Chenab waters from Jammu. Wazirabad had a  big  Shivala and a Gurudwara built in the memory of  Guru Arjun Dev ji. I remember having seen a beautiful  church in the town. The town had business links with Jammu especially on account of deodar sleeper trade."

....To be continued.

(Avtar Mota)


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IMPRESSIONS OF JAMMU 1940.. PART...1

                                                                               

                                                              ( Bahu Fort , Jammu )

                                           

        ( Jammu  Sialkot train near Miran Sahib)                 

                         ( Amar Palace,Jammu)

          ( Polo ground ,Jammu )

                                                           (DarbaarHall ,  Jammu )
                                                                             

                                ( Amar Mahal, Jammu )

                               
                            ( Darbargarh , Jammu )

       ( Sri Raghunath ji Temple , Jammu )

                                                          (Old Tawi Bridge, Jammu)

IMPRESSIONS  OF  JAMMU 1940..

Since 1998,   I have  been recording interviews of  persons who were  young boys in 1947 and were living in Jammu city. Here are some wonderful impressions of Jammu city conveyed to me :-

" Yes ,I have many memories of Jammu of 1940s. From Jammu, i  have gone to Sialkot many times  with my father  . We would go by   train. . The train would start from present location known as   Bikram Chowk. The old  Jammu railway  station was exactly opposite to present day Police lines  gate . We would come in a Tonga from Kachhi Chawni Tonga stand. There was no habitation across Tawi bridge right up to Satwari. At Satwari , the train slowed down and one could see some lights . The 27 miles  journey was covered in about one and a  half hour with four halts . The train fare was three annas.  At Satwari, there used to be small cantonment where Maharaja's forces were stationed. My father took me to two important temples of Sialkot. One was Jagannath temple  in the city and the other was Puran Bhagat Temple . Puran Bhagat Temple  was outside the town' and was  also known as Baba Sehaj Nath Temple. The Jandial community was attached to this temple.  The Jandials from Jammu would hold annual  assembly and Bhandara at this temple.   Puran Bhagat Temple had a well.
We also saw Ramleela in Sialkot once.

 Sialkot was open town. It had good roads . It had two churches also. We had many relations in Sialkot. Many people from Sialkot  would come to Jammu for shopping . During summers, people would stay for the night enjoying the cool breeze around Canal . Near present day canal park, some Dhabas had also been opened. They offered food and cots to customers. The Dhaba owners charged some Annas  for good food and cot . Those who stayed in Jammu for the night would catch the morning train at 11AM to Sialkot . There were some  buildings from Gumat  to canal. Talab Tillo , Mohinder Nagar and all present day localities were fields where farmers grew paddy and other crops. In 1940, old Jammu city had taps that supplied drinking water lifted from Tawi. Electricity was also available to residents .  "


(Avtar Mota)


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BEAUTIFUL SCULPTURES OF GANESH KUMAR SHARMA

                                                                                     

                                         

                                         

                                         

                                           

                                         

                                            

Ganesh Kumar Sharma( Born 1956 )

He comes from the border village Sanoora in Samba district of Jammu. Presently, he lives at Hiranagar in Jammu. 

He survived from a major road accident in 1991 and was operated upon 19 times . He remained confined to bed for about 2 years but his creative passion could not be subdued.

I saw his sculptures and paintings recently . His work on stone and wood ,especially drifted wood looks exceptional. Trained by great sculptor Vidya Ratan Khajurua , Ganesh Kumar Sharma has exhibited his work in many solos held in various cities of the country. Not only Lalit Kala Akademi , his work is in possession of many galleries , hotels, corporate offices and private individuals in India and abroad. I upload a sample of his wonderful stone and wood sculptures. Next time more on this sculptor.

( Avtar Mota )

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MEMORIES OF SHIRAZ CINEMA SRINAGAR , KASHMIR.

                                                                                           

                                       ( Photo Source .. Internet name mentioned .. Sameer Mushtaq ) 

MEMORIES OF SHIRAZ CINEMA, SRINAGAR, KASHMIR ...)

In 1964, Shiraz cinema hall was opened at Khanyar locality of Srinagar city. Raj Kapoor's Sangam was the first movie that was screened at the Shiraz cinema, Khanyar, Srinagar. The movie drew crowds from all walks of life. School students, families and college students came in large numbers to see the movie. Songs of this movie like, ‘O Mere Sanam, O Mere Sanam ‘, ‘ Bol Radha bol sangam hoga ki nahin ’, O Mehbooba!  O Mehbooba! ‘ Dost Dost Na Raha ’, Har dil jo pyaar karega ’ and ‘Ye mera prem patra ’,etc. became quite popular in Kashmir during those days. And then the song ' Ichh liebe dichh 'meaning  'I love you'  in German, won hearts of the young generation of that period. The song had Russian words ' Ya lyublyu tebya' meaning ' I love you'. The song was picturised in colour on Raj Kapoor and Vyjayanthimala. With ski slopes of Swiss Alps in the background, the song created a grand and lasting impression on cinema crowds.

 

Interlaken is a beautiful resort town in the mountainous Bernese Oberland region of central Switzerland. Sangam was shot in Interlaken. Sangam became very important for Interlaken Tourism ( Switzerland ) because it gave most Indians their first glimpse of Swiss mountains, glaciers and other romantic spots. It was the first Indian movie shot in Switzerland.

 

This movie introduced Sangam sandals (ladies) in Kashmir. Sangam became a trusted and reliable name in trade and commerce. One could see many shops that had boards like, Sangam Tea Stall, Sangam Shoes, Sangam Embroidery Works, Sangam Tailors, Sangam Cloth House, etc. We had the well known SANGAM THEATRE ( dramatic club) in Kashmir.
                      
                                       

 

                     ( Film advertisements in local newspapers in good  old days)

For many years, the Punjabi shoe making shop at Badiyar Bala ( close to the house of artist DN Walli ) in Srinagar city sold Sangam  sandals only.

In Kashmir, a movie was known as Kheil, a word that means a game. The common sentence exchanged by moviegoers was like this;-

‘Kya sa kis chha ye kheil ’

                  or

‘ Hello ! how is the Movie? ’

People from Rainawari would usually go to Shiraz Cinema. Students from Rainawari would bunk classes to see a movie in Shiraz cinema. Tongawallas and drivers would join the late-night show. This cinema hall was barely one km away from Rainawari.

The owners of Shiraz cinema were prompt in switching over to religious movies during Eid or Shivratri. In 1968, Khan e Khuda was screened in Shiraz and people removed their footwear outside the cinema hall as a mark of devotion and respect. The cinema hall was washed every day at the start of the first show. People would enter with Sheerin ( candies ) that was showered on the screen. Kashmiri Pandit women with their families would be seen watching religious movies like HAR HAR MAHADEV, HARI DARSHAN  and  SAMPURAN RAMAYAN in Shiraz cinema during Shivratri period mostly after the Salaam festivity. They would also be seen reciting some Mantra / Leela or clapping in the hall. Some elderly Pandit women carried flowers to be showered on the screen as Lord Shiva appeared.

 

Religious movies were free from black-marketing of tickets, a common feature in all cinema halls of Srinagar city. For religious movies, tickets were freely available and quite often, sold at the entry gate by the gatekeepers.

 

Friday was the movie change day for cinema halls in Kashmir. People would make enquiries about the new movie on every Friday. Quite often trailers of new arrivals were shown on the screen. The movie trailers would emphasize advertising things like cinemascope, 70mm, technicolour, Eastman colour, etc.

 

Once Narayan Joo Miyaan, a teacher known for enforcing discipline in DAV School, Rainawari, caught some schoolboys outside Shiraz cinema gate and gave them a good thrashing. The boys had bunked their classes to watch Mehmood's Gumnaam. Gumnaam was screened in Shiraz Cinema at least five times. And then some boys saw Narayan Joo Miyaan wiping his tears after he came out of Shiraz cinema where he had gone to see Sunil Dutt's Meherbaan. In the DAV School, none believed that Narayan Joo had tears in his eyes or he could weep. Narayan Joo Miyaan was a hockey player apart from being a great patron of football. Narayan Joo had created an excellent football team for DAV School, Rainawari. This team had some well-known football players like Bashir Najar, Habib Daandh and Wahid Rawal. These players later played for Zindshah football club. Zia, who played for J&KSRTC football team was a student of DAV School, Rainawari. 

Watching a movie in the lower stall or third class, as it was known during those days had some additional charm. You would find yourself in the company of excited moviegoers. This excited crowd would cheer up the hero during some fight scene. The villain received nastiest abuses from the lower stall. This lower stall crowd blew whistles during a kiss scene. Some people would try to throw burning cigarette bits towards the screen. These bits generally landed on the walking space in front of the lower stall. Sometimes when the hero was shown receiving some punches from the Villain, someone from the lower stall would cry:-

"Parvaai na . Amiss gatchhan vaen biriyaana"

'No worry. This villain will soon be cut to pieces"

 The hero getting punches from the Villain was simply unacceptable to the crowd in the lower stall.

Smoking inside cinema halls was a common practice in Kashmir. With no exhaust fans or adequate air ventilation, Shiraz cinema hall was full of smoke during movie time. Headache was a bonus in this cinema hall. As the movie progressed, one would see men moving in darkness through columns and rows crying" cake piece Lefton (Lipton) Chai ' . They carried small tea glasses in hangers made of wire along with some bakery items. " 

 

                                                                               

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 ( This photograph was clicked at Shiraz Cinema in 1968  on account of release of Kashmiri film Maenzraat. The  first day show was inaugurated by Shri G M Sadiq , the then chief minister of the state in presence of the artists and technicians . We can see Shri G M Sadiq,  Padamshri Pran Kishore Kaul , Som Nath Sadhu, Omkar Aima , Dina Nath Nadim, G R Santosh and other  artists  )

(Avtar Mota)

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