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Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Swami Vidyadhar
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PUNN DIYUN
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PUNN DIYUN पन्न द्युंन (A Kashmiri Tradition) 
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Punn
Diyun is a Vaishnava ritual related to the invocation of Vishnu as
Bhagawan Satya Narayana, in Kashmir during the Shulka Paksha/Bright
fortnight of the month of Bhadarpada--corresponding to the month of August/ September. In Kashmiri Pandit heritage, this occasion is revered as सत्य देव / Satya Dev, by offering पूर्य Puurya and रोठ Roath to the Satya Dev Bhgawan, along with Shri Ganesha. This day is not the specific Tithi, but should be any Shubh Muhurt--auspicious day in this Paksha of Bhadarapada, as is calculated and recorded, in the Kashmiri Panchangs.
About the word पन्न -- Punn: Punn as a Kashmiri word, meaning thread,and Diyun means to offer. It means to offer the "Thread"--a spiritual obligation in the form of Thread ring that is being tied to the Pot, known as Kalasha. it is generally a brass pot of an elliptical shape revered as the symbol of Lord Brahma, and Varuna Devata /water. The Devata finds its abode in the Kalasha. पन्न Punn word also theवैदिक शब्द word in essence, which means to be worthy of admiration, or to admire to regard with surprise and wonder, to praise and acknowledge. It also means to be glad and glorious. This word has its source in the Sutra सूत्र, स्थुर in Kashmiri, which makes a person learn to be humble, meticulous in his working, and very soft towards the deprived, and to recognize the inner self. It does nort speak of renunciation at all, ather to be in association with the social environment. since it is Vaishnivite ritual, therefore the pot is adorned with flowers of different shades and colors. The Sutra, which is स्थुर ------ An old oral tradition is described here under: The Sutra or कपास/कपस is grown in the fields. Later, it is to be spin on the spinning wheel, after taking the कपसि ट्वट -- seed out of the raw cotton. The spinning wheel is known as यंदुर in Kashmiri. A girl child is supposed to spin the cotton,to turn it into yarn thread, and that thread is offered to the Satya Deva, who is said to have its presence in that Puja, at that particular muhurt/moment. The Sindoor, flowers, नार्य वन and रोठ is offered according to the traditioanal puja with the Naivedya Mantra, known as the प्रेपुन्य . Preparation of रोठ Roath Roath is prepared with wheat flour kneeded with water and milk.and deep fried in ghee. Some would bake the Roath, though kneeded with ghee. It is known as the सवा सेर रोठ। The green cardamom is mixed during kneeding. After frying or baking, Khaskhas-- खश्खाश is applied for decoration purposes as well. Some would make the circular designs with the small circular cup stand. To establish the sanctity of the Punn diyun, the Puja room is washed, all the necessary utensils needed for making a Roath is washed with हुरि म्ये.च --- yellow soil, It is mostly the eldest lady of the family, who narrates the story of बीब गर्भ माs ज, explaining the essence of Satya Narayan Devata, who is Vishnu himself. She would explain the necessity of observing this ritual,purely to ward off ill omens and to bring peace.progress and prosperity in and around the family. That is why, the Naveed is distributed to the neighbours and relatives, without any distinction. Present day procedure: Since the times have changed,now the Punn is not being spinned any more. Only, Diya Batti has replaced the Punn. but all other modalities are followed. except washing with soil, instead the detergent is used to clean the pots/utensils during puja and for preparation of the Roath, which is really very healthy step. The offshoots of green grass, known as द्रमुन is offered to the Devata, with all devotion. After the Puja is over, the Naveed is partaken with all devotion and dedication, even in the KP diaspora. The eldest one of the family observes a fast, but is not obligatory. This day is dedicated to Beeb Ghar Maij, deriving its source of inspiration from the Skanda Purana. About the name ---- बीभ गर्भ माs / Biibh Garbha Mai'j, the main Deity of the Pann Diyun Katha. बीभ is a Sanskrit word, which means --- to put in higher acclamation, in the Post Vedic scriptures. गर्भ Garbha means the cosmic womb, माsज Mai'j is the Divine Mother. That is why we invoke the Divine Mother in the Brass pot/ Gada, with the offering of दूर्वा Durvaa--द्रमण कानुज। The color of brass is of golden hue, hence the brass pot is recommended in the Puja. दूर्वा Durvaa-- द्रमण कानुज stands for the शाकम्बरी देवी / Shakambari Devi. Majority of the Kashmiri Pandits do celebrate the पन्न दियुन, but some families instead perform, Anant Chaturdashi, observing the same ritual of making the Roath. Some address पन्न देवी, as the Bhhib Garaz Mai'j, which does not seem to be correct, as the deity invoked in the pot can never be selfish, as the word ग़रज़ / Garaz stands for. Acknowledgement:---I am thankful to Mrs Chandramukhi Ganju for putting the Roath Katha, published ealier in Shehjar, which is given below |
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K a s h m i r i R e c i p e
ChandraMukhi Ganju |
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Pun Deun
Pun Deun
by Sh. Amar Nath Bhan
Niagara Falls, Canada
The following is a
popular history and a folk tale about the celebration of the famous festival
of Yanayak chorum by the Kashmiri Pandit community which is also called Pun Deun.
This is a traditional celebration which almost
all Kashmiri families celebrate in the month of Bhadron (August/September)
by preparing very delicious Roths of wheat pan-cakes) which are fried in
Ghee (Butter). Some people consider it as a celebration of Bhagwan Mahavir
Hanuman day. People in south India celebrate this day as Ganesh Puja celebration.
I am writing this article to remind our people
how our community used to maintain the social link with each other by distributing
the Neveed (prasad) of this function in the form of Roth to all their neighbours,
relatives and even strangers. This allowed them to keep in close touch
with each other. This day is celebrated with devotion, to show respect
to almighty god. The celebration also gives enjoyment in the form of a
get together for the family, and especially among children. For this celebration
the big family kitchen and all the brass utensils are cleaned thoroughly.
Although religious significance of this day may
have numerous interpretations, it has the same importance as any of our
other festivals such as Shiva Ratri (Herath), Janamashtami etc., and it
was always on top of the list, especially for women folk. People were very
keen to get this Neveed. As I remember, all our neighbours, relatives and
friends were very keen to get this Neveed, and if by mistake or otherwise
the Neveed was not delivered on time, the person would definitely lodge
a serious complaint and one had to apologize. Even the relatives in far
villages expected this Pun Neveed. In some cases the Neveed was delivered
up to one month after the celebration. The Roth fried in ghee would stay
fresh for a long time. I remember when my children were grown up and had
been away from home for higher education, they always expected the Pun
Roth when they returned home for vacation.
I remember in our home at Srinagar (Kashmir) my
mother, and later her my wife used to perform and celebrate this festival
with great devotion and faith. Some people also called Pun Deun as Beeb
ghar maji hund doh. They would clean the clay floor and walls of the room(usually
the Kani or top floor of the house) when the celebration was to be performed.
Some people would use their kitchen. All brass utensils were cleaned with
sand to shine them, then they were washed with clay to sanitize them. A
special iron or brass Krai (Wok) was first cleaned and used to fry the
Roth. This utensil was especially meant for this day and was not used for
other purposes.
The following ingredients were collected several
days in advance of this occasion: For Roth white flour, brown sugar, ghee
(butter), salt, vegetable oil, yogurt (zamut dodh), Khashkhash seed, cardamom
(Big alaiche seed). For puja flower, rice, barley, green grass (Dramun),
some fruits, fresh walnut, silver foil (roph warukh) ,Nariwan( coloured
string) and Sindoor. In the city interior it was usually difficult to find
Dramun which could be only found in the pastures outside the city or from
the garden of a prosperous relative. In combined families the senior lady
of the house, who usually performed this celebration, used to get some
cotton thread hand spun by an unmarried girl and all kind of vegetables
in season. About five paw(1 kg) of wheat flour was kept in a separate Thalli
(brass plate) with 5 chatang (nearly 300 gram) of brown sugar. This was
meant as offering to the god for whom this festival was to be celebrated.
Separately, additional 250 grams of wheat flour per person in the family
was weighed and used for cooking Roth.The proportion of brown sugar to
flour was one chatang (65 grams) of sugar for 250 grams of flour.
My family prepared the Roth in the following manner.
The required quantity of brown sugar, according to the quantity of wheat
flour, was boiled in a bhogun(brass pot) with a small quantity of water
and then it was strained through a thin cotton cloth. Big alaichi seed
(Big Cardamom) was mixed with the wheat flour.Then the brown sugar water
was mixed with flour. To make it into dough, some ghee was also mixed with
the flour to make it soft and sweet. The dough was divided into small portions
and each portion was rolled flat using a chakla and belan( rolling pin).
Then this bread was put on the flat of a Thali's(bronze plate) back side
and made smooth .Some design were made on the flat end of bread using fingers
or with the bottom of a Khos(bronze cup). Sufficient quantity of ghee was
then placed in the krai (Wok)on a stove to fry the roth. Then yogurt was
mixed with Khashkhash (sesame) seeds and pasted smoothly on the flat end
of the Roth. Then the bread was then put in the hot ghee to fry.
Precaution was taken to see that the ghee is not
too hot which may burn the bread, and a lifter known as (Kafgree) was used
to turn the bread over. This kept the Roth soft and delicious.
My mother and my wife also used to make
Namkeen,
a salted bread which had the same ingredients as the roth, except brown
sugar was replaced with a little salt. Namkeen bread was fried in the same
ghee which had been used for Roth. After all fried Roths were prepared
including the separately kept 5 pauw of wheat flower for the offering in
the name of God.The latter were put separately in a new or fresh Foth or
Tooker(willow basket )or in a big Thal( bronze plate) and were covered
with a new or washed cotton cloth.
In our house we also prepared mixed vegetables
called Bhoojai with as many as ten or more varieties of vegetables . Some
prepared Aloo (potatoes) or dry Bhoojai, and some prepared Wangan bhoojai
(egg plant ) depending on the tradition in the family. Then vegetables
were cleaned out mixed. They were then boiled and fried in oil and masala
(spices) were added to make the Bhoojai. It took a fairly long time to
prepare the Bhoojai.
In the mean time my mother ( and later my wife)
used to get fresh water in a bronze Ghadwa (container) from the tap and
would decorate it with a flower garland and Nairwan, Sendher teok and Rophwarukh
(silver foil). Then she would put five Roth with Kanika Roth (Roth with
saw tooth like edges all around) on the Gadwa. Then she would put some
fruits and shelled walnuts on it as Naveed. Then she would call all members
the family to the room. The Ghadwa with Roth were placed in front of her
while she would be facing the east (sun rises from the east). After placing
the Teok on the forehead and tying the Nairwan on the wrist of every one
present, she would give to every one some rice with barley and Habel in
their hands. The cotton thread which she had been keeping on her ear was
then placed in her hand with some rice, barley and Habel. Then with full
attention and devotion she would repeat the same story every year. She
would start by saying that anyone who performed this ceremony with devotion
faith and love would get everything in life, will be released from misery
and trouble. She related the story with a lot of concentration in the sweet
melodic Kashmire Language as follows:It was the month of Bhadron, Venayak
Chorum te Athwar( fourth lunar day and sunday), a long time ago, in Kashmir
there was a Hindu king ruling comfortably and his people lived in peace
and harmony. His wife, the Queen, used to celebrate this festival of Vanayak
chorum in the month of Bhadron with great devotion, faith, pomp and show.
The royal family was very happy. One day while the queen was performing
this ceremony, the king walked in (may be he was drunk) and said "what
is thisall going on, I don't want this puja to be celebrated in my home",
and without waiting for any reply from his wife he entered the puja room
with his shoes on and scattered away all things. He was very furious. The
Queen was very much depressed and angry with her husband, but could not
and did not tell him any thing. Since the King did this, bad things began
to appear and happen in their lives and in the Kingdom. After some time
the kingdom was invaded by the enemy, the king was taken a prisoner and
all his belonging were taken over and destroyed by the enemy. The queen
with her daughter ran away for the safety of their lives and honour, towards
the rural area without any personal possession. They had nothing, and were
almost begging for their survival, and were in a miserable condition. Both
the queen and her daughter were making hand to mouth living.
As the daughter grew older she became sensible.
One day the daughter went to the town to beg for some food. Accidentally
she came to a house where the Vynayak Chorum festival was being celebrated.
The lady of the house asked the girl to come in, she told the girl that
she was celebrating Vynayak Chorum puja. She told the girl to stay untill
she finished the puja, she would then give her a good quantity of Neveed.The
lady said you have to do one thing for me. I am giving you the cotton,
would you spin it with your hand for me. The girl was pleased to be invited
and being asked to spin the cotton and readily agreed. While watching the
festival the girl noticed the celebration with devotion, cleanliness and
all the food.She told the lady of the house that she would do whatever
was asked of her. She made cotton thread for the lady who was pleased,
and celebrated the festival with devotion and faith. The girl carefully
watched everything. When the puja was finished, the lady gave good number
of Roths with Kanyakeh Roth to the girl. The girl was pleased, and she
ran home to her mother, who was waiting and anxious. When she saw her (the
daughter) she was cross with her, and asked her where she had been and
why she was so late. She told her that now she had grown up and she should
not be so late in the future. The girl narrated to her mother the whole
story, what she had seen and why she was late only to get the Neveed. The
girl pleaded that she had done nothing wrong, and that the lady of the
house was a good and nice lady.
After hearing the story from her daughter the
mother took a deep breath and was depressed and began to weep. Her daughter
inquired from her mother why she was so depressed and why she wept. After
a while the mother told her daughter that I too used to celebrate this
day for many years with devotion. She told her how and every thing used
to be replaced with new things, and whole house used to be cleaned, washed
and decorated in this month of Bhadron. I used to make a good quantity
of Roths, and do puja of Mahaveer with devotion and faith. What happened
one day, that your father, the King, came while I was preparing the Roths
to celebrate this day, rebuked me for what I was doing, and threw away
all things, and forbade me from celebrating this day in the future. I was
very depressed, but could not tell him anything. After that incident bad
days began and every thing began to vanish. The kingdom was conquered by
the enemy and everything was looted and plundered. Your father was taken
prisoner. They (the enemy) were in search of us, but during the night I
took you and ran away from the palace for safety and honour. Since then
we are here in this bad condition and since then I don't know anything
about your father. The girl asked her mother why they should not also celebrate
the day again with faith and devotion, almighty god may again be pleased
with us and give some relief. Her mother replied "daughter !", one requires
money to purchase or get everything for the festival, where from will we
get that. The girl listened to her mother with attention and told her mother,
"I hope I can arrange how to get some money". After taking their supper
they went to bed. The girl was thinking about how to get wheat flour, etc.
An idea came to her mind and early next morning she went into a horse stable,
and collected all horse manure. She took the manure to the river, where
she washed it carefully to get undigested wheat seeds. By doing this she
got a good quantity of undigested wheat seeds and she left the wheat seeds
in the sun to dry. When it dried, she ground it by hand on a stone mill,
so she got some wheat flower. She collected some rice, f lowers and Habel,
etc., and went home. She cleaned a small room and a few utensils, and washed
herself and the clothing. This she did all with devotion and faith without
the notice of her mother. She did all as she had seen the lady in the town
do with devotion. She made five bread loaves from the wheat flour she had
and then baked them very cautiously on a hot charcoal fire. When they were
prepared, she did puja while offering some flowers, rice, and Habel which
she had collected with great humility and faith. Then she put all breads
in a clean basket and covered them with her washed saari, and went to sleep.
Next morning when she woke up and went into the small room where she had
performed the puja and had put the breads, what she saw to her surprise
was that under her sari there was something. She lifted the saari, and
what she saw was that all the breads had turned into gold, and were shining.
She at once called her mother and told her what she had done, and now they
had turned into gold by the grace of Shri Bagwati (Beebgharen maeg) god.
They were excited. The mother was very pleased with the belief that performing
and celebrating this day their bad days were over. Now they began to change
their life style and could live happily. They had enough gold to spend.
The Queen and her daughter began to live a better life.
After some time a Wazeer (Minister) of the king
came to their house in their search, and said "the soldiers loyal to the
king had re-conquered the kingdom from the enemy who was defeated. The
king along with his loyal supporters had beene freed from the enemy's prison,
and your husband the king had regained his kingdom. He has sent me in your
search to bring you back, so I have come; please accompany me to the kingdom.
The queen and her daughter were very pleased and accompanied him.
They met the king and told him all of their past.
The king was ashamed, but pleased to have found them, and they began to
live very happily, and were performing this Vyanayak Chorum celebration
every year, with faith and devotion. After telling the story my wife would
repeat in Kashmiri, Yith paeth timan kassin zand te zalath, tithai paeth
kassten assi ti greh peda( the way the queen and her family recovered from
their misfortune and misery, the same way may god bless us with good fortune
and good luck). Then she would put in the Gadwa the rice, Barley, Hable,
one silver rupee and cotton thread etc., and asked all members present
to do the same. After this puja and Aarthi was celebrated with neveed mantar,
dhoop deep, etc.
In the mean time the vegetable Bhoojai was also
cooking on slow heat, and Neveed was distributed. We tasted the Neveed
roth and then salted Roth with Bhoojai. After completing the ceremony a
good number of very thin dry breads were also prepared and the Neveed was
distributed to the neighbours and relatives. The distribution work would
carry on for several days.
That is the story and on a spirtual not I would
like to make a few general remarks. The Hindu religion is a great religion
and it has existed since many thousands of years. To know Hindus one must
study scriptures such as Vedas and Upanishads. There are many Hindus who
do not understand the real meaning of their religion. Hinduism is not a
domineering or expansionist religion. Million of people follow this religion,
and realize god from this..
About human soul (Atma) the Upanished say "He
is the unseen seer, the unheard listener, the thoughtfull thinker, th understood
understander, other than he there is no thinker, other than he there is
no understander. He is the Atman (soul), the inner ruler, the Immortal".
It also says about God whom it calls Purush (Person),"He is formless ,
he is without and within, unborn, breathless, mindless, pure,higher than
the high and imperishable". Shirmad Bhagavat Gita says the following about
God" thou art the father of the world of the moving and the unmoving, thou
art the father of the object of its worship and its vanishable teacher".
Sankaracharya defends god as the totality of taught knowledge and beauty.
The more popular prayer is one of Hindu scriptures is "From the unreal
lead me to the real, from darkness lead me to immortality, after all thou
is god". Idol worshipphig has a very meaningful purpose in that, in search
of Purush it is the easiest way of concentration.
We have reached a moment of decision in our history,
and one has to make choice that will determine the course of events for
centuries hence. Change is the law of life, we have to come to terms with
nature and with ourselves. We cannot live and work without the hope that
our future holds better prospects both on the physical as well as on the
spiritual level. Our ills are not beyond redemption. If we have to live
and exist as Hindus we must regain our path. We must not, therefore, forget
our tradition, our customs, our religious functions and our rituals. We
must keep the flame alight, so that our children inherit our rich culture.
We must repeat the same Katha (Story). "The core of Hindu religion is regeneration
of mankind, a spiritual mutation of human nature", Radhakrishnan said.
The story about the festival of Yanayak chorum
demonstrates how the Hindu religion helped to maintain the social fabric
within our society. We have yet to learn that performing puja and worshipping
are not a passport to questionable values and inhuman practices much less
to heaven, but once you perform puja with devotion and concentration like
done by the Queen and her family, you will be on the path of attaining Nirwana.
- Om Hari Krishna Hare Rama 
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Bridges of Srinagar
The first bridge across the Jehlum was Aali Kadal, built by
Sultan Ali Shah in 1415 AD. Six more bridges were built by later rulers,
and by the nineteenth century Srinagar came to be known as the 'City of the Seven Bridges.'
1415 AD/Aali Kadal/Sultan Ali Shah
1427 AD/Zaina Kadal/Sultan Zain ul Abdin
1500 AD/Fateh Kadal/Sultan Fateh Shah
1573 AD/Habba Kadal/Sultan Habib Shah
1666 AD/Nawa Kadal/Noor ud din Khan Bamzai
1671 AD/Safa Kadal/Saif ud din Khan
1774 AD/Amira Kadal/Amir ud din Khan Jawan Sher
'The view from any of the old city's bridges is wholly and unmistakably Kashmiri. Old brick buildings line the banks. The distinctive pagoda-like roof of a mosque or a shrine enlivens the horizon, and in the muddy water of the River Jhelum, a straggling row of doongas flanks the edges. These boats, with their shingled roofs, are the forerunners of Srinagar’s houseboat. A particular community lives in them. Formerly this community was associated with ferrying people, livestock and food grains along the river. The past still lingers in their lifestyles even if their occupation has changed. Occasionally one may catch sight of a doonga making its stately progress down the river as the owner shifts residence. Doongas are sparsely furnished - virtually no furniture is seen except for the kitchen, which gleams with copper utensils of every description that line the shelves from floor to ceiling.'
Two bridges were constructed during the rule of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed - Budshah Kadal and Zero Bridge. The former was built in 1957 across the river Jhelum to connect the Maulana Azad Road to the Civil Secretariat and was named after Zain-ul-Abidin (AD 1420-70), popularly known as ‘Budshah’, the great king of ancient Kashmir. Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin thus has the honour of having two bridges named after him- the 'Zaina' and 'Budshah' Kadals.
Budshah Kadal
A popular anecdote relates that the Zero Bridge was originally nicknamed 'Zaer' Bridge after it's contactor who happened to be hard of hearing. It is totally in character that Bakshi Sahib would rename it to 'Zero' bridge as he disliked negativity in names (The renaming of Sonawari, Mahmudpura and other places with unfavourable names are testimony to this fact.)
Zero Bridge
1n the 1970's the Noor Bagh Bridge was built over the Jehlum near Qamarwari. It must have been one of the earliest concrete bridges as it is still popularly known as the 'Cement Bridge'.
In fact most of the old wooden bridges have been replaced by modern concrete ones. These are undoubtedly more functional yet appear soulless when compared to the aesthetics of the old rickety wooden structures. A couple of old bridges like Habba Kadal and Zaina Kadal are still used as pedestrian walkways while the rest have been dismantled.
In the 1990's the Abdullah Bridge between the Zero and the Amira Kadal was constructed. Currently eleven bridges span the Jehlum between Sonwar and Qamarwari.
Abdullah Bridge
Amira Kadal
Habba Kadal
Fateh Kadal
Two pedestrian bridges have also been constructed over the Jehlum at Sonwar and Lal Mandi. The latter bridge near the SPS Museum is the first suspension bridge across the Jehlum. Numerous smaller bridges intersect the network of waterways that flow through Srinagar city.
Zero Bridge was also slated for dismantling but fortunately some bright spark had the epiphany to restore it to its original splendour. Work in the traditional manner is underway to give the bridge a new lease of life. It is fascinating to compare recent photographs of the restoration of Zero Bridge to those of bridge rebuilding after floods in the 1880's.
A plan to build a new bridge between the post office lane and Rajbagh has run into what I feel is needless controversy. Reams have been written on the aesthetics of the Bund, the shape and orientation of the new bridge, the ill-effects(?) on a nearby girls high school. If the traffic patterns and structural requirements have been properly worked out, it can ease the chronic traffic congestion on both sides of the Jehlum.
Wags are already calling this new bridge the 'Tedha Bridge' and I hope that the name does not stick because, like my father, I do not like discordant names. I just hope that it is not an incomprehensibly humped structure like the Amira Kadal Bridge (Shonthoo's Folly, I read somewhere) where driving behind an impossibly loaded 'redha' or handcart is a nightmare.
If I may be allowed a suggestion, it could be named 'Albion Bridge' after Sir Albion Banerji, the Prime Minister of Kashmir who resigned in 1929 to protest against the injustice being meted out to the citizens of Kashmir by the sectarian and autocratic Dogra rulers.
“You can use mortar and stone to build walls to separate people or to build bridges to unite them!
1415 AD/Aali Kadal/Sultan Ali Shah
1427 AD/Zaina Kadal/Sultan Zain ul Abdin
1500 AD/Fateh Kadal/Sultan Fateh Shah
1573 AD/Habba Kadal/Sultan Habib Shah
1666 AD/Nawa Kadal/Noor ud din Khan Bamzai
1671 AD/Safa Kadal/Saif ud din Khan
1774 AD/Amira Kadal/Amir ud din Khan Jawan Sher
'The view from any of the old city's bridges is wholly and unmistakably Kashmiri. Old brick buildings line the banks. The distinctive pagoda-like roof of a mosque or a shrine enlivens the horizon, and in the muddy water of the River Jhelum, a straggling row of doongas flanks the edges. These boats, with their shingled roofs, are the forerunners of Srinagar’s houseboat. A particular community lives in them. Formerly this community was associated with ferrying people, livestock and food grains along the river. The past still lingers in their lifestyles even if their occupation has changed. Occasionally one may catch sight of a doonga making its stately progress down the river as the owner shifts residence. Doongas are sparsely furnished - virtually no furniture is seen except for the kitchen, which gleams with copper utensils of every description that line the shelves from floor to ceiling.'
Two bridges were constructed during the rule of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed - Budshah Kadal and Zero Bridge. The former was built in 1957 across the river Jhelum to connect the Maulana Azad Road to the Civil Secretariat and was named after Zain-ul-Abidin (AD 1420-70), popularly known as ‘Budshah’, the great king of ancient Kashmir. Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin thus has the honour of having two bridges named after him- the 'Zaina' and 'Budshah' Kadals.
Budshah Kadal
A popular anecdote relates that the Zero Bridge was originally nicknamed 'Zaer' Bridge after it's contactor who happened to be hard of hearing. It is totally in character that Bakshi Sahib would rename it to 'Zero' bridge as he disliked negativity in names (The renaming of Sonawari, Mahmudpura and other places with unfavourable names are testimony to this fact.)
Zero Bridge
1n the 1970's the Noor Bagh Bridge was built over the Jehlum near Qamarwari. It must have been one of the earliest concrete bridges as it is still popularly known as the 'Cement Bridge'.
In fact most of the old wooden bridges have been replaced by modern concrete ones. These are undoubtedly more functional yet appear soulless when compared to the aesthetics of the old rickety wooden structures. A couple of old bridges like Habba Kadal and Zaina Kadal are still used as pedestrian walkways while the rest have been dismantled.
In the 1990's the Abdullah Bridge between the Zero and the Amira Kadal was constructed. Currently eleven bridges span the Jehlum between Sonwar and Qamarwari.
Abdullah Bridge
Amira Kadal
Habba Kadal
Fateh Kadal
Two pedestrian bridges have also been constructed over the Jehlum at Sonwar and Lal Mandi. The latter bridge near the SPS Museum is the first suspension bridge across the Jehlum. Numerous smaller bridges intersect the network of waterways that flow through Srinagar city.
Zero Bridge was also slated for dismantling but fortunately some bright spark had the epiphany to restore it to its original splendour. Work in the traditional manner is underway to give the bridge a new lease of life. It is fascinating to compare recent photographs of the restoration of Zero Bridge to those of bridge rebuilding after floods in the 1880's.
A plan to build a new bridge between the post office lane and Rajbagh has run into what I feel is needless controversy. Reams have been written on the aesthetics of the Bund, the shape and orientation of the new bridge, the ill-effects(?) on a nearby girls high school. If the traffic patterns and structural requirements have been properly worked out, it can ease the chronic traffic congestion on both sides of the Jehlum.
Wags are already calling this new bridge the 'Tedha Bridge' and I hope that the name does not stick because, like my father, I do not like discordant names. I just hope that it is not an incomprehensibly humped structure like the Amira Kadal Bridge (Shonthoo's Folly, I read somewhere) where driving behind an impossibly loaded 'redha' or handcart is a nightmare.
If I may be allowed a suggestion, it could be named 'Albion Bridge' after Sir Albion Banerji, the Prime Minister of Kashmir who resigned in 1929 to protest against the injustice being meted out to the citizens of Kashmir by the sectarian and autocratic Dogra rulers.
“You can use mortar and stone to build walls to separate people or to build bridges to unite them!
GANESHJI OF GANPATYAR
|
GANESHJI OF GANPATYAR
So near yet so far |
  *B. L. Dhar |
 n
a December day in 1959 it snowed the whole day and the snow accumulated
to about a foot deep on ground. Ganeshji, known in the neighborhood as
Ganakak, did not expect any more devotees at the temple and decided to
close down early. Who would leave the warm comfort of the home and wade
through heavy snow to come and pray at the temple on a winter night.
Dutifully he cleaned the floor of the temple, collected the offerings of
the day and locked the gates as he headed home for the night. His wife
Shobawati would have prepared the meal for him and at this thought he
felt the rumbles of hunger going through his now empty stomach. He
cursed the day his only son Raghunath chose to take up a government job
and become a postman. What was he doing carrying mail to people instead
of carrying God’s good word to the believers and relieve him of his
responsibilities at a ripe old age? Did not the government employees
retire at 55 and his son would be 34 coming March. Did he have to wait
another 21 years for his dreams to come true? Well for that matter his
own birthday was in January and he would complete his 58th year. His son
should well have taken the mantle of looking after his family tradition
and cared for the lord who was the ultimate savior of all mankind. He
remembered his son had not sent him a letter past two weeks now from
Udhampur where he was posted after his transfer six months ago. He
decided to send him a letter tomorrow reminding him of his
responsibility. And coming to the point, was it not irresponsible of him
to pay a princely sum of Rs 20 as rent at Udhampur when he could live
free in his own house at Ganpatyar. Walking the distance of a mile and a
half from the Shiva temple at Gawkadal to his home he chanted the
invocations of lord Shiva, of whom he was an avid devotee. This did not
deter him from visiting the Ganesh temple at Ganpatyar every morning
before opening the one at Gawkadal. He was after all carrying the name
of Ganesh as his own and he thanked the lord for the grace upon his
family. Ganakak had taken ample precaution this winter to carry his walking stick and a torch in the night. He remembered last year he had slipped while going up the road incline just before entering the road leading to his house and barely escaped getting hurt. He also avoided walking in the center of the road for fear of being hit by a Tonga and also because of the slush that was created by these vehicles. In fact walking on the shoulders provided him a firmer grip in the piled up snow and it was cleaner as well. He noticed the shop of Gaffar, the cobbler, still open and called to him telling him his shoes were leaking and he would drop the pair for repairs next day. I should buy a new pair now, he thought, but these were so costly these days that it burned a big hole in the pocket. Thinking about the hole he remembered he should visit Jialal, the grocer, and ask him to pack his pouch of tobacco for the hookah. He tried to recollect if there was anything that Shobawati had asked him to get along upon his return home in the evening. Not remembering anything that could not wait, he entered the lane towards his house and found his neighbor Radhakishan waving at him from his main door. After an exchange of greetings, Radhakishan handed over the prayer book he had loaned from him a week ago that he required for the “Shraad” ceremony of one of his clients. He was a priest and conducted functions as per the Vedic rites. Ganakak had now almost given up the client work after the demise of his father, except catering only to one family, and taken the full responsibility of looking after the Shiva temple on a daily basis for favor of a regular income. The members of the temple trust were pleased at his running the affairs like his father had done before him and allowed him to keep all the offerings in kind. All cash offerings received daily were put in the temple safe. He had to tender the cash in the safe to the managing committee every Sunday and received a percentage of the collection as salary every time the safe was opened. The upkeep and maintenance of the temple was managed by the trust and he had no role to play in this regard. He was happy with the arrangement and his needs were taken care of. |
 Ganpatyar Temple overview |
| Ganakak
woke up early on the morning of his birthday, had his bath at the
Vitásta ghat at Ganpatyar as usual and entered the Ganesh temple for
prayers. Back home Shobawati had kept the puja thali, containing “täher”
ready for his ritualistic offering after which he left home for the
Shiva temple. The snowfall had now turned mild and did not accumulate on
the ground but there was no guarantee that it would not resume
forcefully later. The festival of Shivratri was round the corner and
Ganakak would have a spurt in his income during this period as more
devotees poured into the Shiva temple on this festive occasion and
donated liberally. His son had informed him that he would not after all
be coming home for his own birthday in March and the Shivratri festival
soon thereafter as he had not been granted leave from his duties. What
kind of work was this after all that one could not attend to the social
and religious commitments and responsibilities. He had looked forward to
meeting his grandchildren after a long gap of six months and was
missing their chatter and their pranks. Two grandsons and a grand
daughter used to keep the house on alert all the time as they fought at
opportunities to prove their love for their grandparents. Shobawati had
taken their absence very much to heart and mostly remained quite. In
fact there was hardly any conversation between the couple other than to
communicate about things of mundane interest. Prem Nath was posted as an Assistant Executive Engineer with the Buildings & Roads department at Srinagar and was a well-known figure in his circle of relatives, friends and associates. He was the son of an illustrious college professor, now deceased, and his family had a long history of being social and religious and carried references from all the high and mighty in the valley. Prem Nath received prominence in his work from the government of Bakhshi Gulam Mohammad, who was the Prime Minister of the state from 1953 onwards. Now in the 10th year of his regime in 1963 the state looked to be well placed among the best-governed states in the country. Tourism had flourished and so had the trade and new industries had been set up in many new ventures all across the state for the benefit of the citizens. J&K was the only state in India that was referred to as a peaceful state with Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs living a life of peaceful co-existence, a secular state to the core. Prem Nath was also lucky to have Ganakak as his family priest, who worked for no other family. Ganakak always found time to cater to the family needs whenever the occasion demanded as was done by his own father before him and his grandfather many decades ago. Of utmost importance was the festival of Shivratri, which was celebrated with all the dignity it deserved and with religious zeal. So much effort was put in by Ganakak that he observed a fast for the whole day and only ate with the family later after the conclusion of the Shiv “puja” around midnight. Doubtless to say that he always received a handsome reward for his services that no other family would ever have offered. Prem Nath had a great reverence for his priest and respected him immensely. |
 GanpatyarTemple main diety entrance door |
| The
festival of Shivratri was not as important to the people at Udhampur as
it was for the miniscule minority of the Kashmiri Pandits living in the
township. These were people who lived there because of their trade or
job and who could not possibly visit Srinagar for the celebration with
other family members. Raghunath was one among the unfortunate who did
not travel home to join his parents. He had responsibility of
distributing more mail during this season and also disbursing money
orders that were exchanged as gifts to relations. His own father had
sent him some money as a gift for the kids and he felt humbled. He
matched the sentiments of his father by sending him a thank you note
that sounded hollow to his own consciousness. He loved his father who
had taught him what life was all about. He could not have helped the
state of affairs that he found himself in just because like everyone
else he was fallible. He had in fact arranged his transfer from
Srinagar, as he was unable to settle the differences in his own home.
Before shifting to Udhampur, Raghunath was painfully a witness to fights
between his mother and his wife almost everyday just on flimsy grounds
and he could not stop the enmity between them even with his best
efforts. The other reason for arranging a transfer was that his growing
family had shrunk the space in his small home they had inherited and no
one got any kind of privacy in that place. The house he lived in was
equally shared with his cousin who lived in the other half of the house
with his mother, his uncle having passed away a few years ago. He took
the best course and decided to stay away so that he could give equal
respect and care to the two women in his life without offending any one
of them. Though his father very much wanted him to be in the family
trade of being a priest, he detested the work. He would nevertheless
care about his parents and think of their well being and even when he
had his own three children to look after he always found time to visit
them. His father earned enough to look after self and mother yet he
carried gifts to them when he visited them. He was satisfied with this
arrangement and hoped the situation would change one day after the
construction of his dream home was realized. Nandbub, the great mystic saint of Kashmir is said to have entered the office of one Bakhshi Ghulam Mohamad one day and handed him a pen. He became the Prime Minister of the state. Some ten years later he once again entered his office and took the pen away from his hands and he lost his job. His years in the state as Prime Minister from 1953 to 1964 are acknowledged as the Golden Period of the state. He is remembered as the architect of modern Kashmir for his administrative skills and constructive work. In 1964 he was asked by the central government to offer a token resignation from office under the Kamraj Plan and was never reinstated. He retired from politics in 1965 but for his popularity was inducted in the Lok Sabha where he stayed on till 1971 and he passed away in 1972. Raghunath was also affected by changes and he shuttled on his numerous postings and finally landed up at Jammu on promotion as head clerk in 1972. He managed to find a piece of land for building his dream house with a financial contribution from his father. It took him five long years to start construction on the land and had to ask for a government loan to help him in this effort. His children had grown up and were now attending college at Jammu. Ganakak continued to be in Srinagar and engaged with his avocation as he kept growing in age. He never got a chance to visit his son and his family outside the valley but Raghunath visited his parents regularly and kept a proper watch on them. Often on his visits to the valley he would smell ugly sentiments that he brought to his father's notice, who promptly ignored it as a figment of his imagination. |
  Ancient sculptures near entrance door |
| As
the years slipped through, Ganakak stood on a different track as his
“sadhna” entered the pinnacle of his self-attainment. He often had
vision of events yet to unfold. His mind was now at peace and his body
totally under his command. His wife would look with reverence at him
sometimes when he was in a trance and she would sit at his feet and pray
for his salvation and that of herself as well. Years passed as they
watched their son prosper and the grandchildren groom well in their
respective fields. Upon his retirement in 1980, Ragunath got his three
children married on three occasions at Srinagar. He beseeched his
parents to join him at Jammu every time after the ceremony and asked
them to stay on after giving up to live in that cramped house at
Srinagar. Ganakak did not respond for a very long time as he went into a
very thoughtful mood. He finally told his son that he would do so only
after he felt his responsibility at Ganpatyar was complete. Swallow (Kätiĵ) is a migratory bird and comes to the Kashmir valley in the spring and stays until the end of summer. About six inches long the bird has a forked tail and is a glossy shade of blue-black with a white underside. The birds nest only in homes or barns and come back to the same nest year after year and stay with the same mate for life, having a life span of about 4 - years. There was one such nest in the bedroom of Ganakak and he was very protective of these birds. He would welcome their appearance in spring and observe them fervently repairing their nest that they set up in the wooden beams of the ceiling. During the entire period of their stay his wife would keep the window of their bedroom open from early morning until dusk when the birds would finally settle down for the night. Shortly one would hear the chirping of their offspring and the birds would make several runs to feed their young during the whole day. One could mark their swift darts across the sky catching insects that they feed to the young. They finally fly out along with them at the end of the season. Ganakak was not happy when in the year of 1989 no swallows came to his room. He felt it was an inauspicious occurrence and prayed to God to let everything be all right. It did not occur to him that the birds that visited him last year may well be dead and the new tenants had yet to find the nest. Prem Nath woke up early morning on Sunday, the seventh day of January 1990 and decided to pray one last time at the Ganesh Temple at Ganpatyar before he left for Jammu later that morning with his family and all his belongings for which he had hired a transport. He was now 76 years old and not on his transfer to that place but was kind of fleeing the hometown after he had witnessed a disturbing trend in the mindset of the local populace who had given an ultimatum to the Hindus to either convert to their faith or be targets for their sharp shooters. There was an unprecedented rush of Hindus leaving the valley after terrorists gunned many down in cold blood. There were instances of torture of young innocents and sacrilege of women who were molested and then killed. Prem Nath did not wish that his family should meet a similar fate and had taken the decision after a thorough thinking over and discussing the matter with his family, friends and some relations who were already gone or were on their way out. He had packed up all his essentials for two days now and he would leave behind the heavy stuff like furniture, taking into account the fact that the situation may not last long. There was the government after all that would wake up some time to take necessary steps to safeguard the life and property of the minority community. He planned to securely lock up his house at Nai Sarak and return when the situation was under control. |
 Jehlum river bank near Ganpatyar |
| Raghunath
learnt with pain about the migration of Hindus from the valley and he
was urging his father to leave the place at the earliest. His cousin had
already left with family and had set up a new abode at Jammu. He
decided to go to Srinagar and help father pack up things and urge him to
join the family at Jammu. They had luckily a big house now and his
dreams would come true when all the family was together once again. He
hoped that his wife and his mother would fight no more. His mother was
old and infirm but his father, though 88, was still in a better shape.
He would still require help in shifting out and Raghunath was pleased
when his father accepted the offer and Raghunath decided to leave for
Srinagar on Sunday the 7th January and bring his parents to Jammu on the
10th. Ganakak was adamant that he would celebrate his birthday at his
home on the 7th January and then only leave to enter the new house on
the auspicious day of 10th January. Shobawati reprimanded her husband for going to the Vitásta for his ritualistic forays on his birthday on the 7th January telling him that he would freeze to death, now that he was too old to stand any kind of torture to his body. But the old man would not listen and carried his paraphernalia along with him for the ceremony early morning. At the ghat he washed lightly but was saddened not to find his fellow worshippers who normally exchanged pleasantries with each other. He put on a clean dress and replaced his old sacred thread with a new one and climbed the steps to enter the Ganesh temple for his prayers. He felt very light in body and thought he was blessed and at the sight of the deity he felt cold shivers run down his frame. He took his seat at the foot of Ganesh idol and began his prayers. He asked the lord for forgiveness having decided to leave his home for the first time. He had never given up on his lord and he did not remember a day when he had not bowed before Him. His prayers went on and on and time was lost on him and he forgot there was somebody waiting for him at home. |
 Ganesh Ghat School |
| Prem
Nath wanted to buy some fresh flowers for the deity but could not find
any at the local market where it was normally available. He retraced his
steps and went back home to collect some dried ones instead for the
offering. Once on his way back he felt some kind of a strange sensation
down his spine and an alien feeling when he saw the few people on the
road look strangely at him. He suddenly felt terror waves course through
his body. It would be plain stupid to take notice of an imaginative
feeling and he proceeded on. Reaching Ganpatyar he heaved a sigh of
relief and entered the temple premises with folded hands and a bowed
head. He saw an old man slumped in front of the deity and was overawed
with the enthusiasm of the man and wished he were as pious as this one
appeared to be. He said his prayers and stayed on for some time for the
old man to look up. A loud blaring of the muezzin’s call to prayers from
the nearby mosque jolted him. Seeing no change in the stance of the
prosaic man he approached and touching him lightly he turned his head to
see the face. He found it was his priest Ganakak who laid cold and dead at the feet of Lord Ganesha. |
| Images courtesy Vinayak Razdan |
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