Jammu Kashmir Tourism

The utter loveliness and sumptuousness of the Kashmir Valley cannot be captured in plain words. Set at the base of the overwhelming Himalayas, with the wonderful Jhelum River winding all the way through it, this territory of unrefined natural radiance has enticed populace from all over the globe for centuries. Fittingly referred to as heaven, Kashmir has been ruled by King Ashoka, the Kushanas, Gonondas, Guptas, Karkotas, Mughals, Afghans, Sikhs, and at last by the Dogras in the 19th century. Despite all these invasions, the Kashmiris have retained their traditions and innate simplicity. The main portion of the inhabitants is Muslim, followed by Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Christians.

Kashmir is a terrain interlaced by many Lakes and Rivers, every one enthralling in its own way. The Jhelum or Vitasta, as it was called, is not only the bloodline, as it was, of the state, but also poses as the unearthly stimulation for numerous songs, legends, and poems. The other prominent lakes include the Manasbal Lake, the Liddar River, the famous Dal Lake, Nagin Lake and the Wular Lake, the biggest in the state. Shalimar, Nasim Bagh, Nishat Bagh, and the well-known Chashmi – e – Shahi are a few of the enjoyable gardens that are set up here.

Apart from its being the land of towering snow-clad mountains, dazzling waterfalls, shikaras (water taxis), imposing Chinnar trees, and enormous fields of vivacious flowers, Kashmir is also famous for its exclusive handicrafts – paper-machetes, woodwork, stone jewellery, fine Pashmina and Shahtush shawls, carpet weaving and silverware. The arts and crafts of this area are more than 500 years old, and carry a distinctive Persian impression.

The valley is scattered with quite a few mosques and temples, built in varied architectural styles. Hazrat-Bal Mosque; the most sanctified of all Muslim shrines, Avantipur temples, Amarnath Caves, Shankaracharya temple, Martand Temple all add to the scenic appeal of Kashmir.

The Necessity of second coming

A miracle is a surprising act or event which does not follow the known laws of nature and is therefore thought to be caused by God. Creation itself is a miracle performed by the supreme miracle player. The Suns, the stars, the planets, the ever expanding galaxies are the result of just a ray emitted from that “ innermost nothingness” which resides within nothingness.This ‘ innermost nothingness’ is diminished by zero after every creation. When it absorbs back its creation, only zero is added to it. Thus this created universe is just zero. But for us, the mortal beings, the universe is a reality. Until we realize that “ innermost nothingness “ Which is the ultimate non-dual reality of consciousness and bliss and which resides within us too, we have to live under the spell of duality like other living beings. There is duality like other living beings. There is duality even in an atom, the smallest particle of matter. Duality in human life takes the form of good and evil. And when there is imbalance in this relationship and evil reveals against good, we need divine intervention to restore the balance quickly or otherwise the suffering of humanity is prolonged. Saints and prophets do not perform miracles to show off their powers in order to rule over the world. They come to this world to held the human race to continue with its adventure of Self realization even though only one in a million may reach the goal. They persuade or compell the evil doers to change their evil ways and restore the confidence of the common masses in the eternal human values of compassion, charity and respect for life.

Lord Krishna used his divine powers to dislodge the tyrants in order to establish the rule of ‘Drama.Jesus Christ performed many miracles to convince people of the authenticity of his divine mission. He said to the nobleman at Capernaum: “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe”. The nobleman had asked him (Christ) to save his dying son. “ Go thy way; thy son liveth”- “John 4:46-55 (Bible)”. The son lived. Apart from his spiritual mission, Christ had a political mission too. With his life and death, he saved many races from sin and the wages of sin (extinction).

Political impact of the lives and deeds of Guru Nanak Dev, Sant Kabir, Sant Ravi Dass, Khawaja Moinuddin Chisti of Ajmer, Lalleshawari and many other saints and seers of India has not been fully explored by historians.Lalleshawari the Shaivite saint of Kashmir had nothing directly to do with the politics of the time. But she united the demoralized Hindus by her very presence in the valley. She was revered by all sections of society and Nund Rishi (Shiekh Nur-ud-din, whose shrine at Charar-i-Sharief was burnt down by terrorists who had come down from the other side of the border praised) her spiritual powers Lalleshwari (also called Lal Ded ) and Nund Rishi became the shield against growing atrocities committed by the Sultans of that time who were using coercive methods for prosletization.

A Vakh uttered by Mirza Kak (popularly) known as Kak Ji) unnerved the pathan rulers of Kashmir in the early 19th Century. Azeem Khan’s agents had tried to forcible convert a discipline of Kak Ji. Inorder to show his displeasure to Governor Azeem Khan, Kak Ji ignored the salutations of the Mursheed of Azeem Khan who had come to pay his respects to him (Kak Ji) and went on repeating the Vakh which runs this:
Narsing Bagwan Shabad Tu Naran
Shabda-y drav Vakh, Ga- V Vak Guru
Guru Nank Pa-th Vakh Guru Sikh
Avtar Chhui Suti Sutie

The Mursheed warned Azeem Khan of dire Consequences, and he immediately left the valley, giving the charge of Governorship to his brother Jabbar Khan. Pathans were demoralized after this event and the Sikhs of Punjab Vanquished them in the battle of Shajimarg. This was the third attempt by the Sikhs, while the earlier who attempts had not succeeded. Thus Kashmir was liberated from the tyrinical rule of the Pathans of Afganistan.

What we are witnessing on the world’ ‘stage’ today is not the clash of civilizations as some thinkers believe, but war between the human civilization and the barbarous terrorism with moral or religious overtones. The terrorists can be and will be crushed by the armed might of the civilized nations. But to get rid of the scourge of barbarous terrorism , we shall have to pray for the Second Coming of the son of God, Avtar or a prophet.

Beauty of Being Alone

Feeling isolated and alone are two different things although we are inclined to believe that they give the same effect. We usually say that the primary cause of the loneliness of feeling is that a person is alone. This is not true because the real cause of loneliness is not that man is alone. The man can be alone or alone but he can not feel alone. So one should understand the difference between loneliness and being alone. Loneliness is a curse and that aloneness is happiness.

Loneliness is a state when man longs for the physical company of others but does not obtain. It is only because he did not talk to. To be in a state of human loneliness is not to blame and no otherwise. Loneliness is caused due to his inability to spend his time wisely. There may be many reasons for feeling isolated but most glaring is the lack of man who makes him feel neglected.

Loneliness is the inability of man to be with his own individual. In humans loneliness remains uncared by others as a result of which it becomes socially isolated. It develops low self-esteem and feel inadequate, incomplete and depressed. Loneliness is most prevalent in an age when man suddenly withdrew the service and sit at home with nothing to do. He became lazy physically but more importantly mentally. Such loneliness is caused due to the rapid growth of nuclear families where the elderly are striped side. In the common system of family there was always someone to look after old.

Man creates aloneness to his own choice and that loneliness is thrust on an individual due to its own inadequacy. In the aloneness of man is not idle but uses his time on worthy cases without a search company physical. With prosecution noble man reached a high state of consciousness and spiritual development perspective. He understands what it means in breeding isolation. It seems deeper inside to identify the real person inside. Bhagavad Gita says that a person who is established in its own individual pleasures and thus is a spiritually awakened person because it does not look to the outside world for its own evolution. It does not depend on others for anything since he knows that the dependence is weak. In contrast to a single person, the man who prefers being alone is not socially isolated and does not maintain the ability to fit into any kind of gathering of their choice. It is the company of ideas and noble thoughts at any time. It can create the aloneness in the midst of the crowd. It is active, detached yet committed to all. Such a person knows the art of life. He lives in the present and next to it and discharge of dark memories and best of the past and the future is concerned.

Release of solitude: Loneliness is a disease that needs to be treated. The other name of loneliness is idleness. When a man is he slow in temptations and other degrading activities. By examination of conscience we can discover the cause of his loneliness. He must take to obtain and is convinced he can change to grow. A simple way to get over the loneliness is to perform his duties honestly and sincerely to achieve a sense of fun and participation that distance loneliness and boredom. Also when we are all on our own books are our best companions. Reading good books is expanding its vision. You can join some organization to perform social work. For it must develop a sense that it may contribute to the welfare of society. Those who feel lonely in old age should be remembered that what appears to be the end may be a new beginning. Age is no bar to take new ideas and work with them. We must work hard to achieve anything in life. There is no shortcut to fix something valuable in life.

Creation of the Aloneness: To create the aloneness one must conquer his spirit so that it does not work after worldly temptations. The Gita says that a spirit is captured as a friend while a spirit that is allowed to operate on its own is, as its enemy. A disciplined mind is big capital for the development of individual. This is the basis upon which man begins his spiritual journey. A disciplined mind allows a person by conducting its inner divinity and bringing awareness to its arrangement. To create the aloneness of man must have committed to God and higher values of life. When this happens the man gets inspired and absorbed in finding ways to contribute to the well-being of persons other than his own individual. This is how it reached a higher and higher still in existence.

From loneliness to Aloneness: A single person can create directly aloneness has provided up to a certain goal in life. When man accepts that his purpose in life is to acquire a higher level of the arrangement he discovers he uses his power to do something useful. It would get a feeling that the purpose of life where he is positioned to step outside its scope. Such a sense allows him to find new avenues for the transformation of individuals. He said that every ordinary person has something extra ordinary in it. We should discover this and use it for the good of all. Loneliness presents a way to convert it into aloneness.

Indus River Valley Civilizations

The name “India” is a reference to the Indus River originating in the Tibetan plateau in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar. The river runs a 3200 kilometer (2000 mile) course, through Ladakh district in Jammu & Kashmir and Northern Areas in India , then runs through the North in a southerly direction along the entire length of Pakistan, and merges into the Arabian Sea near Pakistan’s port city of Karachi . The river is one of the most important rivers and known as “Bread backet of Punjab” in the Indo-Pak subcontinent.

The Indus River referred in the Rig-Veda, the oldest religious text in the World, as the word Sindhu attested 176 times, particularly in the list of the rivers of the nadishti sukta. The Sindhu referred in Sind province of Pakistan and has twenty major tributaries in India and Pakistan. The River acknowledged in Urdu and Sindhi as Sindh, Sanskrit and Hindi called as Sindhu. It is identified in Persian as Hindu and Pashto as the father of Rivers. Tibetan named it as Sengge Chu or Lion River, Chinese called as Yindu and Greeks Indos. Therefore, Indus has many names due to it political, social and economic importance in the Indian Sub- continent right form the ancient times.

The Indus River originates around 17000` above the mean sea level at 32° N and 81° E in Tibet. The Indus system is largely fed by the snow and glaciers of the Karakoram, Hindu Kush and Himalayan ranges of Tibet, Kashmir and Northern Areas of Pakistan. The initial point in forms of two streams, one flowing north-west from north side of the Kailashaparvata and the other in a north-westerly and then in a south-westerly direction form a lake situated to the north-east of the Mount Kailasa.

As per local belief in Tibet, the river springs out of the mouth of a lion. The Tibetans also call it the Sengge (y) Chhu or the water body (chhu) that flows out of the mouth of a lion. The Ladakhi’s call it the Sanspo.

Among the four main eastern tributaries of Indus, which flow together under the name of Chandrabhaga or Chenab, the most eastern is the Vitasta or Jhelum. The Ravi originates in the Himalayan range by taking the south-west corner of Chamba in Himachal as the confluence of two streams. Flowing south westerly course and meets the Chenab. The source of Sutlej is traceable to the western region lake of Manasarovar.

Bare Dacha La or pass in Himachal Pradesh at height of 16,050` or 4,892m is a place where the great Himalayan range is crossed. The region is the water shed between the Chenab and the Indus Rivers. The first human habitation after the pass is after crossing the Tanglung La down hill at Rumtse, The river enter from east in southern Ladakha at roughly 13800` at 3302` N/79 09E and leaves35 35`N/73 23`E. It continues to flow in a northwestern direction. The calm and serene voyage of the river passes through flat, alluvial bed at Lungbale.

The road runs along River Gya, until it reaches Upshi village in Ladakha region of Jammu & Kashmir state where it meets the Indus River. It runs past the Karu, Stakna, Shey ,Thiksey, Choglamar villages and before reaching Leh town, situated about 6 km from the right bank of river Indus .Basgo 39-42 km down stream from the west of Leh town, a famous ancient fort that overlooks the route into the Indus valley. The village is on the right bank of Indus. It is the warmest winter residence in Ladakh, the capital of lower Ladakh. Saspol 62 Km before Leh on Srinagar – Kargil- Leh (NHIB). Saspol is on the right bank of the River Indus and is famous for apricot. It has always been a halting place on the Srinagar- Leh route. The river runs under Indian Territory till Garkun. After that it weaves through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) and finally leaves the state eleven km downstream at Sazin.

It enters Pakistan at 35° 35`N/73 23° E. The most important ancient town continuously habituated from last 5000 years are Attock (2,079`) Dera Ismail Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sukkar etc. other towns on the bank of the Indus are Khushalgarh , Mianwali ,Mithankot, Rohri, Sehwan Hyderabad, Kotri and the port of Karachi metropolis. There has 160 km delta runs along the coast of the Arabian Sea.

The Indus River gave birth to one of the oldest civilization in the world. Indus River which originates from the Tibet and passes through Ladakh gave birth to one of the most ancient and vast civilization in the world in undivided India now the region lies in Pakistan. The prehistoric sites in Potwar region of Pakistan have evidence of Prehistoric sites where earliest stone tools discovered is a world famous Soan culture site. In the ancient Gandhara, evidence of cave dweller dating 15,000 years ago discovered at Mardan (Pakistan). Later on, the major cities of (IVC) Indus Valley Civilization of Harappa, Mohenjodaro date back to 5000 years from now, represent the largest and most advanced urban human settlement of the ancient world. The great civilization extended from Baluchistan to Gujarat, with upward reach from the east to river Chenab in Akhnoor in Jammu. The coast on the western side extended from Suktagendor at Iranian boarder to Daimabad in the Maharashtra and the IVC site at Alamgipur on Hindon River, a tributary of Yamuna 28 km from Delhi in Meerut (U.P.). The total area is about 3, 50, 00, sq km the largest in the ancient world till date. There are 1032 cities and human settlement with major urban center of Harappa, Mohenjodaro in Pakistan and Dholavira and Kalibanga in India.

In the heydays of the civilization, there are enough archaeological evidence that Sutlej, now a tributary of Indus flowing into the Ghaggar – Hakra river, along with the lost Saraswati river, in the water shed of which were more Harappan sites (Punjab, Rajasthan, Harayana) in India than along the Indus river in Pakistan side.

Most recently it has been attested with archaeological evidence that Indus River runs parallel to the ancient Saraswati River which the Rig-Veda suggested flowed from the Himalaya between the Sutlej and the Yamuna River, close to the modern Chandigarh. The site of sector 17 market built on Harappan settlement. The archaeological and hydrological radio- carbon dating indicates that the Saraswati River was totally dry by 1900 BC.

The Indus and its Tributaries has thousands of Indus valley civilization archaeological sites located in undivided India i.e. India and Pakistan. The archaeological sites on Indus River are Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Chanudaro, Kot Diji, and Dera Isamil Khan Etc in Pakistan along the river course. Thousands of Indus valley or Harappan archaeological cultural sites discovered in India in the States of Punjab, Harayana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir.

The most important site of this vast civilization as the northern most limit is Manda in the Akhnoor fort, some 26 km from the Jammu city on the right bank of the River Chenab ,which is tributary of the Indus River. There are many large and famous sites on the River ’ Lost Saraswati’ are Kalibanga, Beror in Rajasthan, Banawali, and Rakhigarhi in Haryana, Mandavali in East Delhi and in state of Uttar Pradesh Alamgirpur, the last frontier in the east. In Gujarat in western India important metropolis of the Harappan or Indus valley and more, precisely the Indus Saraswati civilization sites are Dholavira, Lethal (the oldest dockyard in the world) and Manipur etc.

The river Indus and Saraswati were two important rivers situated in India subcontinent or in Indo-Pakistan region some 5000 years from now and gave birth to an important civilization which flourished in the region with evidence of trading commodities like sandal wood, ivory, peacock, monkeys etc with contemporary Sumerian and Egyptian civilizations as maritime traders . As the lost Saraswati River has more than 400 Harappan sites located on the India side that is why it has also been named Indus- Saraswati civilization. On 90 to 96 of the 800 km Indus valley site discovered on the river Indus and its tributaries.

Therefore, the Indus River along with its main tributaries gave birth to one the largest civilization of the world with an area of 3, 50,000 sq km, which is larger then the combined area of the Sumerian & Egyptian civilizations. The Indus valley or Indus-Saraswati civilization in India and Pakistan had been much more advanced in terms of architecture, city planning, metallurgy and other aspects in the ancient past that the western countries have not seen the drawn of civilization till then . Indian civilization is oldest civilization with continuity of cultural traditions from last 5000 years and Indian should be proud of it. We should take care to preserve both tangible & intangible rich Heritage of our country.

There are large potential for White Water River rafting in the Indus in Ladakha with various gradients from Karo to Choglamar-(Gr I and Gr II), Spituk to Nimmu Gr II & Gr III with more exciting for trained and experienced adventure tourists. The stretch between Nimmu to Alchi grade III & IV only for professional rafters.The Leh berry, a most important source for vitamin is grown on the banks of the Indus in and around Alchi along the Indus.

Kundan Lal Sehgal Immortal Singer

Although the legendary pioneer singer and Hindi cinema’s first superstar, Kundan Lal Sehgal passed away over six decades ago on January 18, 1947, his memory is very much alive even today through a good number of his immortal film and non-film songs.
Of late, discs containing his songs and CDs and DVDs of some of the vintage films featuring him have been issued which have reinforced the nostalgic pleasure they bring to the legion of his avid fans spread not only in our subcontinent but also elsewhere, especially where Indians make a sizeable presence.

The All India Radio and Doordarshan often present a variety of interesting programmes on him and the ever-faithful Radio Sri Lanka continues to this day to end its daily relay of old Hindi film songs from 7-30 a.m. to 8 a.m. with a Sehgal number. Our FM channels too are not wanting in offering similar presentations.

Our country celebrated Sehgal first birth centenary in 2004 when at various nostalgia-dominated functions rich tributes were paid to him. The Directorate of Film Festivals and the National Archives of India also organized a retrospective of his extant films. In the wake of these activities a few of his biographies, including Sharad Dutt’s “Kundan: Life and Music of KL Sehgal” and Pran Nevile’s “KL Saigal: Immortal Singer and Super Star” have also been brought out.

Saigal, even during his life time had been acclaimed as “Shahenshah-e-Mausiqui” (Emperor of Music). He was also endearingly regarded as the king of peoples’ hearts and was later reckoned as the twentieth century’s most emotional and the best Indian male singer of light classical music. True to his first name, “Kundan”, meaning 24-k gold, he possessed a God-gifted golden voice, which singer Talat Mahmood compared to the sound produced by the flip of a gold coin.Kundan was born at Jammu to Amar Chand Sehgal, a Tehsildar and Kesar Devi, a deeply religious and musically-inclined housewife. His early exposure to music occurred when as a boy he accompanied his mother to some religious functions at which professional singers rendered raga-based devotional songs.

He also participated in the annual Ram Leela celebrations and acted and sang on the stage as Seeta. Besides, he got acquainted with the folk music of the Punjab and Kashmir by hearing it first hand from itinerant mendicants and shepherds during his travels with his father into the interiors of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

The seed of his unprecedented success and popularity lay in the twin factors of his uniquely musical natural voice and a singular talent for instinctive and intuitive singing. He received no formal training from any master musician, nor did he belong to any traditional school of music, but was specially blessed by a Sufi saint, Salman Yusuf, who predicted a career of achievement and fame for him.Following his advice young Kundan started practicing his daily singing with a single-minded concentration and devotion. Years later, when his magical singing held an enormous sway over his countless admirers in the pan undivided India, he formally became a disciple of Ustad Faiyaz Khan of Vadodra.

After an uninteresting schooling and the insipid job of a typewriter salesman and a time-keeper in the railways, Kundan reached Kolkata, where wonderstruck by his captivating singing, B.N. Sircar, the owner of the famous New Theatres, cast him in film after film, beginning with Mohabbat Ke Aansoo(1932).

Although Kundan’s mother had encouraged and supported him in his pursuit of music, his father strongly opposed it as he failed to visualize any adequately remunerative and respectable career for his son through it. Kundan, therefore, went to Kolkata on the sly and joined films without telling his family. Working in films in those days, when cinema was just taking over from theatre, was not considered quite decorous for members of conservative middle class. So, Kundan also disguised his identity by assuming the name, Sehgal Kashmiri, which a couple of films later, he altered to K.L. Sehgal.

Prominent among the succession of his films at the New Theatres were Puran Bhagat and Yahudi Ki Ladki(both in 1933), Chandidas (1934), Devdas (1935) President (1937), Street Singer (1938) and Zindagi (1940). Initially, it was his bhajans and ghazals in Puran Bhagat Bhagat and Yahudi Ki Ladki, respectively, which earned instant public praise. Subsequently, his songs, which took the country by storm included such romantic and cathartic numbers as “Baalam aaye baso more man mein” and “Dukh ke ab din beetat naahin” in Devdas; “Ik bangle bane nayaara” and ‘Ik raje ka beta lekar udnewala ghoda” in President; “Babul mora nayihar chhooto hi jaaye” in Street Singer; and “So ja Raj Kumari” in Zindagi.

All these songs resonated in the cinema halls via the screen and in countless homes through 78 r.p.m. gramophone records. The advent of talkies in our country in early 1930s and Saigal’s entry into the quintessential and music-minded New Theatres soon thereafter was a dues ex machina, which resulted in a splendid synthesis of two mutually compatible factors – his joyful music and its faithful recording on the soundtrack of his films. Experts believed that Sehgal possessed a special microphone and film soundtrack-friendly voice.

In 1941 at the invitation of Chandulal Shah, proprietor of Ranjit Movietone, Saigal migrated to Mumbai, where he starred in several more superhits like Bhakta Surdas 1942), Tansen(1943), Shahjehan(1946) and Parwana(1947), his swan song. Like his earlier numbers, the songs from these films too were great hits. These included bhajans from Bhakta Surdas such as “Main nahin maakhan khaayo, Maiya mori’, all the raga-based renditions in Tansen including, “Diya jalaao” and the melancholic numbers in Shahjehan like “Hum jee ke kya karenge jab dil hi toot gaya”.

Stalwart music directors, R.C.Boral, Pankaj Mullick and Timir Baran honed his melodious singing in Kolkata, while Gyan Dutt, Khemchand Prakash, Khurshid Anwar and Naushad put his talent to best use in Mumbai. Sehgal along with Pankaj Mullick and K.C. Dey formed a triumvirate of male singers at the New Theatres, which for that reason was metaphorically called the “Nest of singing birds”.He also recorded non-film bhajans, geets and ghazals and was universally acknowledged as India’s first “Ghazal King” for having rendered certain selected compositions of outstanding Urdu poets like Ghalib, Zauq, Bedam and Seemab. In particular, ha sang Ghalib’s ghazals so immaculately and with such appropriate stress on various words and syllables that he made lucid the meaning of that great poet’s even Persian-dominated and rather enigmatic verses with their romantic and philosophic content.

He is indeed credited with virtually bringing Ghalib back to life and making him again popular. The film lyricists whose compositions he embellished and immortalized included Agha Hashr Kashmiri, Arzu Lucknavi, Pandit Bhushan, Kidar Sharma, Pandit Indra, D.N. Madhok, Dr Safdar Aah and Majrooh Sultanpuri.

Our national nightingale, Lata Mangeshkar is an ardent fan of Sehgal, the shades of whose style have, according to her, all along accompanied her own singing. She considered as inauspicious and, therefore, replaced immediately a brand new radio set, which on the very day of its arrival in her home broke the shocking news of Saigal’s death.

Occasionally Saigal also wrote poetry. For instance, he himself composed the Hindi song,”Main baithi thi phulwari mein” which he sang to a self-created tune. This superb vocalist, whose songs have the maximum recall value and still ”stir he mind and tug at the heart”, was a very likeable person – affectionate, friendly, guileless, generous and possessing a secular outlook and a healthy sense of humour. An Urdu poet complimented him thus: “Saigal jo khush guloo aur khush mizaaj hain Gaane mein aur tehzeeb mein who sab ke taaj hain” (Sehgal with his golden voice and lively humourIs the crown of singing and cultured behaviour).Maestro Naushad thus versified his praise of Saigal’s musical chords: “Yeh kehta hai har sher kaghaz pe aa ke Mujhe kaash Saigal ki aawaz milti” (Every couplet that lands on paper covets Saigal’s uniquely musical voice).

Yogiraj Swami Nand Lalji of kashmir

The 63-page book in English titled” “Yogiraj Swami Nand Lalji” is a biographical study of life and message of Kashmir’s renowned saint who has a very large number of devotees in and outside Jammu and Kashmir. The author, Jawahar Lal Bhat has given a graphic account of this Yogiraj swami Nand Lalji (1902-1966).Nand Lalji was born in Koul (Kothdars) family in Gurgari Mohalla, Zaina Kadal, Srinagar in 1902. He left his house at age of 14 while studying in 9th class as he was destined for high spiritual awakening.
 
Ashram Life
He arrived at Zoonipora (Zienpur) , a village near Bomai(Sopore) Ashram and remained there for over 20 years in the company of saints and sadhus. This Ashram is situated enroute to famous shrine of Maa Sharda near Muzaffarabad (now in PoK). A large number of devotees, including those visiting the Maa Sharda shrine prior to 1947 used to frequent this Ashram as well.Revered Swami Lalji maharaj, an highly accomplished yogi-saint (from outside Kashmir) became Nand Lalji’s guru. Swamiji had also great adoration for Lalded, greatest yogini and mystic Kashmiri poet and high admiration for her famous wakhs (discourses in Kashmiri).

Spiritual Enlightenment
Once Maharaja Pratap Singh on his visit to this Ashram was so impressed that he allotted to it a jagir of 1000 kanals. The Ashram had lot of resources and was well managed.His other famous abodes were in Tikkar Ashram in Kupwara and also Hushoora Ashram in Budgam district in Kashmir have significance in his spiritual advancement.Swamiji performed many miraculous feats to provide relief to the people who came in large numbers to him for serious physical ailments or any household problems

Numerous Devotees
Nand Parivar comprising of his disciples and devotees is vast and widespread both inside and outside Jammu and Kashmir now. His devotees have firm faith in yogiraj Nand Lalji. Notable disciples who achieved spiritual enlightenment are: Mahatma Vibhishanji, Swami Kralbabji, Swami Kumarji, Swami Mastbabji, Sedbabji, Shalputji, Shri Neel Kanthji. Most of them have established Ashrams at Jammu, Delhi and elsewhere, in memory of Swami Nand Lalji after migration of 1990.The author has made mention of Ashrams, outside Kashmir, as Kralbab Ashram at Garhi in Udhampur, Mastbab Ashram at Patoli, Jammu; Shalputji Ashram at Anand Nagar, Jammu and Jib near Udhampur and also at Najafgarh, Delhi in addition there is Sedbab Ashram at Patoli, Jammu.
 
Eternal Message
Swami Nand Lalji often spoke of Nitya Karma and Bhakti (sustained devotion of Lord) and preached simplicity and sincerity of life. He accepted into his fold all without consideration of caste, creed or religion.” Human mind gets purified only by extreme love of Lord”, he always stressed and preached that one must be able to put wholeheart into one Sadana be it Dyana (meditation), Japa or Pranayama (control of breath) and another important factor is Upasana or love (Bhakti) combined with reverence.

“ Be truthful and fair, clear your mind of worldly attractions and keep the Lord’s name alive in your mind all the time so that nothing bad is done” he always told his devotees.Jawahar Lal Bhat has not only authored but has also published this book. He has not put any price tag on this publication. It will certainly be welcomed by devotees of Swami Nand Lalji but average citizens will also find it absorbing and informative.

The Origin of Jammu Jambu

The original name of Jammu might be Jambu which with the passage of time might have changed its nomenclature to Jammu. It is hard fact that in Puranas a word Jambudvipa in many a pages has its mention but some are of opinion that once the soil of present Jammu was rich for growth of Jamun Trees & this is one of the reasons that the township of the region was named as Jammu after the Jamun Trees, whereas, some are of the view that Jambavant, the king of bears who helped Lord Rama in fighting against Ravana, inhabited in a cave in Jammu region so township of the region was named after him as Jammu.

After vast study & research of Puranic books the Historians & Scholars have established that Lord of creation Brahma was born from Lotus in the naval of Vishnu. He did penance for thousands of years, pleased Prasakti & started creation. He had seven sons including Marichi who became expert in creation. His son was Prajapatti Kasyap & he was bestowed with a son namely Sun or Suraj or Dev Sawarn Tolad who was blessed with nine sons namely (1)-Iksvaku, (2)-Nabhaga, (3)-Dhrsta, (4)-Saryati, (5)-Narisyant, (6)- Pramsu, (7)-Nrga-Dista, (8)-Karusa, (9)-Prasadhra, out of them Iksvaku became the king & his off springs were called Suryavamsa or Suryavanshi. After a good gap of generations, Maharaja Raghu an offspring of Surya-vansh & descendent of Raja Iksvaku was “The Great” in all respects, so his descendents were called Raghu-vanshi & Rama who had two sons named Lav and Kusa was also from this dynasty & was fourth in generation of Raghu clan. Much latter the king Sudarshan (1600-1560 B.C.) an offspring of Raghu-vansh was ascended to the throne & ruled over the Ajodhya kingdom for a longer period. He was blessed by two sons namely Agni-Baran & Agni-Gir. The king Bridhbal who was the tenth generation descendent of King Agni Baran was killed at the hands of Vir Abhimanyu during the Mahabharata war.

After the death of king Sudarshan, his eldest son named Agni-Baran was ascended to throne & his younger brother namely Agni-Gir as a sign of protest, regarding the hot temperament, the unexpected attitude & indifferent nature of his brother, migrated from Ajodhya & became a saint. He travelled to Ajmer and then to Hardwar & settled down on the banks of Ganga. From Hardwar along with the caravan of saints, he travelled to the then Nagarkote, now known as Kangra via Punjab & in the last entered Siwalik Hills. The king of Nagarkot Principality after knowing about his genealogical tree handed over the hands of his daughter & some villages of his territory to him. Though he remained there for some period but was not satisfied with all this, so he crossed the river Ravi, entered the boundaries of Republic of Kathi-Oi now known as Kathua & captured some of the villages of the area. He founded the towns of Pushpavati & Airwan on the banks of Iravati. He further subjugated the surrounding villages and ruled at Bhupanagri till he said farewell to this world. The then Bhupanagri probably was the village Nagri-Parole of Kathua District & this region had been headquarter of the ruling family of Jammu region before Jammu was founded & made capital.

After the death of Agni-Gir, he was succeeded by his eldest son namely Bayu-Shrab. One night his mother had a dream with regard to her son, next morning to have the right interpretation of the dream she went to the nearby dwelling Saint namely Uttamacharya who had closed the doors for worldly greed’s. The saint after knowing the facts of dream told that her son would have a good empire and his off-springs would rule over the whole land to their desire. All the predictions made by the Saint came true. Bayu-Shrab married with Airan Devi, the daughter of a Rajput Sardar of Parole region, who bade farewell to this world in the prime of her life. The Raja established in her memory the town Airapatti Nagar, now called Airwan.Bayu-Sharab (1530-1500 B.C.) who was succeeded by his son named Parmetra (1500-1477 B.C.), succeeded by Puran Dev (1477-1400 B.C.) and Puran Dev was succeeded by his son Lakhu whose son was Khyat Josan. Agni-Garab (1380-1350 B.C.) the son of Khyat Josan was blessed with eighteen sons namely (1)-Bahu Lochan (1350-1320 B.C.) (2)-Jambu Lochan (1320-1290 B.C.) (3)-Arun Lochan, (4)-Kos Lochan, (5)-Ram Lochan, (6)-Hem Lochan. (7)-Rupa Lochan, (8)-Surg Lochan and others. The king Agni-Garab with the help of his brave sons extended the boundaries of the kingdom beyond river Tawi. Bahu Lochan ascended the throne after the death of his father. He founded the Bahu Fort after his name & a town Bahu Nagar. Earlier the very town was known as Dhara Nagari. The king shifted the existing capital to Bahu Nagar & said farewell to the world in a battle with Raja Chander-Hans of Punjab.

Bahu Lochan was issueless, so, after his death his younger brother namely Jambu Lochan ascended the throne and extended the territory of his Principality up to Chenab. He continued battle with Raja Chander-Hans & ultimately he not only became victorious but also killed Raja-Chander-Hans and annexed the territories of neighboring countries such as Sialkot, Abhisar, Hazara, Punjab & upto the borders of Sindh with his Principality.Though he had a large Principality but always desired to have the capital town of the Principality at some other place. Luckily, one day during hunting on a ridge on the opposite side of the Fort & across the river Tawi, he saw the thirsty Lion and Goat drinking water peacefully in the same Pond. On return to have good advice he narrated the whole story to his courtiers. They all responded that the soil of place is excelled in all virtues i.e. the living creatures are not to have any sort of enmity against each other. So on the very spot he got raised the Mandi of justice & a palace for dwelling. He also established a town in the surrounding of the Palace and named this town as Jambupura. The nomenclature of which changed with the passage of time to JAMMU. Puran Karan s/o Jambulochan was the first king of Jammu.

Rudraksha

 

“Rudraksha”, a holy bead with holistic features, holds a place of high esteem in our society because of its marvelous effects. All the people of the world who want to enjoy physical and spiritual bliss and remain devoted to God Shiva and other deities have great respect and faith in it.

As per Hindu mythology, Rudraksha is the tear centre of Lord Shiva’s eyes, which is like Lord Shiva himself. Rudra means ‘terrible’ and Akasha means ‘eyes’ and their axis. Even in his angry posture, Lord Shiva is beneficent, and when he opens his third eye “kama” turns into ashes.

Infact, Lord Shiva is the axis, the base and foundation of the world. According to beliefs, Rudraksha originated from the aqueous drop centre of the eye of the Lord and is very beneficial for human beings.
Another mythology says, Lord Shiva, after the deluge for the sake of creating this world, went into meditation and turned his full attention inwards and got lost in deep penance. When his penance completed and his eyes opened, a tear that fell upon the Earth solidified and gave birth to Rudraksha.
 
Lord sheds these solidified tears of pity on the woes of his bhakts. After sometime, these solidified tears grew in the form of trees which bear fruit, which is indeed the Rudraksha. These fruit like Rudraksha were used as ornaments by the Gods and Goddesses for their own well-being.

Rudraksha Rosary
Rudraksha rosary can be used for the “Japa” of any mantra. The wearer is protected from evil spirits of all sorts. Ayurveda considers Rudraksha a “Mahaaushadn”, the panacea for all ills. Diseases like Chicken Pox, Nettlerash, Measles, etc can be cured by Rudraksha. Medicines are made with Rudraksha for Cholera, indigestion and ammoebiosis. It is also being experimented for curing cancer. All doctors and scientists agree that it cures blood pressure.

Many distinguished people have benefited unusually from the wonderous qualities of the Rudraksha. Every person man, woman, old, even young ones like to wear Rudraksha. It strengthens the hearts of those who suffer from heart attacks, those who worry too much and who tire easily. It is a boon to those who are thinking, planning and worrying.

People who want to concentrate on God and want to pray must wear a Rudraksha bead necklace and do “Japa” with Rudraksha rosary. . Rudraksha beads from single faced to fourteen faced are suitable for wearing but, being very costly they are not easily obtained, especially the “Shiv-Gauri”. A Rudraksha rosary can be used for the “Japa” of any of the deities. whosoever, the favourite deity may be, he will be pleased with the “Japa”. Bhagwan Shankar (Lord Shiv) is specially pleased with Rudraksha rosary. “Japa” done with Rudraksha rosary destroys many types of sins. Life become happy and full of joy.
Every thing in this world is countless, innumerable, but in God’s account every thing is countable, The most astonishing account is of number of Gods and Goddesses. There are 64 crores of them. Similarly, certain Maharaj or the Shankracharya is numbered from Shri Shri 108 to 1008. The beads on a Rudraksha rosary are also numbered upto 109. Leaving aside the Sumeru (the biggest bead) 108 beads/grain are most significant one, next comes the 55 Rudraksha rosary followed by the 27 Rudraksha rosary. Thus 27 is half of 55 which is half of 108. The smallest rosary of 27 beads is called Sumarni. One must first take a firm vow and then pray with rosary regularly and rotate the bead sting to make 108- a complete rosary. The gains from praying on a Rudraksha rosary are many times greater than other devices.

Multifaced Rudrakshas
There are fourteen types of Rudraksha and each one has its own benefits:
# One-faced Rudraksha is symbolic of Lord Shiva and is the foremost of all. It confers all round benefits- wealth, honour and victory upon the wearer.
# Two-faced Rudraksha symbolizes Shiva and Shakti. This Rudraksha gives honour and increases intelligence.
# Three-faced Rudraksha symbolizes Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh- the Trinity. It confers worldly peace and prosperity.
# Four-faced Rudraksha is symbolic of Brahma. It is good to gain divine knowledge and for the study of Vedic literature.
# Five-faced Rudraksha symbolizes the divinity himself. It bestows peace of mind and pleases the soul.
# Six-faced Rudraksha symbolizes Swami Kartikaya. It is believed to be beneficial in Studies.
# Seven-faced Rudraksha is beneficial for gaining wealth.
# Eight-faced Rudraksha represents Shri Ganesh who blesses every work with success.
# Nine-faced Rudraksha is considered symbolic of the Nine Durgas and Nine Gods and it is believed to confer supreme powers.
# Ten-faced Rudraksha represents Lord Vishnu. It is helpful in gaining success relating to administrative work.
# Eleven-faced Rudraksha symbolizes the 11th God Rudra which is a form of Bhagwan Shanker. It fulfills every wish and helps in concluding every work successfully. It helps in increasing honour and dignity in society.
# Twelve-faced Rudraksha stands for Bhagwan Bhaskar, the Sun God who destroy all the maladies of the body. It helps in balancing blood pressure.
# Thirteen-faced Rudraksha is the symbol of God Indra. It helps in the success of every venture undertaken.
# Fourteen-faced Rudraksha is believed to symbolize Lord Shiva himself. Serious diseases can be cured by wearing it. It is beneficial for health by drinking the water after immersing the Rudraksha in that water.
The Rudraksha rosary is washed in Ganga Jal or holy water from any pilgrimage. Then it is offered to the Shivling and worn on Monday. The Rudraksha rosary from 1-14 faced can be worn singly also.
The Rudraksha rosary are full of lakhs of beneficial properties. The vedic age people, teachers all wore and prayed with Rudraksha rosary. Today men in all walks of life are wearing it and has been held in high esteem in most religions. It has helped them to do good and useful work.

Lord Dhanwantri Promulgator of Ayurveda

Dhanwantri, the pioneer God of Medicine, destroyer of senility, disease and death descended on earth to teach mainly surgery along with other allied branches of medicine (Sushrata Sutra 1/1/21).

Kartik Krishanpakh Tryodashi is generally celebrated as Dhan Teras but Ayurvedic Professionals throughout world celebrate Dhanwantri Jayanti – The day when Lord Dhanwantri appeared during the churning of the milk ocean by demons and demi gods, holding pot of nectar in one hand and Ayurveda in the other. One of the earliest and outstanding holders of Indian Culture in the field of Medicine as well as surgery was Dhanwantri. There are many mythological references about his incarnation, yet his personality and identity are shrouded in the mist of antiquity. In the most authoritative book of surgery, Sushrata Samhita, he has been referred as Kashiraj Devodas Dhanwantri who is generally believed to be God incarnation of Lord Vishnu and celebrated God Surgeon.

History of Ayurveda testifies that Dhanwantri was teacher of Sushrata and his other colleagues were Aupadhenava, Aurabhra, Baitarana, Paushkalavata, Karivarya and Gopurarksita etc. Sushrata compiled Dhanwantri’s teaching on surgery and his work is known as Sushrata Samhita.

By dint of Dhanwantri’s self statement as “Aham hi Dhanwantri radi Deva etc.” (Sushrata 1/1/21) i.e. I am that Dhanwantri who appeared at the time of ocean churning festival. It is obvious that the teacher of Sushrata and his colleagues was the God incarnation of Lord Vishnu; hence the worship of Dhanwantri is celebrated on auspicious day Viz Dhanwantri Tryodashi.
It is difficult to establish chronology in history of medicine in India.

The great medical seers Bhardwaja, Punarvasu Atreya, Dhanwantri and Sushrata are much anterior to Budha and even the time of Mahabharata. On the basis of various comprehensive research studies, the time of Dhanwantri is estimated to be about 1500 years before Christ.

In comparison to vedic era, the elaborated references about Dhanwantri are there almost in all Puranas including Gurad Puran, Skand Puran, Vishnu Puran, Harivansh Puran and Markandya Puran. There is reference about Dhanwantri in Third chapter of Manu Samriti. Dhanwantri has been mentioned as progenitor of Ayurveda in Mahabharat, Ramayan and Bhagwat.
Due to extraordinary contribution of Dhanwantri and Sushrata in the field of surgery, both are mentioned with great reverence in the history of modern medicine. The honour of being first plastic surgeon in the history of mankind rightly goes to Dhanwantri. The symbolic mythological references about Dhanwantri can be subject matter of debate but by dint of his extraordinary skill Dhanwantri is referred as symbol of Surgical specialization. In fact modern Surgery is greatly indebted to the original contribution made by Dhanwantri and his discipline Sushrata. He along with other surgeons has set a high standard in medicine and surgery, evidence of which is evident in their monographs.

Dhanwantri’s teaching of highest professional excellence are reflected mainly in monumental classic monograph Sushrata Samhita, which has dealt extensively with all the then known aspects of surgery. Description of 101 varieties of blunt instruments named after birds and animals because of their shape, twelve groups of the basic varieties of fractures, reconstruction of cut nose and ears, opening of skull for the removal of brain tumors, couching of cataracts and last but not the least, four principles for the control of hemorrhage along with classification of accidental injuries are some of the classical examples of highest professional excellence. Dhanwantri’s image as surgeon and physician of Ayurveda is esteemed with high reputation. According to Brahmaviavarta Purana he has authored two classical Ayurvedic texts namely Chikitsa Darshnam and Chikitsa Kamudi. Other works attributed to him are Yog Chintamani, Rog Nidhanam, Vaidya Chintamani, Dhanwantri Nigunto, Chikitsa Sar Sangrah and Dhantu Kalpa.

Thanna Mandi Travel Guide

Thannamandi town is situated on the foot hill of Rattan Peer (8600′) along the right bank of Thana Nallah. This attractive hill spot is about 24 k.m. on the north side of Rajouri town. A present this town is a Tehsil Headquarter. Kashmiri Muslim population is dominating the town. This place is mostly known for Chikhri wood handicrafts.
As per the Rajtringni of Juna Raja which was written during the region of Sultan Zain-Ul-Aabdeen (1400-1470), this place was known as Mudgravyala in the ancient time when this area was ruled by Hindu kings of Rajouri. But Abdul Qasini in Tarikh-e-Frishta and Emperor Jahangir in his Tuzak wrote the name of this place as “Thatta.” It appears that with the passage of time, the name changed from Thatta to Thanna.

Thanna remained the place of great importance for traders of Kashmir and set of India. This place was considered as centre place for Kashmiris as well as Punjabi traders, because from here the high mountains of Panchal Range start and it was not possible for Punjabi traders to cross these high altitudes with their loaded horses and camels. On the other hand Kashmiri traders were also unable to sell their handicrafts in Punjab because they were not in a position to accommodate themselves in hot climatic conditions prevailing here. Therefore, the traders and businessmen of both the sides assembled at Thanna for the exchange of their goods and commodities like Kashmiri Shawls, loes, wood carving work carpets from one side and salt, tea and gur from the other side. In these circumstances, this small village on the foot hill of Rattan Pir (8600 foot) developed as a Mandi (Bazar) for traders and businessmen of Punjab and Kashmir. Later on the word “Mandi” was also attached with Thanna and the new name emerged as Thannamandi

Thannamandi came into the lime-light of history in 1420 when a severe conflict took place between Shahi Khan (Zain-ul-Aabdeen) and his brother Sultan Ali Shah of Kashmir. This battle for Kashmir which was fought at Thannamandi decided the fate of Sultan Ali Shah who was killed and Shahi Khan who after defeating his brother at Thanna ascended to throne of Kashmir in 1420 AD under the title of “Sultan Zain-ul-Aabdeen-Badshah.”

Mr N. K. Zutshi writes in his book “Sultan Zain-ul-Aabdeen of Kashmir” the details of Thanna battle. He wrote that on the death of Sultan Sikander his elder son Mir Khan ascended the throne of Kashmir under the title of Ali Shah in 1413 A.D. He was not a balanced man and could not control the situation prevailing in Kashmir. On the other hand, he declared his brother Shahi-Khan as heir apparente (Yuvaraj a). Later on in 1419 AD he handed over the kingdom to Shahi Khan and left for pilgrimage towards Mecca. When he reached Jammu his father-in-law Raja Bala Raja of Jammu disapproved his action and scolded him for giving up the throne of Kashmir to Shahi-Khan. Now Ali Shah repented and instead of going on pilgrimage to Mecca, he returned along with the forces of the Ruler of Jammu and regained his kingdom from his brother.

At this occasion Shahi Khan left Kashmir alongwith his supporters who were Muslims of Thakar and Maliks by caste which remain traditionally a fighting class and were inhabiting the hilly territories of Thanna and its surrounding villages. Shahi Khan along with Thakar and Maliks reached Thanna and made this place as his headquarter for the final show with his brother.
Sultan Zain-ul-Aabdeen in 1420 A.D. ascended the throne in Kashmir. He ruled Kashmir upto 1470 A.D. Since the Muslim Thakar and Rajputs of Thanna and its surrounded villages remained the most important allies of Sultan Zain-ul-Aabdeen when he had wrested the kingdom of Kashmir from his brother in the battle of Thanna, hence after becoming the Sultan of Kashmir he rewarded these tribes of Thanna with jagirs in Kashmir and bestowed upon them the high offices of his kingdom.
On the orders of Emperor Jahngir, a big Mughal Sarai of red bricks was also constructed at Thanna Mandi Jahangir had visited this place for about 13 times. When he was on the way to Kashmir. He describes Thanna in his Tuzak as under.
“On Thursday, the 7th, the village Thanna became the camping place. The great difference of this place from Kashmir. Was apparent in the climate, the language, the clothing etc. The people are speaking both Persian and Hindi. Evidently Hindi is the real language and they have acquired Kashmiri on account of proximity to Kashmir. Briefly one enters India at this place. The women do wear woolen clothing and like India women wear nose rings.”

Before partition Thanna was a jagir of Bakshi Hindu family of Kashmir. This jagir was given by the Maharaja Ranbir Singh to Bakshi Daya Ram who was his Shahi Hakim and a Sanskrit scholar. This family never came to Thanna. The jagir was looked after by their representatives of Raina family of Kashmir. The last representative was Prem Nath Raina who was killed in the happenings of 1947 at Thanna.

At present Thanna Mandi is emerging as a commercial centre and a beautiful town. It is Tehsil Head Quarter. The old Sarai of Mughal’s period is still existing. But now it has been occupied by the security forces to combat militancy in the area. Three temples of Dogra’s period are also existing in old Thanna area in dilapidated condition. Some idols of ancient time are also lying in Kali Temple which have been constructed recently. Apart from the chikhri wood craft the main importance of this place is due to the renowned shrine Shah Dara Sharif which is six kms from Thanna. A big complex alongwith educational centres and Musafar khana is under construction at this place. The people from all over country come to this scared place and offer prayers in the shrine. Keeping in view the religious importance due to Shah Dara Sharif and attractive natural scenic beauty of Thannamandi. This part can be developed as tourist resort.