The colonnade of Buniyar Temple, situated along the Baramula-Uri road on way to Mohra, housed something that caught my eye: ancient sculptured stone slabs. In traditional Kashmiri architecture for temples suggests that colonnades surrounding a temple housed images of deities. Now, these empty colonnades at Buniyar house these stone slabs.
I need to find out what they are. These stone slabs are found all over Kashmir. A lot of them now placed in temples and worshipped. As usual, Kashmiris haven’t documented much, the stones are simply called ‘memorial stones’, I know a discovery awaits.
One of the stone slabs at Buniyar depicted a horse man with the upper panel of the slab depicting a woman. It is an iconography associated with ‘Sati-Stones’ of India. In ancient times when a woman burned for her husband had died, at the spot where she died, a stone memorial was put.
Rajatarangini mentions Sati was practiced in Kashmir, yet there is not memory of it in the Pandit community. However, a more modern history tells us ‘Sati’ was almost revived by Pandits in around 1830s. * Still no memory of it.
Kashmir is know as ‘Satidesh’ (County of Sati). The mythical origins of the valley come from the story of Sati, the first wife of Shiva who immolated herself. Yet, no memory of ‘Sati’ practice.
Still, these stone memorial stand testimony to a time when women were burnt alive and then worshipped.
I am not the first person to notice the ‘sati-stones’ of Kashmir. One of the first archaeological reports on ancient monuments of Kashmir did mention the probability that these were ‘sati-stones’.
Rai Sahib Daya Ram during his survey of monuments of Kashmir in around 1915 wrote:
“Another class of antiquities of this late period which are very common everywhere in Kashmir, are a kind of memorial spans which might have been sati stones. […]The face of the slab is divided into two compartments, the upper one containing a standing figure of Bhairava with this usual emblems, and the lower a female figure seated between a bird and a dog, the vehicle of the diety referred to. In some examples, the female is represented as seated by the side of her deceased husband.”
Daya Ram in ‘Pre-Muhammadan Monuments of Kashmir’ ascribes the stone slabs to 14th century, the late part of Kashmir History, towards the end of Hindu rule when no big shrines were anymore constructed.
To understand these memorial stones (as with understanding the ancient architecture of Kashmir), we have to look at our Hindu neighbours.
Near Kashmir, Mandi in Himachal is famous for ‘Sati-Stones’. They would put up memorials for dead warriors and their burnt wives.
In a paper on tombs at Hinidan in the Las Bela, on right bank of Hab river, about 73 miles from Karachi. The tombs were interesting because they belong to an era when Islam was new to the region and the rituals for the dead were a mix of native belief and Islamic rules. On some of the tombs, there were human figures drawn. Jean Philippe Vogel in Archaeological Survey of India, Annual Report 1902-1903 writes:
“In Kangra and other Himalayan tracts such slabs are commonly found in the courtyards of temples, near tanks and under banyan and pipal trees. That in many instances the stone exhibits more than one figure, is explained by the fact that women, who became Sati, were represented on the same slab with their husband. Curious examples of this kind is the so-called Sati slabs of the Rajas of Mandi. here they are called barselas, because they are worshipped for one year (bars), but the general name by which they are known in the Kangra valley is muhra. Near nagar, the ancient capital of Kullu, there is a collection of muhras, several of which have a figure said to represent either a Rani who died before here husband, or a Raja who became an ascetic. On some of them the effigy of a horse will be seen at the bottom of the slab as is always the case with the Mandi stones. “
It’s interesting that the place called Mohra in Kashmir is not far from Buniyar. Such memorial stones were more common in Lar Pargana of Kashmir.
Rajatarangini tells us 14th century was a turbulent time as the local powers where constantly at war with each other and Islam was introduced in Kashmir. Men were dying in wars and women were getting burnt.
This brings us to the other kind of memorial stones found in Kashmir: the ‘Hero-Stones’
Two more slabs housed at Buniyar
These stone slabs were put up where a great warrior fell in war.
Sati Stone
Some memorial slabs kept at SPS Museum, Srinagar
Hero Stone
These stones are essentially dead men and their dead wives, tales of war and bloodshed, reminders of gruesome ancient customs and traditions. These are episodes from Rajatarangini, our past.
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“During the administration of Dewan Kirpa Ram [(1826-1830)] Kashmiri Pandits resumed the ancient practice of Sati in all likelihood persuaded by the Sikhs and the Punjabi Hindus.” [A History of Sikh Rule in Kashmir, 1819-1846, R. K. Parmu]
Bazighar Basti, village of magicians, Akhnoor [Light of Eye]. Birth place of famous ‘Kashmiri Firewalker,’ mentalist buried in Hollywood, Kuda Bux/Professor K. B. Duke (1905 –1981). His most famous trick was ability to see things blindfolded, he was ‘Man With X Ray Eye’. In his later life, he lost his eyesight to glaucoma.
A woman offers tea to his lover in a bone china cup, a replacement for her body, for her body is withering and her heart, it aches.
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As a child, the cup would often slip from my hand and tea would spill on a kaleen. The tea would sink into the thick dark fabric, tea would just vanish, all that would remain – a trail of stream, on the cloth and in the cup, some green leaves, some cinnamon, some cardamom and some crushed pieces of almonds. I would pick the pieces and eat. I was in love with Kehwa.
The Arabic word ‘Kahwa’ means ‘exiting the spirit’, in Turkish it becomes ‘kahveh’, from which we get the English word ‘Coffee’. In Pandit households, Kehwa was known as Moghul chai, probably in honor of the Mughals who introduced it to Kashmir. In Kashmir, besides the normal Dalcheen Kehwa (cinnamon Kehwa), there is Zaffran Kehwa, the saffron one usually served to tourists, then there is Damm Tueth Kehwa, one with a pinch of lemon, it would be served if one is not feeling too well, somedays milk would be added to it and it would become Dod Chai, somedays Sattu (ground toasted pulses and cereals) would added to get a heavy breakfast of Kahwa, and for sour throats: a pinch of black pepper would be added.
There was always something regal about it, right from its rich ingredients and to the way it was served. At weddings, pipping hot Kehwa was served in copper Samavars, the import from Russian ‘Samovar’, which means ‘self-cook’- the tea would go bagg bagg on its own.In old days, the tea cups in Hindu households would be of bronze alloy and called ‘Khos‘, while among Muslims, bone china cups were the norm and called ‘Chinipyala‘. When I was young, our house still had a few as the old ladies preferred the old brass ones. Last year, in Jammu, I had a tough time finding a Khos. It seems Khos in no longer manufactured by traditional metalworkers.
In Kashmir, bone china is still popular. In Muslim households, a reddish salty concoction known as ‘Noon Chai’ (Salt tea) was always more popular. The peculiar color coming from baking soda, in Kashmiri called ‘Phul‘. This tea is somewhat similar to the ‘Gur-Gur’ chai of Ladakh, only in Ladakh they add butter. In old days, the soda ‘Phul‘ came from Nubra valley and the salt from Punjab salt mines (once a monopoly of Gulab Singh, and now in Pakistan). In Kashmiri Pandit households, ‘Noon Chai’ was known as ‘Sheer Chai’, ‘Sheer’ being the Persian for ‘Milk’. It was particularly popular among old Pandit ladies as a post-lunch drink. The nommer for someone addicted to all these teas was Chai Shoda.
Charles von Hügel on visiting Kashmir in around 1835 noticed the peculiar drink and Kashmir and the elaborate way in which Sheer/Noon chai was authentically made:
One begins this process by keeping an iron kettle over the fire and pour 5 cups of water in it. Then one cup full of tea leaf is added to the pit and in addition one table spoon full of backing soda is also added to the pot and then the mixture is thoroughly shaken by stirring. The entire thing is thrown into the water when it comes to simmer. One allows the mixture to brew for about 10 minutes. Then one pours two cups of cold water into the pot and allows the mixture to brew for another 10 minutes at a lower temperature and once again 5 cups of cold water is added to the kettle. Then the brew is made to draw the decoction for another half an hour of boiling, it is filtered though a cloth piece into a large kettle and a small bit of rock salt is added. The whole mass is then bubbled for a while, like one does the chocolet. A teaspoon full of water is added to the mixture. It is then that the actual cocktail of tea is ready for preparation. Now the iron kettle mentioned previously is taken and 4-5 cups of boiling milk is added to the vessel and the brew prepared already is added to the kettle and stirred well at last it is poured out into the drinking cups. It looks completely like chacolet.
Hügel arrived in Kashmir when Chai mania was probably at peak in Kashmir. It around this time
Persian poet of Shahabad in Kashmir, Mulla Hamidullah ‘Hamid’ (d.1848), came up with Chanama (“A Tea Poem”):
Give me tea, O Saqi, and let there be no delay;
let me have it bitter, if milk and sugar are not at hand.
Had Jamshid taken a draught from this pot,
his slow-beating pulse would have run like deer.
Have you heard the boiling kettle of tea cry bagg bagg?
Verily you would say it was Mansur shouting ana al-haqq.
There is a reference in the Book of God
Bread to eat and tea to drink
However, tea was not a new import to Kashmir. The discoverers of tea were our neighbours. The word ‘te‘ and ‘Cha‘ come from China, and from them comes the Persian ‘Chai‘ and English ‘Tea‘. The tradition of tea in all probability came to Kashmir from Chinese Turkestan. So, Kashmiri are probably one of the earliest lover of tea. It was because of this love that most Kashmiris, unknowingly, or knowingly, irrespective of religion, were tasting Ox blood.
Hügel mentions that Tea used to reach Kashmir from Ladakh. And in Ladakh it used to arrive either from Lasa (Tibet) or from Yarkand. It must be mentioned here that one of the outcome of Battle of Basgo, and the subsequent treaty of 1684 between Ladakh and Tibet was regulation of tea trade: Dalai Lama had a monopoly over the brick tea trade with Ladakh. By the time Sikhs and Dogras arrived in the region, monopoly was lost. Hügel mentions the best tea (at least 30 different varieties) used to arrive in Kashmir from across Chinese borders via Yarkand. The variety of Black tea from Lasa was trading at Rs. 6 a pound and tea was generally a luxury, something that would make a great gift. Despite the popularity of tea in Kashmir, Hügel pegged its import at mere 500 pounds.
Baden Henry Baden-Powel in his ‘Hand-book of the Economic Products of the Punjab’ (1868) gives more details about this tea trade. He was surveying Punjab where he noticed luxury of tea was known only to Kashmiris: the shawl-weavers/traders and Pandit Munshis/ writers. It arrived in Punjab from Calcutta. In 1852, 25,000 maunds of tea came to Amritsar of which 2000 passed to Kashmir. It was the secondary route for tea in Kashmir. Primarily, tea from China in form of cakes would arrive in Kashmir from across Changthan pass via Leh. Black and green tea in cakes, called “dhamun” was imported to Leh, and valued around Rs. 30,000. The name of the China Green teas were “karakokla“, “khushbo” [scented] and “salad” [sabaz, Green]. The China black brick tea was know as “takhta siya“.
Over the next few decades, the tea trade from land started decreasing and tea started arriving primarily from sea as British started monopolizing the trade routes.
J. H. Knowles in his ‘A Dictionary Of Kashmiri Proverbs and Sayings’ (1885) writes:
“Two kinds of tea, and two ways of preparing it, are met with in the valley. There is the Surati Chai, something like our English tea, which is imported from the Panjab and Ladak ; and the Sabz Chai, the celebrated brick tea, which reaches Kashmir via Ladak. The first way of preparation is called the Mughal method, Mugul Chai. Here is the receipt:- For every tola or rupee’s weight of tea in the pot put five cups of cold water, boil for half-an-hour, then add more cold water together with sugar and condiments, and allow to boil for another half-an-hour. Then add milk,stir well, and serve round hot to the guests ad libitum . The second modus preparation is called Shiri chai, of which this is the recipe:- Place the required quantity in the tea-pot together with a little soda and cold water and boil for half-an-hour. Then add milk, salt, and butter, and allow to boil for another half -an-hour, when it is ready for drinking. The salt used in the infusion of tea is called phul. It is found in the Nubra valley in Ladak, and contains the carbonate and sulphate of soda, and a little of the chloride of sodium.”
The Mughal chai mentioned here reads more like Dod Chai or Kashmiri Milk tea. It is important to note that Surat was one of the first major trade port for East India Company beginning 17th century. Surati Chai was the tea that reached Kashmir via Surat. Interestingly, in contrast, at later time, Kahwa tea leaves were known as Bombay Chai because its leaves came from Bombay port. With addition of milk it was known as Dabal Chai (Double Tea). [Later in the world of packaged it became, Liptan Chai (Lipton tea).]
If all this time, for all these centuries, the tea was coming from China in form of bricks, it is then true that Kashmiris, like most tea drinkers of the time, were probably tasting Ox blood. What most people don’t remember now is that the traditional Chinese method for making tea into bricks involved using flour, dung and ox blood as binding agent.
So, there you have it Kashmiri lovers of tea, your ancestors were drinkers of Ox blood. Rise a cup to that!
There is hope. Still. I bet there is still one person in Kashmir. Who still dreams India will go Pakistan way or better still Pakistan will go India way Before having these dreams he sings: ‘Either way Mouji Batt’e Sher! Kashmir will still be here.’
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कश्मीर बरबाद नहीं अलाहबाद हुआ हिन्द की लाल गंगा पाक काली यमुना से मिली अदृश्य सरस्वती हुई यहाँ पापो का हिसाब चल रहा है पितरो का बोझ ढोया जा रहा है
P.K. Mattoo shares some interesting images from the exhibition held in Delhi in August titled “Picturing a Century: Mahatta Studio and history of Photography in India, 1915-2015″ [link]
Gandhi at the hospital of Dr. Shamboo Nath Peshin
3rd August, 1947
Nehru in Srinagar with Sheikh Mohd Abdullah (members of NC) and Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Bima is one of the famous Dardic Brokpa villages where tourists are allowed. In the tourist circles it is famous as ‘Aryan Village’. ‘Brokpa’ is the word used in Ladakh for the Dardic people. In fact, Tibetan word Brokpa means Highlanders (herdsmen or shepherds). This community has its own distinct culture and language. The villagers even like to claim that they are decedents of Greek soldiers of Alexander’s army. There are also stories that German women would come to Brokpa villages secretively just to get ‘Aryan’ progenies.
In the beginning of August, a flash flood triggered by torrential rain and cloudburst caused a stream to send heavy boulders and rocks to fall into Indus river at Bima village. The resulting blockage caused the river to swell into a lake and submerge the village.
In September, the waters had receded a bit but I found the village almost empty and under water. After the flood, the only motorable access to the village remained from Kargil side. I was arriving from Leh side and at a point the road just simply vanished into the lake.
To get into the village had to climb a 15 feet cliff face.
During peak tourist season, you can find around fifty tourists roaming in the village. I found even most of the villagers missing. They have been provided temporary shelter by Army where they get breakfast, and then they leave for towns to work as porters and do other menial work. With their farms under water, there’s not much they can do. I was told it would still take couple of months before any form of measure to remove the blockage in Indus can be tried.
The stream that rolled boulders into the Indus
The blockage point. The river here roars like a waterfall.
A Brokpa working in one of the only farms still functional
A Brokpa brewer of ‘Arrak’
The village might be under river, but the river of Arrak must continue flowing.
Distilling ‘Chang’ (local Barley Ale) to get Arrak (Barley wine)
In 9th century, Buddhism was in decline in trans-himalayan region due to persecution from Bon Tibetan rulers like Langdarma of Guge (A.D. 836 to 842). The faith was in decline until King Yeshe-Ö (A.D. 947-1024) came to the throne of the kingdom that consisted of the present Indian territories of Ladakh, Spiti and Kinnaur, and Guge and Purang in western Tibet.
To revive the faith, Yeshe-Ö sent 21 young men to viharas of Kashmir and other parts of India where Buddhism was still flourishing. They were to study and translate the texts of Mahayana Buddhism and bring them to west Tibet. Of these 21 men, only two survived the journey and returned home. One of them was Rinchen Zangpo who in 10th century is credited to have built over 100 monasteries all over Himalayan region from Ladakh to Sikkim. Of these building few survive, the best and the most famous remains Alchi about 10,500 feet above sea level in Ladakh, by the side of Indus.
At the entrance of Alchi a contemporary painting representing Lochen Rinchen Zangpo (958–1055) . He is said to have founded the Alchi monastery by planting a pipal tree here. Lochen means ‘the great translator’.
Rinchen Zangpo was a student of Buddhist Bengali master named Atiśa (Born 980, Bikrampur, Bengal, Pala Empire (now in Bangladesh)). Zangpo is said to have spent quite sometime studying in Kashmir. His biography mentions that for building Alchi and other monasteries, Zangpo brought 32 artists from Kashmir. Thus, laying foundation for one of the oldest and the most unique monasteries of Ladakh. It is here, you can see scenes from ancient Kashmir – 900 year old glimpses left by those Kashmiri hands. Kalhana was to offer us such glimpses only some time later in 12th century. The best place to visualize his Rajatarangini is at Alchi rendered in a style mixing Indian, Kashmiri, Tibetan and central Asian artistic traditions.
Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara in Sumtseg temple
The Kashmiri painters at Alchi have drawn these scenes around bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara in Sumtseg temple of Alchi. Avalokiteśvara, ‘the lord who looks down’, the buddha of compassion, is said to live on mythical mountain Potalaka which modern scholars say is in fact Pothigai hills of Western Ghats (Tamil Nadu/Kerala).
Site map of Alchi Chhoskhor
The monastery was abandoned in 16th century for some unknown reasons
It is now run by Likir Monastery, currently headed by the Dalai Lama’s younger brother, Tenzin Choegyal.
Although Ladakhi tradition places the monastery in 10th century and to Zangpo, inscriptions at the temple ascribe the monastery to a Tibetan noble called Kal-dan Shes-rab later in the 11th century. The various temples here are now dated to be between early 12th and early 13th centuries. A period of great religious and political upheaval for the entire region with the coming of Ghaznavid Attacks on the sub-continent, but miraculously, owning to its geographic location, left this place untouched.
Sumtseg/Sumtsek temple made in stone and mud brick supported by wooden beams
Alchi temples are also the oldest surviving big wooden structures done by Kashmiris.
Maiteya Buddha
Akshobhya Buddha
Bodhisattva
The upper floors are off limits for tourists
the caretaker monk
If you are a woman, there is a chance he will grab your hand and try to explain away the place.
Inside the temple: Pattern drawn on the beams is now believed by scholars to have patterned on the design of Kashmiri textile, making it the only surviving sample of Kashmiri cloth design of medieval times.
West niche of Sumtsek temple
Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara
the most interesting part of Alchi complex
Avalokiteśvara’s painted clay dhoti
Scholars like British anthropologist David Snellgrove and German art historian Roger Goepper have suggested that the scenes depict ancient pilgrimage sites of Kashmir or famous sites of Kashmir known to the artists (depicts 13 places in all and a place). It is a map of Kashmir.
A Shiv Temple
And
the Riders
The figures in the painting look too Kashmiri, with typical nose, beards and half-closed eyes. But the over-all feel seems a bit Islamic.
Not just Trans-Himalayan and Indian subcontinent, 10th, 11th and 12 century Kashmir was also going through some major changes.
The Hindu Shahi Kings in Kabul were going to rise and then fall under Ghaznavid blade. Kashmir of Lalitaditya Muktapid ( 724- 761 A. D.) when Hinduism and Buddhism flourished together in Kashmir was past but its legacy in form of architecture was still alive (One of the oldest Kashmir text from the era, ‘Nilamata Purana’, mentions Buddha was one of the lords worthy of worship).
Queen Didda (979-1005 AD), grand-daughter of Bhimadeva, Shahi ruler of Kabul, arrived to rule Kashmir. Shivaie Abhinavgupta wrote the great work of Kashmir Shaivism, Tantrāloka. Mahmud Gaznavi couldn’t get Kashmir due to its remoteness. For the moment valley was safe from outsiders. But, wasn’t safe from insiders.
Kashmir was to see the reign of Harsha (ruled 1089-1111 AD), a destroyer of Hindu and Buddhist temples. He had many ancient temples destroyed, had their golden statues melted for financial reasons. In fact, for his temple destroying ways, Kalhana calls Harsha a ‘Turushkas’. Apart his temple destroying ways, Kalhana (whose father was a minister for Harsha) in his Rajatarangini also remembers the King as a patron of arts and music. It is mentioned that under his rule new fashions of dress and ornaments from foreign were introduced. His ministers were always luxuriously dressed. In his army were employed Turk soldiers (foreign Muslims, in Rajatarangini any Muslim from Central Asia was a ‘Turk’). Can these be the riders seen in the paintings at Sumtsek?
Rajatarangini, mentions that the scale of Harsha’s temple destruction was immense, but some temples did survive. Among those saved was one at Parihaspora, left untouched as a favor to a singer named Kanaka. The year was 1097.
Parihaspora was the capital of Lalitaditya. Here he had built five large buildings viz.,(1) the temple of Mukta-keshva with a golden image of Vishnu, (2) the temple of Parihasa-keshava with a silver image of Vishnu.(3) the temple of Mahavaraha with its image of Vishnu clad in golden armour, (4) the temple of Govardhanadhara with a silver image and (5) Rajavihara with a large quadrangle having a large copper Buddha. At the site, was also a stupa built by Chankuna, Tokharian minister of Lalitaditya.
The site has earlier been plundered by S’amkaravarman (A.D. 883-902), son of Avantivarman. But, obviously some of it must have survived. The silver image of Vishnu Parihasa-keshava was carried away and broken up by King Harsha. Rajavihara was not touched. The site was finally destroyed by Sikandar But-Shikan (A.D. 1394-1416). However, even up to the year 1727 A.D. the Paraspur plateau showed architectural fragments of great size, which were carried away as building materials.
Caitya of Cankuna which housed Brhad Buddha
1915, Parihaspora
The scholars now suggest that these Buddhist sites of Parihaspora can be seen depicted in the paintings on the west niche of Sumtsek temple.
west niche of Sumtsek temple.
representation of Lalitaditya chaitya at Parihaspora
Stupa built by Cankuna at Parihaspora
In the center
Green Tara in varada mudra
Born of Avalokiteśvara’s tear
protects from ‘unfortunate circumstances’
Style in which her eyes are drawn can be seen in Ellora murals (8th Century), Aurangabad, Maharastra
Manjushri
Right wall
Dhoti depicting scenes from life of Shakyamuni
Mahakala
Lotsa Temple
Mahakaal Inside
Gate of Manjushri temple
Red Manjushri Inside
Bodhisattva of wisdom
Saraswati of Hindus,
the goddess of Kashmir
Outside the temple, there are some monk cells meant for meditation.
The inside of the monk cells tell another interesting tale.
the designs and paintings
inside the monk cell
Notice the flying apsara…now see this:
Photograph of the Meruvardhanaswami temple at Pandrethan near Srinagar, taken in 1868 by John Burke. Pandrethan, now mostly in ruins, is one of Kashmir’s historic capitals, said by Kalhana in his poetical account of Kashmiri history called Rajatarangini to have been founded by king Pravarsena in the 6th century AD.
The ceiling of the temple:
Copy of Pandrethan ceiling prepared by one R.T. Burney was presented by W.G. Cowie in his 1865 paper ‘Notes on some of the Temples of Kashmir, especially those not described by General A. Cunninghan’ (Journal of The Asiatiic Society of Bengal Volume 35, Part 1. 1866)
The design on the ceiling was first copied by Alexander Cunningham in around 1848 after a tip-off by Lord John Elphinstone. When Cunningham visited the temple, there was evidence that one time the ornamentation, the designs and the figures of the temple must have been profusely plastered over to cover its naked idol beauty. [for details read: Ceiling of Pandrethan]
By 13th century, the Buddhist Kashmiri Pandits in Ilkhanate court where heading back to Kashmir as Iran became Islamic. But, by the end of 14th century, Kashmir also became Islamic. The famous Bodh vihara of Nalanda in Bihar was destroyed by Muhammad Khilji. It’s last head a Kashmiri named Shakyashri Bhadra (1127-1225) headed for Tibet and then retired to Kashmir.
Later Rajataranginis tell us that temples with beautifully painted walls were found in Kashmir till Akbar arrived in 16th century. The area around Hari Parbat in Srinagar was full of such temples. But, these got lost or destroyed and none remain. Around 16th century Alchi monastery was abandoned for unknown reasons. The stories on its walls remained etched and untouched for centuries. A little time capsule, storing the glory of ancient Kashmir and its artists.
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In 2048, Dr. Doomdullah, after years of study, finally understood the true nature of his problem and why the obvious solution wouldn’t work. He wanted to know, ‘If 90% of humanity is trash, why not just be done with it?’ He found his answer in a lost work of parables from Kashmir known as ‘Concise Reshinama of Lost Souls’.
Parable 161
‘After years of observing the sad condition of the world in which he lived -the depravity of men, the vile and evil, Sanger Rishi came to the conclusion if a stone were to randomly drop from the sky and onto a random person, there is a good chance it would hit the head of someone deserving such divine retribution. To test his theory, one early morning Sanger Rishi started climbing the hillock of Kus-ha-sa-Maraan that overlooked the city. On reaching the highest point, he planned to pick a stone and hurl it down at the city. While trekking up the hill, strangest of thing happened: a stone from nowhere hit him on the head. He died. Mazar of Sanger Rishi came up at the spot. His epitaph read:
From my throne high up on
Parbat
every morning
Down below
I see him make his way to the temple,
the mosque, the shop, the job…
Every morning
I hurl down a pebble at his head
Every morning
my head hurts
Dr. Doomdullah understood the true meaning of the parable: you have to get to the top of the hill before anyone else does; hold fort.
Parable 143
Two men were fighting over truth. Each called the other a lair. Each had a dagger at the throat of other, ready to let the blood run and settle the matter. Prophetess Red Dead, who happened to be passing by, intervened. Taking piety on them, in all compassion, she took the daggers from them and casting a certain spell over the metal blades proclaimed, ‘This dagger of truth can now only pierce an untrue heart.’ She then returned the daggers to the two men. Divine daggers in hand, the two men lunged at each with a new righteous ferocity. It was over soon.
Dr. Doomdullah understood the true meaning of the parable: Hold onto your truth and let the blood flow.
Parable 157
The crowd gathered in the village square to begin stoning the condemned man. Prophet Yekusinsaan arrived at the scene and told all gathered people, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him be the one to throw the stones.’ Hearing this a seven-year old girl came forward and threw a small rock at the man. It caught the man’s head at a wrong angle, the condemned man died three days later in much pain.
Dr. Doomdullah understood the true meaning of the parable: Stop talking in parables.
