bonn’e gal’mit Shaster hund daryaav
heyrr’e kre’hinis asmaanas na gasaan graav
manz kani girdas pyeth bihith
Lall’e Ded wadaan, ‘Magar, Battan gov na khaak’
Mansur Hallaj chakaan naar, ‘Hum kya chahte, azaadi’
Below, a river of molten Iron
Above, an indifferent black sky
In the middle
afloat on a loaf of bread
Lal Ded cries, ‘But, what about Kashmiri Pandits?’
Masoor Hallaj again breathes fire, ‘ What we want, Freedom!’
Rajatarangini in Iran Library
Two pages from Rajatarangini by Pandit Raja Ram Kaul Tota, written during Gulab Singh’s time. Claimed to be the only remaining copy.
Manuscript in National Library of Iran. [Link]
Another Rajatarangini available in the library:
Untitled Post
Is your city dead and decaying?
Does it smell of rotten flesh?
Are its trees of plastic?
Gardens…well maintained wastelands?
Do you still worry, ‘Waters are poisoned!’?
Wonder, ‘Where have the great lakes gone?’
Where is Maar?
Where is Kul?
Are you now allergic to spring flowers too?
Are your boots still muddied when it rains?
Is snow a recurrent disease?
Is Sri a pain to the eyes, for you can see
what has become of this city
Just tell me:
Are you from Srinagar too?
Untitled Post
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
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Untitled Post
चित मे अश्वमेध यग्न संपन हुआ
कुछ देश बसे कुछ लोग उजडे
Lyrics, translation: Tse Yewaan Roshe Chhukh, Nata, Hosha Dalayoo Madano
Rasul Mir’s ‘Tse Yewaan Roshe Chhukh, Nata, Hosha Dalayoo Madano’
Tse Yewaan Roshe Chhukh, Nata, Hosh Dalayoo Madano
Be Rivaan Harn’e Cheshman, Sorma Chalaayoo Madano
Are you coming my beloved? Or else, should I lose my senses, my love
Are you coming or should I weep the collyrium off my gazelle eyes, my love
Ashkin ha Daadi Hyotnam Naar Paanas, Khaak me Gov
Ashkay Aab’nabad Zan Bo galaayoo Madano
Sick of Love, my body on fire, it turns to Ash
My tears dissolve me, like a lump of sugar in water, my love
Tse Yewaan Roshe Chhukh, Nata, Hosh Dalayoo Madano
Are you coming my beloved? Or else, should I lose my senses, my love
Mae Nyutham Tchoori Dil Mastoori, Kortham Hoori Kasoor
Badanas Suur Maalayee, Door Chalayooo Madano
You stole my chaste heart, a fairy I, but now I am spoiled
I shall rub these ashes to my body, and run away, my love.
Gonchi zan Nyeer Fatith, Fair Gil Zan Pardhi Tchatith
Be chyanee Khaar Gasith, do Baar Pholoyoo, Madano
Like a flower blooms, tearing the veil, I shall roam
In your name I be destroyed, you blossom again, my Love
[Updated with corrections suggested by Muneeb Haroon and Asma Shaw]
Rivaan: crying
Harn’e Cheshman: gazelle eyes
Ashkin: Love…
Ashkay: tears…
Naabad: sugarcandy
Mastoor: Chaste
hoori: fairy
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A look at reading habits of Kashmiri Pandits a century ago
A few pages from some rare old books in Persian, Sanskrit, Sharda, Urdu and Kashmiri. Shared with SearchKashmir by Anupama Tiku Dhar from personal family collection belonging to her grandfather. Some of them are handwritten. Offers a peek into reading habits of Kashmiris about hundred years ago. Interestingly, a bunch of these books were published in Lahore which was back then an educational hub for Kashmiris. This was a period when Sharda script was well past its prime, Persian was in decline, Urdu was on the rise, Sanskrit was getting revived under State patronage and their were signs English was going to be the language of future.
Anupama writes:
In 2003 when my late maternal grandfather Pandit Jia Lal Khushoo’s ancestral home at Exchange Road, Srinagar was sold, his vast collection of books also had to be appropriately disposed. The books included discourses in English on History, Literature, Indian Philosophy, Religion, bound copies of periodicals as well as some printed books in Persian/Urdu and hand-bound manuscripts in Persian, Urdu and Sharda. The Urdu and Persian manuscripts were rendered in beautiful calligraphy by Pandit Shridhar Khushoo, who was Pandit Jia Lal Khushoo’s grandfather. My grandfather himself was an avid reader proficient in English, Hindi, Kashmiri, Urdu and Sharda. He retired as the Chief Conservator of Forests, J&K.
The books in English were donated to the Jammu University Library as per the family’s decision. Those in Persian, Urdu and Sharda were retained to be gifted to a more suitable recipient. They were kept in storage with my mother in Pune, on behalf of the Khushoo clan. When I learnt about the existence of these rare works recently, I inspected them. I am not literate in Persian, Urdu or Sharda but my grandfather had fortunately annotated each of them in English. This led me to realize that these books were most suited for an institution like the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune. They are now in the process of being formally handed over to the Institute.
Information about the books was provided by various readers of FB: SearchKashmir, particularly Ayaz Rasool Nazki and Ovais Ahmad.
All the info. is compiled below:
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| Dewan-i-Hafiz published by Munshi Nawal Kishore Press Nawal Kishore was based in Lucknow. Published books in Persian/Urdu including those by Chakbast/Sarshar etc. |
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| Shivalagan and Valmiki Ramayan in Kashmiri ( in Urdu/Persian) from a copy by calligrapher Pandit Shridhar Khushoo. |
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Srimad Bhagwat Gita in Urdu , (Ganpat Karit ? ) Doesnt give the name of translator.
A Bhagwat Geeta by a Kashmiri gentleman, Madan, done in early 20th century, was praised by likes of Allama Iqbal and Tej Bahadur Sapru.
 |
| Back of the same book |
It was published at ‘Gulzar-e-Hind’ Press in Lahore under the supervision of Munshi Gulzar Muhammad, Manager of the press. Published as desired by Haji Chiragudin, Sirajudin, Booksellers , Lahore, Bazar Kashmiri.
Sikandarnama in Persian, handwritten by Pandit Shridhar Khushoo
Top of the front cover has “Om Shri Ganesha Nama” while the lower half glorifies Allah and offers supplication to Prophet Muhammad.
Translation of Mahabharata in Urdu by Malik-u-sho’arā (Poet Laureate) Munshi Dwarka Prashad (Nom de plume – Ufaq Lakhnavi). Published posthumously by M/S Lala Ram Dutta Mal and sons from Kashi Ram Press Lahore. 1926.
A page from ‘Kashmiri (?) Mousiqui’ (Soofiana Kalaam) in Persian.
Handwritten by Pt. Shridhar Khushoo.
[Input by Amir Hosein Pourjavady on FB]:
Left page is about the right time of performing each ragas and raginies.
The right page also contains the famous poem by Zahuri Torshizi [?], written by a Shi’i Muslim since the author is talking about Shi’i ritual of Muharram. The books is probably a 19th century Nawabi musical treatise written in Lucknow.
A page from ‘Dashmas Kandas’ (90 Adhayas) of Bhagwat Gita in Persian handwritten by Pandit Shridhar Khushoo.
Probably one of the 5 from Nizami’s ‘Khamsa of Nizami’, probably the story of Sassanian Prince Bahram Gore titled “Haft Paikar”
‘Bhagwat Gita’ in Sharda script[?]
Vishnu Pooja’ in Sharda script
A page from ‘Shiv Pooja’, tantrik text.
‘Brihat Shiva Pooja’, tantrik text.
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Interesting that while comments on Persian and Urdu texts arrived within hours of posting them to Facebook, Sharda and Sanskrit texts remained without comment and details.
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Pandit Marriage Photo, 1916-20s (~)
Guest post by Man Mohan Munshi Ji
A retired major General of Indian Army presented this group photograph to me recently and it took us about a week to identify most of the persons by consulting a number of common relations and studying old photographs in possession of a number of KP families. The picture was taken sometime between 1916-20 on the occasion of the marriage of Lt.Jagan Nath Koul [Nagari]
Standing Back Row (from left):
1. Mahadev Ram,
2. Unidentified, probably a domestic employee.
3. Sham Lal Koul [Nagari] 1900-1943 acting curator of Shri Pratap Museum Srinagar.
4. Shambu Nath Nagari -landholder and businessman,
5. Probably a domestic employee , the baby in his lap is D.P. Dhar planning minister in Indra Gandhi’s cabinet and latter Indian Ambassador to then Soviet Union.
6 Pritvi Nath Bhan,
7 Kashi Nath Bhan
1. Mahadev Ram,
2. Unidentified, probably a domestic employee.
3. Sham Lal Koul [Nagari] 1900-1943 acting curator of Shri Pratap Museum Srinagar.
4. Shambu Nath Nagari -landholder and businessman,
5. Probably a domestic employee , the baby in his lap is D.P. Dhar planning minister in Indra Gandhi’s cabinet and latter Indian Ambassador to then Soviet Union.
6 Pritvi Nath Bhan,
7 Kashi Nath Bhan
Sitting on Chairs (from left)
1. Chanda Jigri
2, Jagan Nath Koul[ Nagari] the bridegroom.
3 Praba Bhan
4 B.N.Munshi 1st secretary of J&K Public service commission
1. Chanda Jigri
2, Jagan Nath Koul[ Nagari] the bridegroom.
3 Praba Bhan
4 B.N.Munshi 1st secretary of J&K Public service commission
Sitting front row: both unidentified
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Untitled Post
At the edge of Bombay
my Nani
looks at Arabian sea
and concedes
it is as big as Wular Lake
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| Sea front at Apollo Bunder, Mumbai |
Untitled Post
For the running series on Kashmirispotting
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| Pan Shop, Pune |
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| Craft Shop, Mahabaleshwar, Satara district, Maharashtra |
