A colorful hotel at Qazigund. It’s evening time.
Hotel
Move Out, Move In
Photograph: Paddy fields of Kashmir. June 2008. Just before Qazigund.
The bus was a video-couch, and that wasn’t the only reason for my happiness. We were going to Jammu, and unlike the last time, on this particular trip, almost everyone was going. I had been to Jammu the previous year with my parents. It had proved to be a good vacation, my first vacation, the first move out of the valley. Was it a summer vacation or a winter vacation, I don’t remember…it must have been summer, I prefer it that way. And now we were going on another vacation. But, no one looked happy about it. Everyone was glum and edgy. Anyway, I made sure I got to sit in a window seat. It was a seat in the left aisle and just near the front gate. Between the two aisles, just above the door to the drivers spacious cabin, at a head level, seated in a box, a cabin of their own with a glass window, were a Colour TV and a VCR. As the bus moved, I got to see things that a had never seen before. Outside the window, there is beauty everywhere. Willows and fields. All Green. And inside the bus, the movie show starts, o joy, o joy, it is Naseeb starring Amitabh Bachchan naar log zachchan. I was praying for a screening of his Toofan, I had recently seen the poster pasted, on the next door medicine man’s next door drugstore cum video parlor shop. The red of the poster, the crossbow, it was all so enticing. But for now, for this journey, Naseeb seemed just as good. ‘At least it not B&W’, I told my very excited self. So, the Video coach really lived up to its promise and name.
Now, I look at the 14 inch color TV screen through the glass, what plays: the songs, the comedy, the dialogues, the fights, the symbolism of three holy rings, the brave heroes, misunderstandings, the monologues, the morals, the beautiful heroines, everyone dancing and the evil villains. Now, I look out the glass of the 20 inch slide window of the bus and I see the beautiful paddy fields for the first time . They look mesmerizing. (Now I know, we must have crossed Qazigund). ‘Farmlands in Kashmir! What do they look like in winter?’What do these farmers do then?’, I wonder. And then, for some reason, almost on cue, every in the bus starts to draw the folds of the window curtains. I am told to do the same. I protest. No use. Windows are duly covered. Not a single beam of sunlight inside the bus anymore. The video coach is completely dark, like a film theater. Temperature starts to drop, the uphill mountainous part of the journey had started. I start to feel glum. At least the film is still playing. Now, it’s that hilarious scene: A very much drunk and beaten-up Amitabh applies Band-Aid on the mirror and consoles himself. He’s not the only one in need of a repair. With every bump and jerk, the VCP seems to throw a fit, the screen starts to freeze and roll. The bus conductor starts hammering the TV cabin. He has been at it the whole time. But his treatment is not working anymore. But him is hitting the TV cabin all the more.The driver is now screaming about something. And just before we cross the Banihal tunnel, the movie is abruptly stopped, the cassette taken out, the TV switched off. Not a word. No one protests. Am I the only one watching this movie. The bus crosses over to the other side of the tunnel, but the TV is still dead and black. Video coach is a fraud played out on simple people.
For the rest of the journey, the movie wasn’t played again. We reached Jammu in the evening. For the longest time, watching Naseeb all over again was the only thing I wanted . For the longest time, green paddy fields were my last memory of Kashmir. I was eight. And then, about eighteen years later, I got my new last memories of Kashmir.
View of the Valley and An Atmospherical Phenomena
Image: View of the Kashmir valley on way to Qazigund.
June 2008.
Qazigund of Anantnag district, is the first major a town and a major road stop on way to Kashmir. Hence, it is often called the “Gateway to Kashmir”.
Karl Alexander A. Hügel (April 23, 1795 – June 2, 1870) born in Bavaria, Germany, was an Austrian army officer, a diplomat and a botanist. After experiencing rejection in love, he decided to roam around the world and became a explorer. He set out in 1831 and by the end of his journeys in 1836, he had visited lands as far and distant as Australasia, Far East, near East and much of Indian sun-continent including Punjab and Kashmir.
In late 1835, after visiting the plains of Punjab, Hugel traveled to Kashmir valley, entering it using the Muzaffarabad route – the then preferred route for Kashmir.
The account of his travel to Kashmir and Punjab can be found in ‘Travels in Kashmir And The Panjab By Karl Alexander A. Hügel’, Translated from German (Kaschmir und das Reich der Siek (Cashmere and the Realm of the Sikh), published 1841) by Thomas Best Jervis, published 1845.
On Tuesday, November 24th of year 1835, Karl Alexander A. Hügel was traveling in the area that is now known as Anantnag district and was on his way to a place that had already been renamed, only a couple of centuries ago in seventeenth century by Aurangzeb, as Islamabad. With a small entourage of servants and guides, Hügel, riding on a horseback, arrived at the ancient town of Bijbehara, a place whose ancient Sanskrit name, he thought, must have been ‘Vidya Wihara’, Temple of Wisdom. He rode across the ancient bridge built on the river Jehlum and noticed how “Large lime-trees overgrow the piers of this ancient bridge.” At Bijbehara, he found no ancient great ruins, no signs of this place being an old capital of a Kingdom. Instead, he had to content himself by buying some old coins “of a date prior to the Mohammedan dynasties” from the local bazaar and thought “bazars are the chief attraction in every place throughout India.” About half a mile up ahead from “Bijbahar”, on the either side of the Jehlum river, Hügel noticed the ‘Badsha Bagh‘ or the ‘Garden of High King’ – the ancient gardens built by Dara Shikoh, according to Hügel it was the “the residence of the luckless Dara, the brother of Aurungzib.” and was told that in ancient times a bridge used to connect the two spacious gardens of both sides. From here he decided to proceed for Mattan and have a close look at Korau Pandau. But, it took him so much time trying to find a guide for this place that by the time he reached the ancient “caves”, running late, he thought it best to leave immediately for Islamabad. Had he stayed longer at Mattan, maybe his guide would have mentioned that Kashmiris know these ancient structures as Pandav Lar’rey – Abode of Pandav and believed to have been built in around mid 8th century by King Lalitaditya (A.D. 693 to 729).
During this journey in Anantnag district, Hügel took note of an interesting atmospheric phenomena and made a very curious comment. He wrote:
I observed with much interest to day the optical illusions, at this season almost peculiar to Kashmir. There is so little transparency in the air, that places at a mile’s distance only, appear to be removed to four times that distance, and mountains only four miles off seem to be at least fifteen or twenty. If the weather be tolerably clear, one can see to this last distance, but the twenty miles appear twice as much. To these peculiarities of the atmosphere, I attribute the exaggerated terms in which many travellers speak of the extent of this country. It was dark when we reached our halting place but every thing was in the best order and a supper of trout from the sacred tank of Anatnagh was a great relish after the day’s journey.
Kashmir side of Pir Panjal
Something miraculous happens when you cross to the Kashmir side of the Banihal Pass. Your spirit seems to soar. It’s true. While the weather was rainy and gloomy on the Jammu side of Banihal, on the Kashmir side, it was a perfectly day – The air was light, cool and clear, and the sun was shining benevolently. You almost turn an animist.
Almost every one who wrote about visiting Kashmir from this particular route, at this particular moment – the after ‘Jawaar Tunnel Moment’, takes a pause, gives in to the churning of the spirit inside and takes another heartful look at the unbound beauty of nature.
Jawahar Tunnel, Banihal Pass
2194.56 meters above sea level, Jawahar tunnel or Banihal tunnel, situated between Banihal and Qazigund, has been operational since 22 December 1956 – built with the help of german engineers, at that time it was the longest in Asia.
This 2.5 kilometer long tunnel, dug through a mountain of Pir Panjal range, is the main link that connects Kashmir to the rest of the country. In fact, it’s not a single tunnel, “Jawahar Tunnel” is a set of two long wet tubes, each 2825 meter long, dug inside the mountain range.
Prior to the construction of these tunnel, to enter kashmir through this route, people had to cross the Pir Panjal using a mountain pass high up in the range. This old mountain pass is still visible from the main highway.
Misty Mountains and the Road
The weather was rainy. Air cool, it must be raining somewhere. Raindrops, not so frequently, hit the windscreen and became water..
Traffic slowed down to a crawl and then stopped completely. During some stretches of the highway, this road becomes a one way narrow lane ploughed in the mountain range.
The vehicle stopped, it’s going to take some time for the traffic to get going again. The driver jumped out. All the people in the bus got talking, shared some old stories and some domestic gossip. The truck drivers of this route seen to have a peculiar habit. If the spot be right, they make it a point to park the truck right parallel to the edge of the gorge. Those big fat tyres sit just inches away for the plunging depth of hundreds or thousands of feet – it makes no difference to them if it’s hundreds or thousands, they just park their truck and get out of the other door. Is this a fool proof method to protect the truck from truckjackers? Or is it their institutionalized method of maximizing the road surface area so that other vehicles can still pass by while their truck just sits on the corner of the narrow road. I don’t know.
Time passed, the traffic snarled back to life. But our driver was nowhere to be seen. From the window we looked for him in every direction. Minuted passed, a plastic ghee dibba in hand, our driver came walking down a nearby mountain pathway looking calm and content. Jangal pani. He got into the vehicle and put the dibba back at its place, under the seat. I don’t think he washed his hands.
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The area around Banihal looks kind of strange. Some things here seem to suggest it is culturally closer Kashmir and some things that make it look like part of Jammu district. A masjid seemed to be designed like those in Kashmir, particularly like charar-e-sharif.
The dhabbas lining the road make it a point to tell you that they are offer 100% pure Hindu vegetarian Vaishnav food, and the dhabba right next to it advertises 100% pure Muslim Non-vegetarian ‘Waazwan’.
A Royal Love Letter at Shalimar
Hello
Rizia
I love you
I know you love me
Because you Are my
1st Love & I was Damn
Sure you will be back
So
Please Speak
I Love you Since 2002
Photograph: A teenage love story on a wall of the central monument at Shalimar Garden in Srinagar, Kashmir.
June 2008.
In around 1619, Mughal Emperor Jahangir built Shalimar Garden for his beloved Iranian wife Noor Jahan.
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Mansaram Ka Dhabba, Peerah
June 2008
Mansaram Ka Dhabba
Peerah, National High Way no. 1A
Jammu & Kashmir
I was standing straight when I took this photo.
Backdoor entry to Mansaram Ka Dhabba
The place is renowned for its Rajma Chawal that come doused in pure Desi Ghee – Kidney bean with rice doused in clarified butter.
Kidney bean from Jammu are quite popular all over India…thanks to the millions who visit pilgrim town of Katra every year to visit the cave of Vaishno Devi
Basohli Paintings and Calendar Art
Basohli Paintings evolved in the 17th and 18th centuries as a distinctive style of painting by fusion of Hindu mythology, Mughal miniature techniques and folk art of the local hills. The painting style derives its name from the place of its origin – hill town of Basohli about 80 Km. from the centre of district Kathua in the state of Jammu & Kashmir.
This style of painting was first introduced to the world in the annual report (1918-19) of the Archaeological Survey of India published in 1921. At that time this style was yet to be properly categorized and studied.
Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, who was first to publish them, in Rajput Paintings in 1916, wrote about this style of painting believing it to be Jammu style. Discussing these Jammu paintings, Coomaraswamy observed:
The Jammu are well and vigorously designed often with a decorative simplicity very suggestive of large scale mural art. In several examples there reappears that savage vitality which has been already remarked in the early Rajasthani raginis, but it is here associated with more exaggeration and with a strange physical type, the peculiar sloping forehead and very large eyes are especially characteristics of some of the portraits..the coloring is hot. Silver is used as well as gold. A remarkable feature is the occasional use of fragments of beetle’s wings to represent jewelery, and by the peculiar character of the architecture, with turrets, paneled doors, latticed windows and plinths ending in grotesque heads…Krsna and Radha or Mahadeva and Uma play the parts of hero and heroine.
The most popular themes of Basohli Paintings come from Shringara literature like Rasamanjari or Bouquet of Delight ( a long love poem written in 15th century by Bhanudatta of Tirhut Bihar ), Gita Govinda and Ragamala. These paintings are marked by striking blazing colors, red borders, bold lines and rich symbols. The faces of the figures painted are characterized by the receding foreheads and large expressive eyes, shaped like lotus petals. The painting themselves are mostly painted in the primary colors of Red, Blue and Yellow.
Collected the following beautiful images from The J&K Bank 2008 Annual Calendar*
Radha giving butter-milk to Krishna Krishna lifting the mountain Govardhana
Radha and Krishna rejoicing the moments of togetherness The holy family of Parvati and Shiva
The vigil of the Expectant heroine Utkanthita Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh paying homage to Trimurti
Naiyka of Ragamala awakening the Nayak Radha listening to the music of Krishna’s flute
Krishna swallowing the forest fire of Vrindavan Radha holds the restless calf while Krishna is milking a cow
Krishna bringing the Parijata tree from Indra’s Heaven View from the window
(Name of artists(not in any order): Lalit Kumar Dogra, Surinder Singh Billawaria, Sohan Singh Billawaria, Dharam Pal, Dheeraj Kapoor, Sona upadhaya, Shakeel Ahmed Raza, Arun Dogra, M.K. Wadhera and Sushil Padha)
You can check out these links if you are interested in knowing more about the art and history of Basohli Paintings:
- Indian Govt. website on Kathua (the place of origin of this painting style)
- A press release on an installation of Basoli paintings held in 2003 at Metropolitan Museum, New York
- You can check out these images in a video presentation too
Recommended Read and Acknowledgment:
Centres of Pahari Painting By Chandramani Singh
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Earlier cross posted at my other blog
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*Every year J&K Bank comes out with beautiful Calendars. Since this year they featured “Hindu paintings”, even though one of the painters is muslim, it could have been a cause of concern for the muslims of the state(valley). So another calender circulated by them this year had the theme of “Kashmiris Everywhere”. It carried photographs if Kashmiris working in various towns and citites of India.
Bengali in Kashmir
If areas around Indian railway tracks (at least in the north) are the dominion of Shahi Dawakhana and Hakeem Sahib, then area around Indian roadways are the dominion of Dr. Bengali. Why the roads? Is it the truckers and the soldiers? Maybe. More baffling is the question why the areas around railway tracks? Is it the coach drivers? Anyway…
In Jammu city you are more likely to see ads for and expect help from Dr. Malhotra. But, the area along the highway to Kashmir is again under the monopoly of Dr. Bengali. Advertisements offering guaranteed cure for unmentionable diseases and unlimited power over unforgivable weaknesses appear all along the road to Kashmir. All along the road their limp message, effective design, snazzy coloring and generous appointment hours(actually a whole day) with the “Dr” hardly change. The frequency of their occurrence is rather high around Udhampur district. Here you can’t look away from them as almost every third shop has these ads promoting sex clinics(?) painted on their walls.
What I didn’t expect was to see these ads in Kashmir valley. However, I came across them even along the way to Gulmarg.
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Earlier cross posted at my other blog
