Shared by Shivani Pandita from her personal family collection.
She writes:
In the center holding the baby (my eldest masi, Chuni Pandit), is my maternal grandmother, Leelawati Pandit. She must have been 20-21 yrs old in this picture. The others are Leelawati’s siblings. This picture must have been shot at her parental home in Dadsara village in Tral sub-district of Kashmir . My Nani was 11 years old when she got married but she had her first daughter after 10/11 years of marriage. This picture is shot somewhere between 1934-36 and is one of the few that survived time and migration. My maternal family has been matriarchal as my grandfather died at a young age. Leelawati was not educated but very intelligent and hardworking, she even learnt reading and writing Hindi later from her grand daughter and even in advanced age was keen to learn.
My mother’s maternal grand uncle in his village Akura (Okur), Anantnag. 1960s. Govind Joo Bambroo (Gund-maam, for my mother) was youngest uncle (mama) of my Nani. Gundmaam was a lover of Kehwa, loved it loaded with dalcheeni and elachi. Okur, when it crops up in conversation with my mother, is always remembered as a village paradise. Apparently a stream snaked silently under the wooden old house which was my nani’s matamaal. Okur is the place from where my nani and her children, my mother, her sister and brother get their nose.
The family had a lot of cows, in 1990 when the family fled, the barn’s gate was kept open for the cows to walk out and find new homes.
-0-
Photograph from 1950s. Seated on chair: My Nani’s mother. Her name was Yamberzal. After marriage she was renamed Umrawati, wife of Tarachand Raina, of Chattabal near Batte Booyn (Pandit Chinar). Tarachand was store keeper for British Bungalow at Gulmarg. Later the family moved to Karfali Mohalla.
Chattabal is where my father’s family comes from. The two families knew each other. Tarachand Raina’s brother’s first wife was sister of my great-grand mother. She died due to pregnancy complications. She had two children at the time, a boy named Radhakrishan Raina and a girl (mother remembers her as “kamjigri”). It is said she had Tchaman (Paneer) and died of colitis. This would be in 1930s. Radhakrishan Raina was stuck in Sialkot in 1947. He never returned. His wife, Radhikarani (my mother remembers her Chotey Bhabi) was pregnant with second child at the time. The family lived in Chattabal, my grandmother was friends with here. Radhikarani died in 2018, my grandmother was in Kerala with me at the time. When the news came on the phone, she cried and remembered Radhika Rani’s life. Radhikarani’s original name was something else, perhaps Shyama, she was renamed after the name of her husband. She was great at making tablecloth out of used rugs. I heard how even as late as in 1965 war there was talk that Radhakrishan had survived, in prison, or converted. There was hope. Turned out to be rumor.
When my Nani was pregnant with her first one, Radhakarani was also expecting. They were visited by a wandering saint, perhaps Prath Mout (Prath the Madman), a mercurial ascetic who would forecast future, say it out load, even if it was bleak. Mout told Radhakarani that she would deliver a boy, but he asked that the child better be given to him after birth. Radhakarani knew this meant something bad was about to go down. To my Nani also, he forecast a boy, but he said, you can keep him as you will need him.
Guest post by Atul Ravi. First photograph taken in his family.
Raghu Nath Zadoo seated on left wearing a cap
This pic was taken in some studio probably Mahatta but not sure . It was first day of my grandfather’s college. He had worn shoes for the first time in his life. The boys all dressed up and decided to get themselves clicked and barely managed to pool in money. It was the first pic in the family and was kept like that in our house. May be that’s how it survived .
My grandfathers name was Sh Raghu Nath Zadoo ( called as Rugh Nath in local lingo ). He was born in Gund Ahalmar Srinagar in 1920 to Smt Yemberzal and my Great Grandfather ( i don’t recall his name ). He was second in three siblings. He was first graduate in the family and completed BA , BT and BEd. He was politically active and was secretary of teachers association in Srinagar. He was also a recipient of Presidents Medal ( Bronze ) for his contribution to Census in Srinagar. He retired in 70s as Tehsil Education Officer. Post retirement he was an administrator in Hindu High School, Gankhan. He was also attached to Ganpatyar Mandir Committee . One particular incident I recall once we left Srinagar, he managed to get the salaries of few months of all teachers from the school and I could see the them thanking him in gratitude.
Post migration, he kept going to Srinagar and stayed in the house with all caution thrown to the wind. He only stopped when he became too old to travel. He lost his senses and was bedridden but in that state too he recalled Srinagar as his only refuge. He used to make gestures to my grandmother to pack and leave for Srinagar. When my uncle after few years went to our home, he saw that Grandfather had made arrangements like coals, wood, his walking stick, some clothes and dry vegetables for his next visit to Kashmir which never happened .
Andy Singh shares a photograph from his personal collection. Khalsa High School, Srinagar. 2007 Bikrami (1950). He writes : “My late uncle Satwant Singh Sawhney ji is in this photograph ( first left , first row sitting ).”
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
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
An old photograph of 1920s showing two friends Bisheswar Nath Munshi( retired as Secretary, Public Service Commission, J&K Govt.) and Kachorr. (?)
-0-
Previously from this collection: Thre Kashmiri Friends
Sitting left to right: Late Dina Nath Kak retired as Principal Govt. College, Kapurthala. Late Bisheshwar Nath Munshi retired as Secretary, Public Service Commission, J&K Govt.
Standing: Late Sham Lal Dhar, retired Home Secretary , J&K Govt.
This picture was taken on 10.6.1925 on Dina Nath’s Birthday
-0-
A photograph of of a Kashmiri Pandit Family taken in front of their farm house at a stones throw from the famous Neolithic site of Burzahom, Kashmir in 1930s.
Update: More info. from Man Mohan Munshi ji about the family in the photograph.
Mrs.Lakhshmi Fotedar, [At present in Noida]. Mrs. Jaya Razdan [at present in Orange county California. , Late Mrs. Uma Sumbli. Chairs: Late Mrs Gauri Munshi, Late Sham Lal Koul, Late Raghu Nath Koul, Late Jagan Nath Koul, Late Devki Koul front row sitting Mrs Rupa Koul[at present in Delhi] Manmohan Munshi[at present in Jammu] Kishni [present whereabouts unknown].
