Tag: guest posts

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Biscoe Assemblage, 1934

“Principal Biscoe and his family with senior staff of the school, 1934. Biscoe is seated in the front row, second from left.”
From P. N. Dhar’s autobiographical book, “Indira Gandhi, the “Emergency”, and Indian Democracy. (2009)
Image shared by Rudresh Kaul.
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Postcards from Kashmir


A photo presentation on vintage postcards of Kashmir shared generously by Michael Thomas of Pipal Press from his personal collection. These were collected by his wife Jean Thomas.

Music courtesy of RaviMech Studio

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Although I have added captions to the video, here’s the listing details of 36 images provided by Michael Thomas.

1
00:00:05,000 –> 00:00:09,000
Srinagar, Kashmir – writing on side. 1903.
2
00:00:10,000 –> 04:06:40,000
Shepherdess, Kashmir. [Also, known as ‘the shepherd’s daughter”, from the book ‘The Charm of Kashmir’ (1920)]
3
00:00:29,400 –> 00:00:40,000
Mur Canal. Nalla-e-Mar.
4
00:00:46,000 –> 00:00:50,000
Nautch Girl
5
00:00:58,000 –> 00:01:04,000
A Kashmir Boat Girl
6
00:01:07,000 –> 00:01:20,000
A Boatman
7
00:01:22,000 –> 00:01:26,000
Kashmir Dungas
8
00:01:28,000 –> 00:01:34,000
Kashmir Woman Spinning
9
00:01:35,000 –> 00:01:45,000
A Peasant Girl, Kashmir
10
00:01:50,000 –> 00:01:54,000
Srinagar Above 7th Bridge, Kashmir
11
00:01:55,000 –> 00:01:59,000
Srinagar, River View from bridge
12
00:02:00,000 –> 00:02:11,000
Mar Canal
13
00:02:12,000 –> 00:02:16,000
Srinagar and bridge of Shops
14
00:02:18,000 –> 00:02:24,000
City and the third Bridge
15
00:02:26,000 –> 00:02:34,000
Shalamar Gardens
16
00:02:36,000 –> 00:02:42,000
Nishat Bagh
17
00:02:45,000 –> 00:02:47,000
Bara Mola (Baramulla/Varmul)
18
00:02:48,000 –> 00:02:53,000
A houseboat at Baramulla
19
00:02:55,000 –> 00:03:00,000
Town of Baramulla (Wrong caption, actually view of Srinagar)
20
00:03:03,000 –> 00:03:12,000
Dal Lake
21
00:03:16,000 –> 00:03:21,000
Crossing Woolar Lake
22
00:03:23,000 –> 00:03:30,000
Kashmir in Winter
23
00:03:34,000 –> 00:03:40,000
Srinagar, The Palace
24
00:03:43,000 –> 00:03:48,000
A Dungar or Kashmir Boat
25
00:03:50,000 –> 00:03:53,000
Lotus Lilies, Dhal Lake
26
00:03:56,000 –> 00:03:58,000
Photograph of Dal Lake. 1946.
27
00:04:01,000 –> 00:04:06,000
Boatman, Dall Lake
28
00:04:09,000 –> 00:04:14,000
Kashmir, Moonshee, Bach, Commissioner’s Boat
29
00:04:17,000 –> 00:04:23,000
Dall Lake. 1930
30
00:04:27,000 –> 00:04:31,000
The Presidency, Srinagar
31
00:04:33,000 –> 00:04:40,000
Srinagar, Another Bridge [Probably, Baramulla Bridge ]
32
00:04:43,000 –> 00:04:50,000
Gulmarg
33
00:04:54,000 –> 00:04:58,000
Pastoral View, Sind Valley
34
00:05:00,000 –> 00:05:03,000
Ladakhis and Yaks, Sind Valley

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Maybe, sometime soon I will make another presentation on the postcards in my collection.

On a side note, I wish more Kashmiris would start using captions for their video, especially on music video. 

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Lyrics: Rum Gayam Sheeshus

 

Continuation from previous post related to Kashmiri songs by Chicago based band Lamajamal. This particular song stood out from the album.

The authentic Kashmiri version by Raaj Begum and Naseem Akhtar. The poet is Mirza Ghulam Hassan Beg Aarif, a scientist who wrote poetry.  The ghazal was particularly popular on Radio Kashmir in 60s and 70s.

Lyrics shared by Abid Mohmood Shafiee (Thanks to Pickee Kaul for getting him to share it over at the Facebook page of this blog)


Rum gayem sheehshass
begour govaa baane meoun
Sakiyaa, waiyieth rateyaa jaanaan meoun
Aaminee khaasen, thaevoemas mas barieth
Maetch be tas path, ye Aamni mastaani meoun
Sakiyaa, waiyeth rateyaa jaanaan meoun
Zev kaleyem , az kautin kadenum shaahas
Maetch be tas path, tasspatii mastaan meoun
Sakiyaa, waiyeeth rateyaa jaanaan meoun,
Ulfattche tal waahi kadneum, yaari aaem
Chaesmanan manz kusii wanies afsaane meoun
Sakiyaa, waiyeeth rateyaa jaanaan meoun,
Rum gayem sheehshass
Begour govaa baane meoun
Sakiyaa, waiyieth rateyaa jaanaan meon

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Update
2017

Young Kashmiri Pandits singing it in Delhi!


video link

Update July 2024 Rum Gayam produced by me.
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Group Photographs, Early 20th century

Guest post from Man Mohan Munshi Ji. Some old group photographs he recently came across at his home. He shares…

Photograph taken in front of the Assembly Hall at Jammu.
 I can’t identify anybody nor can surmise any date

Group photograph taken on a farewell function or retirement of an official of Jammu & Kashmir Government probably round about 1908. Please note two Europeans in the chairs.
I can identify only one person in the last row on the extreme left – Munshi Amarchand, who retired from service in 1926. 
A picture taken in 1920s
From L to R. in chairs B.N.Munshi, Prof Sarwanand Thussu and standing in the center unidentified.
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Jamavar Shawl and Monet



A Guest post by Komal Kaul on discovering a bit of Kashmir in an art exhibit in Chicago.


I recently went to the Chicago Art Institute , where they had a special exhibit on Impressionism , Fashion and Mordern Art. One of the paintings ( actually a loaner from Met Museum of Art NY) was this:

Madame Louis Joachim Gaudibert, 1868
The lady in the paintings actually has a very intricately embroidered Koshur Jamavar Shawl. The artist is Claude Monet.
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Ferdinand Stoliczka’s Memorial



Guest post by Man Mohan Munshi Ji 



Ferdinand Stoliczka ( Czech, 1838-1874) was a palaeontologist who worked in Indian Palaeontology, Geology and various aspects of Zoology including ornithology and herpetology. Stoliczka studied Geology and Palaeontology at Prague and Vienna graduated with a P.H.D. in 1861. He joined the Geological Survey of India under the British Govt. under Thomas Oldham. He along with W.Thomas Blandford documented the cretaceous fossils of South India. He studied the geology of Western Himalayas, Ladakh and Tibet. He also made two trips to Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He also worked in the Rann of Kutch from where he reported Hunting leopards and Stoliczka’s Bushchat. His third and last expedition to central Asia i.e. 2nd Missions to Yarkand with T.D. Forysth. They set out from Rawalpindi to Leh Shahidulla and finally reached Yarkand in December 1873 and began their return journey in March 1874 and after crossing the Karakorum, he suffered from severe headache from which he could not recover and died at Moorghi village in Ladakh on 16 th June 1874 probably due to acute mountain sickness pulmonary or cerebral oedema. The British Government of India erected a grand memorial as a mark of respect for the service he rendered to the 2nd Yardkand mission.

Memorial of Ferdinand Stoliczka at Leh

Officers of Geological survey of India paying their homage to Stoliczka in 1960s

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Kashmir in Sven Hedin’s Trans-Himalaya, 1906

Man Mohan Munshi Ji shares some scans from his copy of Sven Hedin’s Trans-Himalaya : discoveries and adventures in Tibet (1909). On way to Tibet, Sven was in Kashmir in mid of 1906. Among the scans are two old photographs of famous Nedou Hotel of Srinagar. I add some recent photographs of the hotel sent in by another friend.


Sven Hedin who entered Tibet even after having been denied official permission to enter; The British Government allowed him to proceed via Jammu & Kashmir on his way to Eastern Turkistan from where he crossed into WesternTibet and carried explorations in areas never visited till than by any white man. His publication “Trans Himalaya” published in two volumes in 1909 is a master piece [in fact he later brought out a third volume covering mostly his visit to the source of Indus. Read the books here via archive.org: V1 (covering start of his journey from Kashmir), V2, V3]. He made his preparations for his journey in Kashmir initially. He is profuse in his thanks to a Kashmiri gentlemen Pandit Daya Kishan Koul Diwan Sahib who arranged everything from supplies, equipment, mules ponies and four soldiers as body guards. He has also acknowledged the services rendered by about thirty six Asians mostly Ladakhis who accompanied him to Tibet where when discovered by local authorities they did face trouble. Besides others, he also thanks Sir Francis Younghusband, the then British Resident at Srinagar who had explored Muztag and other passes of Karakorum Range between Eastern Turkistan and Jammu and Kashmir and also led the British Expedition to Lhasa in 1905-6.


title cover


Portrait of the then Maharaja of Jammu & Kashmir [Pratap Singh]


view of the then Srinagar Palace now old Secretariat


view of Fateh Kadal, 3rd bridge of Srinagar. The building on the left with the flag is the C.M.S School, Srinagar. On the right the minaret of Shah Hamdan’s Ziarat is visible with North Kashmir or Sogput Range in the distant background


Sven Hedin in front of the Nedou’s hotel Srinagar with his baggage


Some of the mules being loaded at Nedou Hotel

Four body guards for Sven Hedin arranged by Pandit Daya Kishan. Sitting: Ganpat Singh, Khairullah from Peshawar. Standing: Bikom Singh and Basgul from Kabul. Both Singhs are Dogra Rajputs

starting off from Ganderbal


The Road to Baltal.




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Some recent photographs (June 2013) of Nedou Hotel that was last year vacated by CRPF. And is now under renovation with possible plans of reopening. Shared with me by cartoonist Sumit Kumar of Kashmir Ki Kahani.

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Previously:
Sven Hedin in Kashmir [From Pole to Pole: A book for young people by Sven Hedin]

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