Gallery of Kashmiri Pandit Urdu Poets, 17th, 18th & 19th century

window of an abandoned Kashmiri Pandit house.
Gusamnar Mohalla, Ladhoo village, Pampore
Kashmir.
“Hari Om” in Urdu.
Photo: Ashima Kaul. 2018.

Presenting photographs of Kashmiri Pandit poets given in “Bahar-e-gulshan-e-Kashmir,” the two volumes  containing verses by hundreds of Kashmiri Pandit poets, with each contributor introduced with a brief biographical note. The work was compiled in 1931 and 1932, each running about 900 pages and published from Allahabad under the patronage of Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru. The work has been available online for quite sometime, however this is first time all the photographs from the work are being made available together. [Will be adding notes on the poets over the years as I come across more info. ]


[my mother-in-law, Jiji, who helped with the translation. Any additional notes and corrections are welcome.]

Chandra Bhan Brahman presented by Dara Shikoh to Shahjahan. Dara once asked Brahman to recite in the presence of Shah Jahan the following verse: “So greatly is my heart associated with infidelity, that many a time When I took it to Mecca, it returned a Brahman.”

Roopa Bhawani urf Alkeshwari with Madhavjoo Dhar
Pandit Rajkak Dhar “fitra”

 Dewan Amarnath Madan

Dewan Bramnath Madan

 Dewan Manath Madan “Zafri”

Dewan Pandit Radhaynath Koul “Gulshan”

 Dewan Pandit Shivnath Koul Muntazar

 Pandit Amarnath Hajjin Shaida

 Pandit Arzan Nath Mattoo Naushia

 Pandit Avtaar Kishan Tickoo “Avtaar”

Pandit Avtaar Krishan Gurtoo

Pandit Avtaarlal Bakaya

Pandit Bhishambar Nath Sapru Sabir

 Pandit Brij Kishan Kaul

Pandit Brijlal Nehru Watan
[Cousin of Jawahar Lal Nehru]

 Pandit Brijnarayan Chakbast  (1882–1926)

“Zara Zara hai mere Kashmir ka mihman-nawaz
Rah men pathar ke tukrun se mila pani mujhe”

 Pandit Chand Narayan Raina

 Pandit Dayakrishan Topa “Mustar”

 Pandit Dharam Chand Kaul Jalaali

 Pandit Dinanath Chakan “Mast Kashmiri”

 Pandit Dinanath Madan “Muntazar”

 Pandit Durga Prasad Mushraan

 Pandit Girdarilal Trakroo “Mouzu”

 Pandit Harinayan urf Bishambarnath Haaksar

 Pandit Iqbal Krishan Sehar

 Pandit Jankinath Madan “Bejaan”

 Pandit Kailash Narayan Kaul

 Pandit Kailash Prasad Nashi

 Pandit Kanta Prasad Sukhiya Masroor

 Pandit kanwar Gauriprasaad Munshi Hadeem Akbarabadi

 Pandit Kashinath Dhar

 Pandit Kishan Lal Atal

 Pandit Madhav Prasad Kaul Sharga “Dard”

 Pandit Maharaj Kishan Sahijean Nadeem

 Pandit Mahraaj Narayan Dhar

 Pandit Manmohan Kishan Walli

 Pandit Mishanbarnath Mushraan

 Pandit Motilal Katju

 Pandit Nandlal Dhar “Begarz”

 Pandit Naranjannath Sahil “Mustaak”

 Pandit Omkar Narayan Bakshi

Pandit Ram Nath Agha

 Pandit Ratan narayan Dhar “Arsh”

Pandit Roopnarayan Dhar “Masroor”

 Pandit Shuban Narayan Haaksar “Zabar”

 Pandit Shyam Narayan Mushraan

 Pandit Shyamprasad Betaab

 Pandit Sri Kishan Koul “Bias”

 Pandit Subhan Narayan Dhar

 Pandit Swaroop Narayan Raina

 Pandit Tej Nath Tickoo “Naaz”

 Pandit Tribhuvan Nath Sapru “Hijr”

 Pandit Vishwanath Kaul

 Pandti Anand Narayan Mulla

 Pandit Ajodayaprasad Munshi “betaab”

 Pandit Brijmohan Dattatreya “kafi”

 Pandit Dayanandan Gajuur “ishrath”

Pandit Harinath Matoo “asi”

 Pandit Hridaynarayan Bhan

 Pandit Jagjewan Nath Trakroo

 Pandit Jagmohan Nath Hakku “fida”

 Pandit Jwalaprasad Shanglu “Khursheed”

 Pandit Kamtaprasad Kitchloo “kitchloo”

 Pandit Kanahiya Lal Haaksar “Murtzghar”

 Pandit Kanwar Naranjan Nath Nadan “ishq”

 Pandit Kirtakishen Raina Gratoo “aziz”

 Pandit Kishorilal Katju “kishore”

 Pandit Motilal Hakoo “gowhar”

Pandit Parweshwarnath Trakro “Demag”

 Pandit Ramnarayan Tikoo “kharad”

 Pandit Shivnath Chakk “kaif”

 Pandit Shyamnarayan Tikoo “ashiq”

 Pandit Swaropnarayan Bhan “asi”

 Pandit Tribhavannath Bhan “fariyaad”

Pandit Tribhavannath Aga “hazath”

 Pandit Shivnarayan Bhan “hajazz”

 Pandit Shivrajnath Koul Bakaya “ashiq”

And there are two ladies too in the list of poets!

 Shrimati Pran Kishori Kichlu “Pran”

Shrimati Susheela Tickoo urf Brijkishori Susheela
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On Meaning of word Dejjhor

Hor‘ is an archaic Kashmiri word for pair (hor in “pul-hor“: a pair of traditional kashmiri slippers), while there are no clear answer for the meaning of word dejj. According to some it is the Kashmiri form of a Sanskrit word dwija (twice-born). The belief comes from the fact that the act of wearing Dejhor by a girl is considered same as the thread ceremony of a Brahmin boy. Interestingly, Dejhor is not offered to the girl by the groom, he does not put it in her ears. They are put by paternal aunts. But, is that correct? That Dejj is corrupted form of “Dvija”? No.

“Dejj” is simply the Kashmiri word that means “loose/unsteady/unbound”. It is the female adjective form of “dyol“. In Kashmiri, a mad man, a man with unsteady mind, maybe called “dyol-mut” while a woman may be called “Dejj-mitch”. So, a Dejj-hor in Kashmiri is simply as pair of loose danglers.

Kabir and a Kashmiri saying

Kabir’s 15th century sayings are a living phenomena in India languages. Everyone in North knows a Doha or tow. Did any of these sayings pass on to Kashmiri? Nothing much is know and linguistics seldom studied with a sense of wonder.

I recently came across these lines from Kabir in a song sung by Meghval community of Rajasthan.


video link


“Pehle toh guruji main janmyaPeechhe bada bhai
Dhoom dhaam sa pita re janmya
Sabse peechhe maai
Ber chalya mera bhai…

O wise one, I was the first to be born
Then my elder brother
With great fanfare my father was born
In the end my mother
Time is slipping away…
[trans. via sayskabir]

The lines reminded me of a Kashmiri saying (that goes something like this…and given by anthropologist T.N. Madan in his study of Kashmiri Pandits):

God’e zaas be
pat zaai maej
telli mol
ti adi bude’bab

First was born
I
then mother
then father
and then
was born my
grandfather



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Ode to Mandul

Brian Brake. 1950s

I have always been a man susceptible to stupidity. In my house, tales are told of my stupidity. One time, during a wedding someone sent me to buy 25 kilos of paneer, I came back with 25 kilos of Dahi. At moments like these, someone would usually quick, “tchay ne’nay mandul chatith, tchay tari nee fikri! Someone would cut off your ass and you wouldn’t notice.” It is a nice Kashmiri way of saying, ” You so dumb!” I never understood why Dodhwol, or anyone, would be interested in cutting off someone’s ass. However, I understood one thing clearly over the years: if there’s one thing Kashimiris value more than their brain, it is their ass. Mandul, the ass, is intrinsic part of conversations in Kashmiri. You can’t talk to a Kashmiri without him pointing to the ass. You could be discussing black holes seriously using arguments from Stephen Hawking, and someone would respond with, “Tchay chay ni Mandlitch paaye! You don’t know ass!” End of discussion.

Why is Mandul so central to Kashmiri conversations? Why is Mandul center of Kashmiri lingual anatomy? Mandlu is even a Kashmiri surname! And it is seldom erotically used while speaking. Even though we have a 9th century Kashmiri poetess named Vikatanitamba, (vikaTa=horrible, nitamba=buttock) who wrote erotica.

The Mandul is mentioned in old Kashmiri sayings like:

Soyi seeth mandul chhalun
Wash ass with nettle
Keep bad company
Panzis Dap’ya Ponz zah mandul chhui wazul
Will a monkey tell another monkey that his butt is red?

Pot calling the kettle black

However, in general language Mandul is used more freely.

[Behiv manḍüjü karith, ti boziv. Sit on you ass and listen]

Here’s a little list of ways in which Mandul is invoked in Kashmiri language, often in our intelligent discussions about Kashmir:

mandul ne’nay chatith

You are so dumb, someone would cut off your ass and you wouldn’t even notice.

Following two are best discussion enders

Tchay chay ni Mandlitch paaye


You are trying to sound intelligent but you don’t even know your own ass

If you want to go next level, say

Mandals chui Ghiss lore

There’s shit on your ass and you can’t even see that

Or, vunyi chuy Mandul oudruy

Your ass is still wet. Yet are yet to come of age, yet talk big.

Or even,

Mandul ye chalith

Wash your ass. You stink.

These lines are usually used if someone has got


Mandlas Kijj

Itchy ass. Deployed if a person is trying to be smart ass.

Or

Mandlas Kyom

Wormy Ass
If a person is fickly and won’t sit at one place.

Or, the next level

Mandlas chi chott kyom

Tape wormy ass

The lines often end with the other party getting

Mandlas tatur

Ass inflammation

Mandul woshlun

Ass gone red like monkey

Mandul Asmanas gasun

Bending down.

Mandlas Pyeth kaduss preth

Kick on his ass

To avoid it all, you need

Mandlas aaych

Ass that has an eye. Be super smart.

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Nabas Mandul Havun

In rural Kashmir, among Pandit families involved with farming, if one wanted to make rains stop, one would pick a kid and face it’s shining ass to the sky. Yes, that would make the rain stop. Indra Dev be happy. One of those Kashmiri things. They would mock the gods: “We are not afraid. My kid washes his butt with your rain!”

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Essential Kashmiri Love Talk

SearchKashmir is going into an unchartered territory of Kashmiri language. Intimacy.

Things you can call your Kashmiri lover. Interestingly, a bulk of them come from Persian.

Janaan/Janaano (Joonam of Persian, Jaanam of Hindustani)

Can be used for male as well as female

Dilbaro (Dilbar of Persian, Charmer)

Haer (myna bird of Hindi)

Used for female

Shereen (Sugar. ‘sweetie’ of English)

Used for female

Zoonie (moon)
Used for female
Tcher (little sparrow)
Golaab Kosum (Rose Bud)
You can just use Kosum also or you can mix it up with Laale‘ (Tulip)
Badaam gooj (Almond seed)

Myaen Maetch (my madwoman)

For men you can use:
Myani Bulbulo (my Bulbul )
Myani Aftaabo (my Sunlight)
Myani Mehtaabo (my Moonlight)
Myani Hamsaaro (my Lover/Partner/Equal)
Myani Gaasho (Light of my eyes)…never to be confused with Bai Gaasho ( that is something you can call your brother)
Myani Shoga (my Parakeet)
Myani Daene’falo (my Pomegranate seed)

Myaani Mastaano (my mad man/my drunken lover)

Men and women can use words like:
Myani Madaano (my lover, from name of Kamdev…Madan)
Myaani Rindo (my flower)
Myaani Armaano (my only wish)

Mout (madman). Koul’a Mout could be offensive but myon Mout should be fine. Kashmiri apparently love been called mad.

One can use phrases like:

Zoo Wandaey (I give you my life)

Navas Lagaii (my everything in your name)

Lol Naraey (let me love you)

Mai che Tchain Maaye (I love you)

Mukk Naas Khyamay (‘I will eat you small flat nose’. Often said to small children, but can be used on a lover) 

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first Persian verse composed by a Kashmiri



Ay bigird-i sham-i ruyat alami parvana’i
vaz lab-i shirin tu shurist dar har khana’i
Man bi chandi ashna’i mikhuram khun-i jigar
ashna ra hal inast vay bar bigana-i

O candle-faced one, the whole world flutters round thee like a moth;
thy sweet lips have caused commotion (or bitterness) in every home.
Such being the state of affliction of thy friend,
how woeful must be the plight of a stranger!

~ first Persian verse composed by a Kashmiri. Attributed by some chronicles to Sultan Qutub ud-Din [1373-1389] and by some others to Zayn al-Abidin [1420-1470].

From ‘Persian Poetry in Kashmir, 1339— 1846: An Introduction’ (1971) by Girdhari L. Tikku

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based on a painting of Kashmiri woman by B. Prabha.

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Tabrizi Song



A persian song ‘What Plan, O Musulmans’ based on ‘Diwan-e Shams-e Tabrizi’ of Rumi. This version was collected by Ananda Coomaraswamy from a Kashmiri minstrel named Abdullah Dar in around 1913 and presented in ‘Thirty Songs from the Panjab and Kashmir’

The same thought in more popular, still, in sub-continent in words of Bulleh Shah from Panjab. 
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Complete Anand Koul Collection

Between 1910s, 20s and 30s, Anand Koul remained one of the most prolific writers from Kashmir. He wrote books and shot off letters to various journals. Most of these writings are now often cited in writings about language, folklore and history of Kashmir. Last couple of years, I have been tracing, reading, uploading and sharing these works.

Works of Pandit Anand Koul complied/uploaded/scanned till now.

Pandit Anand Koul
1. A biography of Kashmiri historian Hasan Shah and History of Kashmir by Pandit Anand Koul for Journal and Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal vol 9 (1913)
History of Kashmir by Pandit Anand Koul for Journal and Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal vol 6 (1910)
Blog Link (2014)
2. Kashmiri Pandits by Pandit Anand Koul, 1924
Blog Link (2013)
3. Geography Of The Jammu And Kashmir State (1925) by Anand Koul
Book Link (2014)
4. “Birth-Place of Kalidasa By Pandit Anand Koul. Published in Journal of Indian History VII (1928).

Blog Link (2012)

5. Note on the Relation between Kashmir and Kerala (By Pandit S. Anand Koul.
Kerala Society Papers -1928. T. K. Joseph (Ed.) )

Blog Link (2013), this one was an accidental find while I was going through history of Kerala after moving to the place.
6. A Life of Nand Rishi by Pandit Anand Koul (1929)
+
‘Life Sketch of Laleshwari – A Great Hermitess of Kashmir’
+

(The Wise Saying of Lal Ded)
The Indian Antiquary
June, 1930

Blog Link (2014)
7. Kashmiri Riddles By Pandit Anand Koul (1933)
Link (2014)
8. Two volumes of ‘Archaeological Remains In Kashmir’ by Pandit Anand Koul, 1935

Blog Link (2012)

9. Kashmiri Proverbs Pandit Anand Koul (1933)
10. Wise Sayings of Nand Rishi by Anand Koul for ‘The Indian Antiquary’ (1933)
11. ‘Life of Rishi Pir Pandit Padshah’ by Pandit Anand Koul for ‘The Indian Antiquary’ (1931). There is a lengthy detour in the piece that touches upon story of Sarmad’s killing by Aurangzeb.

12.  ‘Life of Rupa Bhawani’ by Pandit Anand Koul and presented in ‘The Indian Antiquary’ (1932). Both this and the precious piece about Rishi Pir throw light upon the influence of Persian language among Kashmiri Pandits in around 1600s.

Link

13. Lalla-Vakyani, some additional sayings of Lal Ded collected by Pandit Anand Koul and presented in ‘The Indian Antiquary’ (1931-32-33). (one missing page, 2 sayings)

Link

14. A Visit to Kapal Mouchan by Anand Koul, 1909

Link

15. ‘The Kashmir Shawl Trade’ by Anand Koul, 1915. From ‘East And West  Vol. 14(1915)’

Important paper by Anand Koul on the Kashmiri Shawl trade with rare info. that went on to be primary source for later writings on the subject.
16. “Sanitation In Srinagar” by Anand Koul 1917. From “The Local Self-government Gazette (Vol. 3)”.
Important paper by Anand Koul on the early challenges in starting Sanitation municipal work in Srinagar as the head of the newly started department.
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Alman Khasun

Alman Khasun: In Kashmir, climbing on top of things, roof, shelves, poles, windows, gates, walls, trees, anything, in a state of frenzy.

Clip: 1. Bollywood frenzy from a song in Mr. Natwarlal (1979) shot in Kashmir. 2. A shot from frenzy that was 1990.

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