Rare Photographs of Pandit Nehru

An incredible collection of rare old photographs of Pandit Nehru sent in by Man Mohan Munshi Ji. I have contributed three images – one that i found in ‘Letters From a Father to His Daughter: Being the Brief Account of the Early Days of the World Written for Children’ and two photographs taken by Homai Vyarawalla that I found in a Catalogue for a Photo Exhibition organized in year 1999 by Press Trust of India celebrating  50 years of its existence.


Update: I am adding some more rare photographs, mostly taken from a picture book on Nehru published in 1964 just after his death. Also I am adding photographs from some other resources too. By the time I am done, this is going to be the single biggest archive of Nehru Photographs on the web. Enjoy! 

-0-

Nehru with parents Moti Lal Nehru and Swarup Rani

Yagnopveet (Sacred Thread) ceremony of Jawaharlal Nehru

As a cadet at Harrow
Bar at Law
 Behind Bars with Brother-in-Law Ranjit Pandit
After marriage with Kamala in 1916

With daughter Indira Priyadarshani in 1918
Kamala Nehru, Jawahar Lal Nehru and their daughter Indira. Found it in  ‘Letters From a Father to His Daughter: Being the Brief Account of the Early Days of the World Written for Children.’

At London with Lord Wavell, Congress and Muslim League leaders, 1946
 In conference with Lord Mountbatten, Congress and Muslim League Leaders . 1947
Utterly sad and exhausted looking Nehru Votes for partition, 1947
With Winston Churchill who remarked that Nehru had overcome two of greatest Human failings – “Fear and Hatred”
At London with Vijay Lakshmi Pandit,Indira Gandhi,Feroz Gandhi , Krishna Menon and others

Nehru with Albert Einstein

with Khrushchev
Riding a yalk in Bhutan, 1956
Encouraging trainees at Himalayan Mountaineering, Darjeeling 1957
In 1969 1962 with Jacqueline Kennedy. By Homai Vyarawalla.
At Delhi’s Palam Airport alongside an ironic signboard. By Homai Vyarawalla.

-0-
Update.

Pandit Nehru on board the first BOAC jet plane, on a 45-minute flight to Nanda Devi. Nehru is seen lighting the cigarette of the then Deputy High Commissioner’s wife Mrs Simon. Shot bHomai Vyarawalla . 
Apparently, the plane burst in midair on it’s second flight. Year, based on the year of the accident, probably 1953.

-0-

Update:

Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor with Mr. Nehru. 1958 by Kewal Mehra.
 The story of how I came across it here.

-0-
Update:

The following photographs are taken from a rare picture book on Pandit Nehru published in 1964 by Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd after Nehru’s death. I managed to get my hands on the book from an ebay seller.

Throwing a pillow at some inattentive colleague during the debate, Avadi Congress, 1955.
Pandit Nehru on his Birthday in U.S.A. , 1961
At a children’s gathering in Bombay, 1954
Showing his skill with cane at a performance by traditional swordsmen

Carrying a Samurai Sword. Visit to a Japanese Film Studio, 1957


Squatting on the threshold to the Banteay Srei temple in Indo-China, 1954

…more than 50 images to be uploaded  soon.

Eminent Kashmiri Pandits of the Past

Some incredible old photographs sent in by Man Mohan Munshi Ji. Will keep this post to publish more stuff on this theme.
-0-

Pandit Mahanand Joo Dhar   (1828-1908) 
 He took over the land settlement department of Jammu & Kashmir Govt. from Sir Walter Lawrence
Pandit Sat Ram Joo Dhar (1845-1875)
Revenue Commissioner Kishtwar  S/O Pt Mahananad Joo Dhar
Smt. Sonamal Dhar w/o  Pt. Sat Ram Dhar

Pt Mahanand Joo Dhar was the great grandfather and Pt. Sat Ram Dhar was grandfather of Maj-Gen. (retd) B.N.Dhar.

Photograph and drawing of Nanga Parbat

Guest-post by Man Mohan Munshi Ji.
-0-

A view of the worlds 14 the highest peak known at present as Nanga Parbat (Naked
  Mountain). It is also called by the natives as Dyamur (Moor’s head).
 View of Nanga Parbat drawn by Alexander Cunningham published in his book Ladakh published in 1854

During the Purana times it was known as Dumra Lohita (The king of mountains ) which can be visualized by the fact that submit of Nanga Parbat 26,660 ft above the msl with its base at the side by the side of Sindu (Indus) at about 3,500 ft. exposes a fall of about 23,160 at the Astor valley or one of the passes connecting Kishenganga valley with that of Indus valley. The unparalleled view is more impressive than that of Grand Canyon of Colorodo USA and Namchebarwa Peak and Bed of river Tsangpo(Brahmaputra). The fall of more than 23,000 ft exposed to the gaze of observers during the purana times led to the belief that Dumraluhita (Nanga Parbat ) is the highest mountain in the world.

Boat Bridges

“Over the Vitasta this King had the Great Bridge constructed and only since that time the design of such boat bridges become well known.”

– 354, Third Taranga. From Ranjit Pandit’s translation of Kalhan’s Rajatarangini.The king was Parvarasena.

An old photograph of Habba Kadal Zaina Kadal (check the note below) with boat design.

-0-
Correction by Man Mohan Munshi Ji:

This bridge cannot be HabbaKadal (2nd Bridge) by any chance . The Tomb of Zain-ul-abdin’s mother/(Sikandar Butshikan’s queen) located in Mazar Salatin is clearly visible in the background and as such the bridge is Zaina Kadal the fourth bridge.

-0-

Update: This is what a boat bridge would have looked like:

Bridge of Boats over Indus at Khushal Garh [District Kohat, now in Pakistan]

From: Asia (Volume 1, 1885) by Elisée Reclus (1830-1905)

Sketch Map and Pictures, 1842

Shared by Man Mohan Munshi Ji.
-0-

Sketch map of Jammu & Kashmir  by J .& C.Walker Sculpt.,  1842
Sketch of Interior of Srinagar along Jhelum 3rd bridge (Fateh Kadal)
and Shah Hamdan Ziarat in the distance  drawn by Day & Hagelith
Sketch of Charchinari island in Dal Lake by by Day & Hagelitch. Faint
view of Mahadev and SriDwara mountains  is visible in the background.

 In year 1942, the three sketches were published in London by  Henry Colburn, 13 Great Marlborough  Street.

Konsar Nag and Mollen pot hole

Guest post by Man Mohan Munshi Ji. I had to ask him what ‘Mollen pot hole’ means. 
-0-

 Snow Covered Konsar Nag Lake (Kramasaras) in Spring

Mollen pot hole in a snow covered valley in Pir Panjal Range.

Both photographs have been taken in May 1954 and are from my post graduate thesis paper submitted in 1955.  Mollen Pot hole is a well/pond like shape carved in a thick snow bed  by the  under flowing water.

A Beauty of the Valley, 1920

A Beauty of the Valley by Gertrude Hadenfeldt
A Beauty of the Valley by Gertrude Hadenfeldt

Found this beauty in ‘The Charm of Kashmir’ (1920) by V.C. Scott O’connor (Vincent Clarence Scott, 1869-1945). Miss Gertrude. Hadenfeldt’s water color of Kashmir are still quite popular. She had spent around five years in the valley.

Kashmiri Pandit Family Portrait, 1930s

Contributed by Man Mohan Munshi Ji.
-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].

-0-
YouTube
YouTube
Instagram
RSS