HIMACHAL THE BEAUTIFUL STATE, PART I – REWALSAR (TIBETAN SHRINES)

In my earlier article: ‘Himachal The Beautiful State, Part I – Rewalsar’, I had brought out the journey to this beautiful lake town, 24 kms from Mandi. I had also brought out that Rewalsar is a confluence of three religions: the Hindu, the Sikh and the Buddhist.

I had covered the Guru Gobind Singh Gurudwara of the Sikhs and the three main temples of the Hindus: the temple of the Lomush sage, the Shiv temple and the Krishna temple.

I had then just embarked on the Buddhist shrines when I ended the article to be covered in this part.

The local name for Rewalsar (called Tso Pema by the Tibetans) is Trisangam (confluence of three). Right now, the most prominent and most impressive structures are the ones put up by the Tibetans. We went to three of them.

The first one is the shrine and the statue of Padmasambhava on the hill opposite to the Gurudwara Hill. Here is a picture of these taken by me from the Gurudwara:

img_20160914_141922

And then a closer picture from the lake. Unfortunately the sun was against me even though I tried various angles.

img_20160914_150719

Why is this place so important to the Tibetans that they would go about erecting an 123 feet high statue of Padmasambhava at this sight that was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama on 01 Apr 2012 and also go about making an impressive and ornate shrine for him? Padmasambhava was an Indian ‘Tantric’ who left from here for Tibet to spread Buddhism. He was and is known as Rinpoche (the Precious one). It is, thanks to him, that Buddhism spread to Tibet.

There is a local belief that the islands of reed found in the lake are the ones in which his soul resides. This belief has its origin in the legend that the king of Mandi had Padmasambhava burnt alive after rumours that he had tried ‘Tantras’ with his daughter. Padmasambhava or Guru Rinpoche’s pyre burnt for a full week with billows of smoke. After this period, a lake (Tso Pema) appeared at the spot and the Guru appeared as a young boy, sitting on a lotus in the middle of the lake. The king, in repentance, married his daughter to the Guru.

img_20160914_150650
Islands of reeds in the lake with the holy Tibetan buntings

After climbing the small hill, one has to undertake these steps (62 of them) to reach the first stage of the shrine:

img_20160914_154719

As you reach the top, on the right side of the shrine, somewhere near the steps is the commemoration stone of the shrine.

img_20160914_155143

Rinpoche is the recognised avatar of Buddha. One of the locals from whom I asked for the way to the shrine told me that the local population has gone crazy by going to the court and getting a stay-order for opening anything but the ground floor to the public since permission was taken for a shrine of Buddha but the shrine is a tribute to Padmasambava!

The first thing that you notice about the shrine is how immaculate it is. The second is the imposing statue of Padmasambhava and the third is the beautiful entrance:

img_20160914_154909 img_20160914_155206 img_20160914_155633 img_20160914_160034 img_20160914_160550

As we entered the shrine, we observed the chanting by the monks to the beat of a drum and the maginificent statues of Buddha, and the beautiful paintings on the walls and the ceiling.

img_20160914_155429img_20160914_155617 img_20160914_155640

We left the shrine saddened that we could not proceed to the first and second floors because of the court-order. Before we go any further, here is what you can expect in Rewalsar as far as Buddhist shrines are concerned:

img_20160914_161524

Next we went to the Zigar Drupka Kargyud Institute, within walking distance (five minutes walk). We couldn’t go around the entire institute but we could see the shrine and once again took in the exquisite and splendid beauty of the shrine:

img_20160914_162456 img_20160914_162505 img_20160914_162537 img_20160914_162627 img_20160914_162639 img_20160914_162700 img_20160914_162714 img_20160914_162946 img_20160914_163013

By now, you must be wondering if anything can be as beautiful as the interior of this shrine or monastery. Well, you haven’t seen enough yet.

We went back to the Gurudwara hill (by our car) to have a look at this most beautiful monastery of the three in Rewalsar. Here is our first look as soon as we stopped the car:

img_20160914_164424

Here is how the Gurudwara appears from there:

img_20160914_164452

By the way, I made a number of videos about our visit to Rewalsar and I shall put them on You Tube under the same name: Sunbyanyname. Our first visit in the monastery was to the wax-lamps room and there is only a video about it which I shall put on later. Have a look at the imposing entrance and pay attention to the most enchanting mudras of dancing-girls at the bottom of the shrine walls:

img_20160914_164613 img_20160914_164938 img_20160914_165024 img_20160914_165108 img_20160914_165118 img_20160914_165133

In one of the pics above you would have seen a small Gompa on one end of the monastery. Here is a large prayer wheel on the other end:

img_20160914_170637

Now that we have seen the exterior, lets see the interior on the ground floor:

img_20160914_165256 img_20160914_165913

Here are the stairs we climbed to go to the first floor:

img_20160914_170103

And here is what we say (You must remember that most of what we saw is available on the videos and would be put up on the You Tube. This is only an introduction):

img_20160914_170357

img_20160914_170505

The spiral stairs leading to the second floor are simply awesome and a bit scary too:

img_20160914_170124 img_20160914_170532

You are breathless when you reach the top and not only because of all the physical work you put in to reach there:

img_20160914_170617 img_20160914_170632

As you come down, you can’t keep your eyes off the beautiful exterior of the shrine (in addition to the most beautiful interior) and you  have one last look at the giant prayer wheel:

img_20160914_165202 img_20160914_165708 img_20160914_170827 img_20160914_171557

As you leave with all that beauty in your eyes, heart, mind and of course the camera, you wonder if you can get a cup of hot tea or coffee and you discover that they have provided that too free of cost:

img_20160914_171041

As we drove away from Rewalsar, there were many thoughts in our mind; the foremost being of course that Himachal is a beautiful state indeed. The second was about the beauty of the Buddhist shrines in this part (in the first part I described the Sikh and Hindu shrines). And the third, naturally was that Emperor Ashoka (a Maurya king) and his successors did a lot about the spread of Buddhism in India and abroad and it prospered in India for twelve centuries before Mahmud of Ghazni and his successors arrived in Indian sub-continent and used violence to do away with this religion from most parts of the sub-continent. Padmasambhava took the religion to Tibet and from there it returned to India and it is alive in Rewalsar. On the birth anniversary of Padmasambhava in 2004, for example, the Tsechu fair was held and attended by 50, 000 Buddhists from all over the world.

I am sure I must have convinced you to visit this extraordinarily beautiful town of Rewalsar just 24 kms from Mandi.

Please await my next edition of beautiful Himachal.

CROSS-LOC SURGICAL COUNTER-TERRORISM STRIKES, A NEW INDIAN PSYCHE AND RESOLVE?

Mu’izz ad-Din Muhammad Ghori, also known as Muhammad of Ghor, was a Sultan of the Ghurid Empire (The Ghurids were a Persian dynasty from Ghor region that is presently in Afghanistan). The dynasty was originally Buddhist but they converted to Sunni Islam after the conquest of Ghor by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1011 (Kashmir, Doab, Rajasthan and Gujarat were never conquered by Mahmud of Ghazni and remained Hindu dynasties). Mahmud of Ghazni specialised in extreme cruelty, treachery, looting and plunder and extended his empire in the north-western part of Indian sub-continent. He was particularly devoted to the spread of Islam and the tales of his demolitions of Hindu temples can still be seen in many dilapidated structures.

Despite all the cruelties and plunders done in the region by Mahmud of Ghazni, Pak military named its short-range ballistic missile as Ghazanvi missile to honour (!) Mahmud of Ghazni.

The foundation of Muslim rule in India was however laid by Muhammad Ghori. He extended the Ghurid Empire to Delhi and then all the way to Bengal (present day Bangladesh) and greater part of Indian peninsula.

During his conquest of Hindustan, in 1191, Muhammad Ghori captured Bhatinda and planned to take over the neighbouring kingdom of Prithviraj Chauhan. In the First Battle of Tarain (now near Thanesar in Haryana), he was roundly defeated by Prithviraj and was seriously wounded. The Rajput king declined to conduct a hot-pursuit of the retreating Muhammad Ghori’s army as it was considered against the accepted norms of battle that Rajputs believed in.

Mu’izz ad-Din Muhammad Ghori and his army, however, didn’t suffer from any of these armed conflict ethics. So, in the Second Battle of Tarain, in 1192, they defeated Prithviraj’s army through guile and deceit (Prithviraj’s army was used to battle between sunrise and sunset whereas Muhammad Ghori’s army carried out successful surprise attacks pre-dawn). Also, since Prithviraj had fought against all his neighbouring Hindu kingdoms, none of them came to his rescue even though he called for help. Prithviraj was defeated, captured and finally executed.

Pak military named three of its medium-range ballistic missile Ghauri-I, Ghauri-II and Ghauri-III, in the memory of Mu’izz ad-Din Muhammad Ghori.

The conquest of India by an Islamic Sultan led to, in the ensuing centuries, large-scale forced conversions of Indians. It also coincided with the defeatist attitude by Indians so much so that many Indians fondly recall the greatness and splendour of the Islamic rulers including the Taj Mahal and the Lal Qila.

The last of the Mughals: Bahadur Shah Zafar surrendered to British forces led by Maj William Hodson on 20th Sep 1857 and thus ended the Mughal Empire in India.

The British too not just enslaved us but ensured that in our mindset we would remain enslaved forever. Even after acquiring independence, we had the defeatist attitude that many things such as railways and post & telegraph were done better by the British and that we have to bow to the superior workmanship, doctrine and principled ways of doing things of our erstwhile rulers.

With this national psyche our resolve to do things decisively, on our own, went down gradually until it was literally in our shoes.

The Indian armed forces, on the other hand, refused to have this defeatist attitude and gloriously proved themselves in all wars except in the 1962 war with China wherein Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru considered his becoming a statesman more important than the national strategic interests and succumbed to this honed defeatist attitude and thus ensured our defeat even before the war.

Many historians believe that in 1191, after decisively defeating Mohammad Ghori, had Prithviraj Chauhan carried out a hot-pursuit of the retreating defeated army, perhaps the events that followed later could have been avoided.

Last night, ladies and gentlemen, after 825 years of this tactical mistake by Prithviraj Chauhan (By the way, we named our own SRBM Prithvi. Though it means Earth, but, the fact is that we still adhered to the disciplined and principled way of fighting adopted by Prithviraj Chauhan), our gallant armed forces crossed the LOC and did what Prithviraj should have done to Mohammad Ghori after the First Battle of Tarain.

Terrorists don’t follow rules taking a cue from the tactics of Muhammad Ghori. But, we had a national psyche of restraint despite repeated attacks by the Pak supported terrorists. Our countrymen often wondered what would be the limit of our self-imposed restraint. The Americans, on the other hand, exercised what they termed as Right of Self-Defence thousands of miles away by carrying out relentless drone strikes against terrorist hide-outs in Waziristan.

Last night’s surgical strike, I feel, is a seminal change in Indian psyche and perhaps the beginning of the end to our slavish and defeatist attitude of centuries. As I listen to the news I find all opposition parties (coming out of the mould of the neighbouring Hindu kings of Prithviraj Chauhan) supporting Narendra Modi’s government and saluting the Indian army for a precision, successful and effective cross-LOC surgical strike that should have been first conducted years back.

Jai Hind!
Jai Hind Ki Sena!

 

MY FAVOURITE FIVE SONGS OF LATA MANGESHKAR

She was born on this day (28th Sep) in 1929. She is 87 years old today.

Childhood photo of Lata Mangeshkar (Pic courtesy: wn.wikipedia.org)
Childhood photo of Lata Mangeshkar (Pic courtesy: wn.wikipedia.org)

What do you say or write about a legend? You just bow your head in respect and of course thank God that you have lived through most of the era when she sang.

Lata Mangeshkar is to us what breathing is to all beings in the universe: she keeps us alive and kicking.

To many of us she is of our mother’s age. To the younger generation, she is of grand-mother’s and even great-grand-mother’s age.

One can write pages and pages about the number of awards that she has won starting with the highest in India: the Bharat Ratna, as well as the highest in Indian cinema: the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. One can even write about the number of awards that she has graciously declined so as to give the other singers a chance.

Everytime you write about her, you discover something new and yet, she is not just a phenomenon but an era, there is no way that you can ever do justice to a write-up on her. No one can.

All one can say is to play and listen to one’s favourite songs. My list of her top ten favourites has been ready for ages. How are one’s favourites different from hers and anyone else’s? I have explained it several times but here it is again: Your favourite may not have anything to do with the real or acknowledged worth of a singer’s singing prowess. Your favourite evokes the kind of emotions within you that others can’t.

Song #1
Rasik balma dil kyun lagaaya tose dil kyun lagaaya…

She was the favourite of Shankar Jaikishan (and vice-versa) and indeed, the first time that she was credited as a playback singer on screen was in their 1949 movie Barsaat, in a song penned by the great Shailendra.

Shankar-Jaikishan with Lata Mangeshkar (Pic courtesy: www.songsofyore.com)
Shankar-Jaikishan with Lata Mangeshkar (Pic courtesy: www.songsofyore.com)

It is therefore no surprise that my Choice #1 of her songs for decades now has been a song composed by S-J in Raag Shuddha Kalyan, Tal Kaherava. I happily lived the memories of this song without ever seeing the movie: the 1956 Raj Kapoor movie Chori Chori. I saw the movie last year on my computer but if you really ask me I don’t remember the scene in the movie when Nargis lip-syncs this song; so strong is my own imagined scene of the song!

This one was not penned by Shailendra but by Hasrat Jaipuri.

Lata with Jaikishan (on her left) and Hasrat Jaipuri on her right (Pic courtesy: www.sjmusic.org)
Lata with Jaikishan (on her left) and Hasrat Jaipuri on her right (Pic courtesy: www.sjmusic.org)

What feelings the songs evoke in me? Well, Lata Mangeshkar’s singing represented the feelings of all the women of that era who were left to pine for their lovers; and she did it so well. When the pardesi or the balma went away (even if in misunderstanding), they had nothing left with them except yaad. Lata sang her best songs in that era whence, sadly, women were not considered the equivalent of men and indeed all the heroines for whom she sang were paid much less than their male counterparts. It is another thing that in the movie, she (Nargis) is the daughter of a millionaire and Raj Kapoor the hero is the poor journalist.

Please enjoy my #1 favourite (consistently) amongst tens of thousands of Lata Mangeshkar’s songs (Some of you who do Cost-Benefit analysis of your time spent on the net in general and on my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne in particular would say (secretly though): “In this much of description, I would have put all the five, if not ten!” But then, you are you and I am I and I have never been hard pressed for time!) (I remember the time when by hook and crook a driver overtook me in Mumbai traffic and we stopped parallel to each other on the next traffic light. I lowered my window and asked him, “Bhai sahib, ye jo aap ne peechhe kiya, us se aap ek do minute pehle pahunch jaayenge. Par us ek do minute mein aap kyaa zabardast cheez karne waale hain?” He laughed and laughed and when the lights turned green he saluted me and drove off!): Rasik balma, dil kyun lagaaya tose dil kyun lagaaya; jaise rog lagaaya……

rasik balamaa, haay, dil kyo.n lagaayaa
tose dil kyo.n lagaayaa, jaise rog lagaayaa

jab yaad aaye tihaarii
suurat vo pyaarii pyaarii
nehaa lagaa ke haarii
aa~
nehaa lagaa ke haarii
ta.Dapuu.N mai.n Gam kii maarii
rasik balamaa …

Dhuu.Ndhe hai.n paagal nainaa
paaye na ik pal chainaa
Dasatii hai ujda.Dii rainaa
aa~
Dasatii hai ujda.Dii rainaa
kaase kahuu.N mai.n bainaa
rasik balamaa …

Song #2
Jaa jaa re jaa baalmava…

Lata ji is as rooted in Raagas as were Shankar Jaikishan. After the Shankar Jaikishan Music Federation Mumbai Meet in Jul this year, my friend Anand Desai gifted us each a CD with 500 of S-J’s Raaga based songs. Quite a few of these have been sung by Lata Mangeshkar.

Not surprisingly then, that the second most favourite Lata song has also been composed by S-J. They chose the same raaga in which my most favourite song ever of any artiste has been composed: Raag Jhinjhoti (and the song everyone in my Facebook group Yaad Kiya Dil Ne knows is Mere mehboob tujhe meri mohabbat ki kasam). Jhinjhoti is a raaga named after an apsara and Hindi films songs based on it (my own observation) often bring in feelings of self-pity such as in “Tum mujhe youn bhula na paaoge” and “Mere mehboob tujhe” and of course the Mamta song picturised on Suchitra Sen: “Rehte the kabhi jinake dil mein hum jaan se bhi pyaron ki tarah“.

The song is from the 1956 movie Basant Bahaar and its lyrics are a marvel produced by the great Shailendra. Its tal is Tintal.

Why would a song picturised on a courtesan evoke such strong feelings in me? Well, courtesans were essentially a part of our culture. One of them (Anarkali) nearly married a would be emperor. In Shashi Kapoor’s movie Utsav, he brought out how important a courtesan (Rekha as Vasantsena) was in our society. In the movie Amrapali (based on a true story), the king Ajatashatru wages a war to get her (Vyjayanthimala in the title role) and she finally takes to Buddhism! By the way, Amrapali had some of her best songs including the iconic Tumhen yaad karte karte jaayegi rayn saari (also created for her by the team of Shailendra and Shanakar Jaikishan).

Vyjayanthimala lip-synching Lata's Tumhe yaad karte karte in the 1966 movie Amrapali based on true story.
Vyjayanthimala lip-synching Lata’s Tumhe yaad karte karte in the 1966 movie Amrapali based on true story.

Hindi films directors of yore, often used the courtesans to express the feelings of the heroines (eg in Chhote Nawab song, the first song of RD Burman with Lata ji (composed in Raag Malgunji): Ghar aaja ghir aaye badraa saanwariya.

I can go on and on but the song is dear to me. Kumkum as Radhika does a very becoming dance on the song.

Please enjoy: Jaa jaa re jaa baalmwa…….

jaa jaa re jaa, baalamavaa
sautan ke sa.ng raat bitaa_ii
kaahe karat ab jhuuTii batiyaa.N
jaa jaa re jaa, baalamavaa

Gair ke ghar karii raat jagaa_ii
mose kahe tere binaa nii.nd na aayii
kaiso harajaa_ii daiyyaa
jaa jaa re, jaa baalamavaa …

kaa.Ndhe lagaa laayii bindiyaa kisiikii
jaanuu.N mai.n churaayii tuune nindiyaa kisiikii
laaj na aayii tohe
jaa re jaa, jaa re jaa, jaa re jaa, baalamavaa …

Song #3
Unako ye shikayat hai ke hum kuchh nahin kehate…

What is the common thread that you have noticed in the first two songs that I put up? Naturally, the first thing is Raaga based. Then that the lyrics are very beautiful. So that’s it; my choice of songs is always based on lyrics since I am indeed a Lyrical man.

Talking about good lyrics, some of the best songs of Lata ji have been penned by Rajendra Krishan and Raja Mehdi Ali Khan and in the next two songs I shall give you both.

Rajendra or Rajinder Krishan (Pic courtesy: travel.sulekha.com)
Rajendra or Rajinder Krishan (Pic courtesy: travel.sulekha.com)

Rajendra or Rajinder Krishan’s 1958 movie Adalat was a major success for him and he cemented his pairing with Madan Mohan to create some of the best Lata Mangeshkar songs. As I never grow tired of saying it, the Top 10 Lata songs have Rajinder Krishan and Madan Mohan in large measure.

Lata ji with her "Madan bhaiyya"
Lata ji with her “Madan bhaiyya”

Adalat starred Pradeep Kumar, Nargis and Pran and the story of her having been forced to become a courtesan is the same as Suchitra Sen’s Mamta or dozens of other pics that Hindi films dished out.

The songs of the movie were not as commonplace as the story and are amongst the best of Lata. Have a look:

1. “Zameen Se Hamen Aasmaan Par” Asha Bhosle, Mohammad Rafi 03:44
2. “Yun Hasraton Ke Daag Mohabbat Mein” Lata Mangeshkar 04:00
3. “Dupatta Mera Malmal Ka” Asha Bhosle, Geeta Dutt 02:49
4. “Jaana Tha Humse Door Bahaane Bana Liye” Lata Mangeshkar 03:20
5. “Unko Yeh Shiqaayat Hai Ki Hum Kuchh Nahin Kehte” Lata Mangeshkar 04:31
6. “Ja Ja Re Ja Saajna (slow)” Lata Mangeshkar
7. “Ja Ja Re Ja Saajna (fast)” Asha Bhosle 05:50
8. “Jab Din Haseen Dil Ho Jawaan” Asha Bhosle, Mohammad Rafi 04:07

Lets start with the lyrics of top most: Youn hasraton ke daag mohabbat mein dho liye. Marvel at the outstanding beauty of the lyrics:

Ghar se chale the ham to khushi ki talaash mein,
Gham raah mein padhe the wahin saath ho liye

And then take up the 4th one: Jaana tha humse door bahaane bana liye and look at these outstanding lyrics:

dil ko mile jo daaG jigar ko mile jo dard
un daulato.n se hamane khazaane banaa liye

But the song with the most powerful lyrics is the 5th one: Unako yeh shikayat hai ke hum kuchh nahin kehate.

This was composed by Madan Mohan in Raag Malgunji, Tal Dadra, the same raag in which RD Burman composed his first Lata song: Ghar aaja ghir aaye badra saanwariya in Chhote Nawab.

Please enjoy: Unako ye shikaayat hai ke ham kuchh nahin kehate….

un ko ye shikAyat hai ke ham, (kuchh nahI.n kahate – 2)
apanI to ye aadat hai ke ham, (kuchh nahI.n kahate – 2)

majabUr bahaut karatA hai ye, (dil to zubaa.n ko – 2)
kuchh aisI hI haalat hai ke ham, (kuchh nahI.n kahate – 2)
apanI to ye aadat …

kahane ko bahaut kuchh thA agar, (kahanepe aate – 2)
duniyA kI inaayat hai ke ham, (kuchh nahI.n kahate – 2)
apanI to ye aadat …

kuchh kahanepe tUfAn (uThA letI hai duniyA – 2)
ab isape qayAmat hai ke ham, (kuchh nahI.n kahate – 2)
apanI to ye aadat …

Song #4
Aap ki nazaron ne samajha pyaar ke kaabil mujhe…

The fourth, as I have already let you know has been penned by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan who started giving us good songs when he was just about 17 years old, viz the 1947 movie Do Bhai (the same year when Shakeel penned his first song Afsaana likh rahi hoon) song sung by Geeta Dutt and composed by SD Burman: Mera sundar sapana beeta gaya, main prem mein sab kuchh haar gayi, bedard zamaana beet gaya.

Why do I like this song from the 1962 movie Anpadh (Illiterate) even though the movie, as seen by me, was just an average movie and the heroine was Mala Sinha who is as far from being my favourite heroine as you can get?

The reason are three. One, the lyrics by Raja are just superb. Look at this expression:

Padh gayi dil pe mere aap ki parchhayiyan,
Har taraf bajane lagi sainkadon shahnaayiyan.

Second is the composition by the maestro Madan Mohan whom Lata ji used to call “Madan bhaiyya”. Some of her best songs have been composed by him including Lag jaa gale se phir ye haseen raat ho na ho (I never get tired of telling you that it is is in Raag Pahadi), Naino mein badra chhaye (Raag Bhimpalasi) and Bairan neend na aaye mohe (Raag Kafi).

Raja Mehdi Ali Khan with Madan Mohan
Raja Mehdi Ali Khan with Madan Mohan

And lastly, the singing by her in her young voice has made this song not only my favourite but that of millions. Madan Mohan composed it in Raag Adana, a raag of late night (the raag being a blend of Raag Darbari Kanada and Malhar) and in Tal Rupaktal.

Please enjoy: Aap ki nazaron ne samajha pyaar ke kaabil mujhe….

aap kii nazaro.n ne samajhaa, pyaar ke kaabil mujhe
dil kii ai dha.Dakan Thahar jaa, mil ga_ii ma.nzil mujhe
aap kii nazaro.n ne samajhaa

jii hame.n ma.nzuur hai, aapakaa ye faisalaa – 2
kah rahii hai har nazar, ba.ndaa-paravar shukariyaa
do jahaa.N kii aaj khushiyaa.N ho ga_ii.n haasil mujhe
aap kii nazaro.n ne samajhaa …

aap kii ma.nzil huu.N mai.n merii ma.nzil aap hai.n – 2
kyuu.N mai.n tuufaan se Daruu.N mere saahil aap hai.n
koii tuufaano.n se kah de, mil gayaa saahil mujhe
aap kii nazaro.n ne samajhaa …

pa.D ga_ii dil par merii, aap kii parchhaa_iyaa.N – 2
har taraf bajane lagii.n saika.Do.n shahanaa_iyaa.N
ha.Nsake apanii zi.ndagii me.n, kar liyaa shaamil mujhe
aap kii nazaro.n ne samajhaa …

HIMACHAL THE BEAUTIFUL STATE, PART I – REWALSAR

I stay in Kandaghat, Shimla Hills, Himachal Pradesh (Please read: ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is – Kandaghat In Shimla Hills’). Earlier because of my job (I served as an officer in the Indian Navy and retired as a Commodore and then took up job as a Senior VP in RIL) I was able to spend only my leave holidays in Kandaghat. But, now that recently I am fully retired from all jobs, I have started rediscovering the state wherein I have lived all my life. It is possible that through my own visits, you may too discover/rediscover this state that introduces you to beauty that you may not have seen elsewhere. I was recently in Manali and met an erstwhile Austrian Martin (now Indian; he runs a watering hole and eatery by his name) who married a pahadi woman just so that he would continue enjoying the enchantment of Manali hills.

My wife’s and my visit took us this time from Kandaghat to our first halt at Raju Bharti Guest House in Gushaini (near Banjar in Manali Hills) next to Tirthan River and next to The Great Himalayan National Park, Manali Hills.

img_20160708_174818

A write up about this guest house would follow later. Next we went to Manikaran to see the historical Sikh Gurudwara and Hindu Mandir co-located in the same complex there. Then we went to Manali via Out, Bhuntar, Nagger and stayed with the Army there in their Palchan Transit Camp. We visited Rohtang Pass, Solang Valley, Nagger Castle, Roerich Art Gallery, Museum, Memorial and House, the ancient Hidimba Temple, Vashisht Temples and Hot Springs. Thereafter we visited Mandi whereat I had spent seven years of my childhood from 1959 to 1966. The write-ups about all these places would follow.

Why am I starting with Rewalsar? Well, for one thing, Himachal is known as the Dev Bhoomi (The land of gods) and Rewalsar is one place wherein there is a confluence of three major religions: the Hindu, the Sikh and the Buddhist.

We took the direct 25 Kms route from Mandi, close to the school wherein I studied: Vijay High School (now Vijay Senior Secondary School). In this way we avoided the Ner Chowk way where the road is bad due to four-laning work in progress. Also, this isolated stretch of road is very picturesque:

img_20160914_134257 img_20160914_135101 img_20160914_135910

The middle picture shows you a roadside pooja (prayer) place, in the wilderness, which is the speciality of Himachal (you can pray anywhere anytime).

And soon we were there in Rewalsar (the last three letters indicating a lake). The Tibetans call it Tso Pema (though in the vidoes that I shot I mispronounced it as Tsang Po). Here is our first view of this serene, beautiful and remarkably clean lake:

img_20160914_142430

Our first stop was at the Gurudwara (Sikh Temple). This Gurudwara was erected by Raja Joginder Sen of Mandi in the year 1930 to honour the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, who visited Rewalsar and stayed here for a month seeking support from the Hill Rajas in fight against the atrocities leashed on Hindus by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (the cruelest of them all).

img_20160914_142555 img_20160914_143015 img_20160914_143044 img_20160914_143403 img_20160914_144508 img_20160914_144751

Naturally, as you would have seen in one of the pics above, we partook of the Langar (24 hours free community kitchen as per Sikh traditions).

From the height of the Gurudwara, we descended to the lake and admired its beauty:

img_20160914_150628 img_20160914_150650 img_20160914_151040 img_20160914_152210 img_20160914_152303

Of course, next to the lake is the Hindu Havan Kund (for performing the fire-ritual) and the Temple for the Rishi Lomush (Sage Lomush) who meditated in these hills (there are other seven lakes on the heights; but, we didn’t go there):

img_20160914_150613 img_20160914_151433 img_20160914_151454 img_20160914_151624

The meditation done by Rishi Lomush enabled him to be favoured by Shiva and Parvati to reveal the secrets of gods and heavens. Next to this temple are thus located the temples of Shiva and Krishna:

img_20160914_151816 img_20160914_151823 img_20160914_151849

Having visited the Sikh and Hindu holy shrines, our next visits were to Buddhist or Tibetan shrines, However, before that, we climbed up to the Lake View Hotel to have a breathtaking view of the lake:

img_20160914_153123 img_20160914_155853

You can see various Buddhist shrines along the lake. The most prominent of this is not seen here since we were at that end. It is a huge (123 feet high) statue of Padmasmabhava (Rinpoche) that was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama on 01 Apr 2012.

img_20160914_154909 img_20160914_155206 img_20160914_161053 img_20160914_161149 img_20160914_161427

Rumour has it that the king of Mandi had Padmasambhava burnt alive on the suspicion that he had tried to convert his daughter to Buddhist ways. Even after burning for days, the Padmasambhava appeared as  a boy from within a lotus in the middle of the lake.

I shall stop here now and cover the other most ornate and beautiful Buddhist shrines in the next part.

I hope I have aroused your curiosity enough to visit the place called Rewalsar and Tso Pema as the Tibetans call it.

Rest in the next part: ‘Himachal The Beautiful State, Part I – Rewalsar (Tibetan)’.

SHE WILL GET ME SOME TIME, I KNOW – A CONFESSION

What a long-lasting affair?
What a long wait for her?
She has been chasing me
Ever since I was a boy
Perhaps she liked my daring even then
Dangling from rocks
Diving into a raging river naked
To flirt with her
Even when I didn’t know swimming.

During my youth
She knew she had got me
On many an occasion
When I was careless, reckless
But, only nearly
I flirted, she came closer
I never wanted to capitulate totally
But, now that I am confessing
I might as well tell all.

The fact is, being a woman
She too flirted with me
Knowing I was going to marry
Another woman; she didn’t care
On that night, when next morning
My wife was going to join me
I was drunk and I drove my bike
And she sat as pillion
Clutching and feeling me everywhere.

As some sense came into me
And more because I was married
I started keeping distance
Barely acknowledging her presence
Even when I could see her from a distance
And anyone could have seen me
In her bewitching eyes
Waiting to get me
Waiting to hold me in her arms.

I became more careful
More artful about hiding our affair
She was forever in my heart
In my conscious mind
When I retired, she again came closer
I will get you, she whispered publicly
She was as young as when
I was a little boy
And I was the one who had become old.

Secret Love

How long can I resist her?
Her love has grown, but, mine
Mine has nearly died
I don’t flirt with her anymore
I want to run away from her
To a quiet, secluded place
Where she can’t find me
I admire her patience, though
A lifelong wait to have me.

A number of times she’s beckoned me
I too am adamant not to give in
She has everything ready
The flowers, the music, the feast
But can’t she sense, though she’s young
She is not even half as adorable
As when I flirted with her in my youth?
Can’t she sense I don’t
Want to be hers anymore?

Doesn’t she know
I don’t want her anymore?
I love my wife, my kids
My family, my friends
And she doesn’t even fit in
All daring has left me now
I even cross the road
When the walk light is green
I don’t want her anymore.

Shouldn’t she too abandon
The plans to wed me?
Knowing I have become a good guy
Brushing my teeth, twice a day
Taking my pills regularly
Shunning all excitement and evil stuff
For the good of my heart.
Look for someone else, my love
I actually want to live.

misty mort 3

VETERANS’ OBSESSION WITH MEDICAL ISSUES AND ECHS

Now that I have joined the Veterans’ community six years ago (We wear a badge to that effect in all our gatherings; we in the armed forces have always taken badges so seriously that many of us gave up our lives to earn two inches of ribbon and a badge (medal)), I find that not only that ailments are a constant companion with most of us, talking about our ailments is an irresistible hobby.

Here is how two Veterans meet:

Veteran 1 (heartily): Nice to see you, buddy (it is almost an exclamation at finding him still alive).
Veteran 2 (equally heartily): Nice to see you too, ole chap (“I am also stunned that you can still be seen”).
Veteran 1 (coming straight to the important issue): So how is your gall-bladder these days? (This in the tone of one inquiring about a close family member).
Veteran 2 (wistfully, as if missing the loss): I had it removed. How is your Psoriasis?
Veteran 1 (as if talking about a pet dog): Behaving. I have to keep visiting Asvini. But, it is great fun meeting all the old friends there.

Veterans are at, what the author James Michener used to call as, the age of metal; that is, silver in their hair, gold in their teeth, and lead in their walk (though James used a more disparaging term).

Hence, whatever be the original topic of discussion between them, it is dexterously steered to the most significant issue of ailments and solutions. I am reporting an actual conversation (the names ain’t actual):

Veteran A: I heard the good news about your daughter Nalini getting married last month.
Veteran B: Yeah, she and Vikas are quite happily settled in the USA.
Veteran A: USA is the place to be. What does Vikas do?
Veteran B: He is a doctor.
Veteran A: A doctor, is it? Somehow the best of our doctors have all gone abroad. The other day I went to Asvini to see a urologist; this b—-r didn’t know his ass from his elbow and I had gone all the way from Kandivli to see him.
Veteran B: You are telling me? I had gone to get medicines for my cardiac condition and this chap was simply clueless. On top of that, at the ECHS clinic they didn’t have the requisite medicines after making me – a cardiac patient – wait in the queue for over an hour.
Veteran A: Ahh ECHS. They never have the medicines and the guys there talk so rude too. I keep telling them, “Wait till you retire beta; then you will know“.

ECHS or Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme is the second most favourite topic with us. Gone are the days when we used to be fitness freaks and talk at length about climbing this hill or that or trekking or going for cross-country runs. Earlier, our contribution towards our post-retirement health was to pay in advance for the treatment. Now, it is to go from pillar to post fetching medicines.

In the Annual General-body Meetings (AGMs) of the Navy Foundation, just about the only agenda items are those related to ECHS. It appears that happiness is spelt with a capital E; the moment we have sorted out all our ECHS problems, this bird called Happiness would sit on our window-sill and tweet our favourite tunes. Have a look at one of the AGMs in progress with this singular agenda point in various garbs:

In AGM after AGM we listen intently to how "in the near future" our ECHS problems would be sorted out.
In AGM after AGM we listen intently to how “in the near future” our ECHS problems would be sorted out.

With all our focus on medical and ECHS issues, one would feel that most veterans would look frail and ailing and as the saying goes one foot in the grave and other on a banana peel. Surprisingly, the number of octogenarians honoured every year during the AGMs is rather large:

(Octogenarians of 2015 AGM with the Navy Foundation (Mumbai) office-bearers.
(Octogenarians of 2015 AGM with the Navy Foundation (Mumbai) office-bearers.

Perhaps all the running around to get ECHS and medical issues sorted out and to obtain the treatment and medicines actually keeps them fit! They fully deserve the memento that’s given to them:

Memento given to honour the octogenarians.
Memento given to honour the octogenarians.

This year the AGM was held in Lonavala. At the end of energetically discussing all the ECHS problems, our dedicated and forever witty Secretary informed the members that there is indeed good news: the Command Headquarters have informed the Navy Foundation that they would send a wreath (free of cost) for any veteran kicking the bucket and in case he is a gallantry award winner, then a bugle would be sent to play at his funeral. Needless to say this brought unrestricted smile to the faces of all veterans. Wow, a wreath and (in the case of lucky ones) a bugle!

If you see in the picture ladies smiling more than the men, it is because they would actually hear the bugle!
If you see in the picture ladies smiling more than the men, it is because they would actually get to hear the bugle!

Life in the armed forces, for the veterans, was full of challenges and joys. Life after the armed forces is still full of challenges and joys. However, the most welcome and joyous part of the armed forces, as laid out for us, is death ushered in with flowers and bugles.

THE MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONS AND RELATIONSHIP(S)

Origins of Emotions and Relations

I find Human Evolution as a very fascinating subject. Humans or homo sapiens, as we see them around now, at some point of history of primates, separated themselves from the apes (hominids). Genetic studies bring out that the history of primates is older than 85 million years ago. There have been many theories (in the absence of recorded history we have either theories or gospel (word of mouth)) regarding the Evolution of Man, the foremost or the most accepted being the Darwinian theory. All these theories explore only the anatomical aspects; for example, the origin of man standing and walking on two feet and legs (bipedalism). Nothing has yet brought out the evolution of emotions and relationships, except in gospel. And that is the aspect that fascinates me most. For example, who was the first man or woman to fall in love? Or was it at the great ape stage or even earlier? When, how and why did the first man get angry and who triggered those emotions in him?

First Man

From emotions, relations and relationships are just the next logical steps, provided there has been some logic in evolution of these things. It is quite reasonable to assume that relations as we see them today have undergone dynamic changes in the thousands of years of evolution. Even if we believe gospel, for example, and assume that Adam and Eve were the only homo sapiens that were sent on Earth, their procreation, in terms of today’s relations would have produced only brothers and sisters. It would have stopped any further evolution of human-kind if they had considered procreation between brothers and sisters as sinful.

Family and Genes

It would be easy to consider that family and genes (both related to heredity) wouldn’t be exclusively human concepts. As humans, we are told (by sages and spiritual/religious leaders) that a feeling of I, My, Mine is the biggest obstacle that keeps us from true happiness and God (Sri Guru Granth Sahib refers to it as haume’) (Please read ‘Debatable Philosophies Of Life’). I had argued it out in the essay (that I have quoted above) that a feeling of myness is the most natural feeling in primates. No one needs to teach it even to apes and animals; they are naturally rejoicing in and protective of their progeny. So strong is this myness that it is imprinted on our genetic cells over generations; for example, we belong to a larger family having similarity of genes (heredity).

Even at that all-encompassing relationship of myness, it would be interesting to imagine the origin of specific familial relations, say, between father and son, husband and wife, uncles, aunts, brothers and sisters.

When did the concept of familial relations originate? (Pic courtesy: io9.gizmodo.com)
When did the concept of familial relations originate? (Pic courtesy: io9.gizmodo.com)

Blood Relations

Just as we have seen in the story of Adam and Eve, the concept of familial relations too has gone innumerable changes and modifications to arrive at the present accepted concept. The fact is that the present accepted concept is just a majority concept and is certainly not universal. In certain races or religions, for example, marriages are to take place within the family of blood relations only.

I have covered the concept of Religion and God in my essay ‘Whose God Is It Anyway?’ Lets, therefore, only ponder the concept of blood relations. It has become an important concept in legal circles and various tests are defined to prove blood relations. It would be easy to understand that the concept draws heavily from sexual reproduction (a physical phenomenon) and has nothing to do with one’s beliefs, biases and proclivities. Most often than not you don’t have to prove that you are brother and sister, mother and son, father and daughter. However, if inheritance, as seen by the law is at stake, you may have to prove that. It is another thing that at one time all of us may have belonged to one family. But, then, historically, as families became larger and larger, the concept of blood relations became narrower.

Human Relations Beyond Blood Relations

The fact is that increasingly human relations and relationships have become significantly more important than blood relations. One of the first ones to help propagate this concept was Lord Krishna. Even those who feel these tales are merely mythological (and have little historical basis), we are here talking about a concept that originated in India, which for the first time, more than 3000 years before Christ, made sacred a relationship beyond blood relation, even if forced by events or imagined events of that era. I am talking about the relationship between mother and child. Krishna was born to Devaki, the wife of Vasudeva. During the wedding of Krishna’s parents there was a prophecy that the eighth son of Devaki would kill the cruel Kansa. Since this prophecy was announced in the presence of Kansa (Devaki’s brother), he killed six sons that were born to Devaki. The seventh one Balarama escaped death by being transferred to the womb of Vasudeva’s other wife Rohini. Krishna escaped death by Vasudeva, his father, carrying him across Yanuna to his foster mother Yashoda (a wife of Nanda). In Hindu scriptures, Yashoda, the foster mother (not a blood relation) is far more important and revered than Devaki. In tales of Krishna-Leela, his childhood spent with Yashoda, is the most important period of episodic enchantment. Yes, this is not recorded history but gospel. However, this is the first time (even in folklore) that anyone called a relationship far more important than blood relation; the relationship of pure love that is.

Yashoda, the foster mother of Krishna playing with him (Pic courtesy: www.iskconbangalore.org)
Yashoda, the foster mother of Krishna playing with him (Pic courtesy: www.iskconbangalore.org)

Two important things to note here are (whether or not it is historical) is that the concretisation of the concept of blood relations in later-day India and the legal wranglings to prove blood relations (for inheritance) have radically moved away from this concept. This is all the more ironical since the Law itself has been an evolution over centuries and not something writ in stone. And the other follows from the first one itself, which is that even those who believe in Krishna, move the courts to prove blood relations. Hence, religion is not a way of life all the way but merely a philosophy of convenience; we believe in some parts and ignore others that stand in the way of pragmatism.

Husband – Wife Relationship

In Hinduism there is no relationship more sacred than the one between Krishna and Radha; so much so that Radha Krishna is considered as one name rather than a combination of two. And yet, though the concept of marriage was prevalent in that period (such as Devaki marrying Vasudeva; Krishna’s parents, that is), Krishna and Radha never married.

Some four thousand years (or more) after Krishna was believed to have been born to Devaki and Vasudeva, the Sanskrit poet Jayadeva (recorded history) wrote a famous poem Gita Govinda in the 12th century AD, and then the spiritual love between Radha and Krishna became the subject of intense folklore. Hence whilst Krishna is shown not as deity but God Himself, Radha, His devotee, is shown as the embodiment of love by a devotee towards God. The Hindus raised this Love by Radhe as even more important than God Himself (Krishna). And that’s why it is always Radha Krishna or Radhe Krishna and never Krishna Radha.

Radhe Krishna

Human and God Relationship

The Adi Granth, the predecessor of present day Guru Granth Sahib, was compiled by the fifth Guru of the Sikhs – Guru Arjan Dev – in the sixteenth century. Thereafter, every Guru added something to it. The tenth and the last Guru, Guru Gobind Singh (whose name was one of the names of Krishna) didn’t add anything of his own but added all 115 hymns of his father Guru Teg Bahadur. In the year 1708, he decreed that after him there won’t be a human Guru but the Sikhs are to consider Guru Granth Sahib as their Guru.

The relationship between a devotee and God has been described in the Guru Granth Sahib by the first Guru – Guru Nanak – and curiously, it has drawn from the Radhe Krishna relationship: of between a wife and her husband. Guru Nanak portrayed the love of a suhagan (wife) for her husband as the purest form of devotion. He, of course, stressed upon the adornments for the suhagan being not material things like gold jewellery and diamonds but purity of heart and thoughts.

Take the case of Meerabai (born 1498). Meera Bai was born into a Rathore (Rajput) royal family of Kudki district of Pali, Rajasthan. Although born a princess, she renounced everything and became a devotee of Lord Krishna and considered herself married to Him. Since she flouted social and familial norms, she was persecuted by the society and especially by her in-laws. However, she didn’t desist from her chosen path. The Hindu scriptures, considering Devotee-God relationship as the one between wife and husband (Radhe Krishna), have widespread mention of the bhakti of Meera for Krishna as her husband, more than four thousand years after Krishna lived on earth.

More than four thousand years after Krishna, Meera again embodied the relationship between Devotee and God as being between wife and husband (Pic courtesy: lovekanha.blogspot.com)
More than four thousand years after Krishna, Meera again embodied the relationship between Devotee and God as being between wife and husband (Pic courtesy: lovekanha.blogspot.com)

Evolution of Modern Thought Process on Relations

Various rituals have been evolved over centuries to cement husband-wife relationship, the origin of all other familial relations.

The Saptapadi (Sanskrit for seven steps/feet), is the most important ritual of Vedic Hindu weddings, and represents the legal part of Hindu marriage. Sometimes called Saat Phere (seven rounds), couple conduct seven circuits of the Holy Fire (Agni), which is considered a witness to the vows they make to each other.

The Sikhs have Anand Karaj (blissful union introduced by Guru Amar Das (the third Guru) and involves four circuits around the Guru Granth Sahib (four lavan). Here God’s embodiment in the form of Guru Granth Sahib is considered witness to the holy marriage.

There are rituals in various other religions and castes most of them having some embodiment of God (such as agni, Guru Granth Sahib, Bible and other holy documents) as witness to the sacred marriage.

Guru Nanak, in his famous ‘Gagan mein thaal….’ arti in Jagannath Puri exhorted people to directly worship God (contained in His naam) rather than through any embodiment of God or deity (he refused to offer arti to Lord Krishna being only a deity when God Himself could be approached directly. Please read: ‘Nanak Shah Fakir – The Movie And Its Message‘). Curiously, this is one common element of all religions: they all know and feel that there is One God but the only real God is what they worship and all others are merely deities.

So the point is that the process of marriage is merely a ritual. Even if you want to make your marriage as sacred (marriages are, as is talked about in most religions and beliefs, made in heaven and then you are together for several lives (janam janam ka saath), merely chanting the name of God whilst accepting a person as your partner should be adequate for all purposes except for inheritance for which you have to legally prove your marriage.

Talking about dynamism or forever evolving concept of relationships, on the lighter side, in Mumbai (they must be elsewhere too) I have come across many couples whose male partners started off being Rakhi-Brothers (not blood brothers) (especially to widows) and who finally married their Rakhi Sisters.

Continuing with the lighthearted approach towards relations, I remember this anecdote of a divorced husband having to pay the bringing-up charges for his son (as part of alimony) until adulthood. On the first of every month, the son used to come calling at his blood father’s house, collect the alimony and go. On the first of a month just before the son’s 18th birthday, the father derisively told him, “Well, go back and tell your mother I am not your father anymore.” At this the son responded, “Mom wanted me to tell you that you never were”. Light-hearted alright, but that opens our eyes to the so called blood relations.

More and more people are now moving away from the religious rituals of weddings and for the purpose of legality of marriages for inheritance and other purposes getting married in courts (My son Arjun and daughter-in-law Samira did. Please read ‘Loveapalooza Arjun And Samira’s Lifetime Music Fest‘). Love is the strongest thread that need to be tied in order to complete the nuptials. Please recall that Guru Nanak, being a Hindu at that time, refused to wear the holy thread Janeyu as he said that no material symbols could replace oneness with God in thoughts.

Have the Hindi Movies Got it Right?

I am a fan and you would have seen it extensively in my blog posts. Whether or not the Hindi movies have got it right in other aspects of the movies, as far as evolution of relationships is concerned they seem to have kept pace and in many cases, several paces ahead.

Let me just give you three cases.

The first one is that of 1972 Shakti Samanta movie Amar Prem (Immortal Love) starring Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore. The film portrays the decline of human values and relationships (in blood relations, that is; Sharmila Tagore’s uncle sells her off as a courtesan) and contrasts it by presenting an outstanding example of a boy’s innocent love (Rajesh Khanna legally married to a wife who doesn’t care for him at all) for the same courtesan. A song about the decline of these relationships and double standards of people is a favourite of mine. It was penned by Anand Bakshi and composed by RD Burman in Raag Khammaj, Tal Kaherava. You must go through the lyrics in order to get the full meaning of these in the wake of discussions on relationships so far:

(kuchh to loga kahe.nge, logo.n kaa kaama hai kahanaa
chho.Do bekaara kii baato.n me.n kahii.n biita naa jaae rainaa ) – 2
kuchha to loga kahe.nge, logo.n kaa kaama hai kahanaa

kuchha riita jagata kii aisii hai, hara eka subaha kii shaama huii – 2
tU kauna hai, teraa naama hai kyaa, siitaa bhii yahaa.N badanaama huii
phira kyuu.N sa.nsaara kii baato.n se, bhiiga gaye tere nayanaa
kuchha to loga kahe.nge, logo.n kaa kaama hai kahanaa
chho.Do bekaara kii baato.n me.n kahii.n biita naa jaae rainaa
kuchha to loga kahe.nge …

hamako jo taane dete hai.n, hama khoe hai.n ina ra.ngaraliyo.n me.n – 2
hamane unako bhii chhupa chhupake, aate dekhaa ina galiyo.n me.n
ye sacha hai jhuuThii baata nahii.n, tuma bolo ye sacha hai naa
kuchha to loga kahe.nge, logo.n kaa kaama hai kahanaa
chho.Do bekaara kii baato.n me.n kahii.n biita naa jaae rainaa
kuchha to loga kahe.nge 

The second one is this 1969 Asit Sen movie Khamoshi (Silence) starring Rajesh Khanna and Waheeda Rehman. She is a nurse in the hospital where he is admitted with mental disorder caused by having been deceived in love by his beloved he wanted to marry. This song penned by Gulzar and composed by Hemant Kumar says it all as far as relationships are concerned; it suggests that the only true relationships are those of love:

Hamane dekhii hai un aa.Nkho.n kii mahakatii Kushabuu
haath se chhuu ke ise rishto.n kaa ilzaam na do
sirf ehasaas hai ye ruuh se mahasuus karo
pyaar ko pyaar hii rahane do koii naam na do
hamane dekhii hai un aa.Nkho.n kii mahakatii Kushabuu
haath se chhuu ke ise rishto.n kaa ilzaam na do
hamane dekhii hai

Pyaar koii bol nahii.n, pyaar aavaaz nahii.n
ek Kaamoshii hai sunatii hai kahaa karatii hai
na ye bujhatii hai na rukatii hai na Thaharii hai kahii.n
nuur kii buu.Nd hai sadiyo.n se bahaa karatii hai

sirf ehasaas hai ye ruuh se mahasuus karo
pyaar ko pyaar hii rahane do koii naam na do
hamane dekhii hai un aa.Nkho.n kii mahakatii Kushabuu
haath se chhuu ke ise rishto.n kaa ilzaam na do
hamane dekhii hai

muskuraahaT sii khilii rahatii hai aa.Nkho.n me.n kahii.n
aur palako.n pe ujaale se jhuke rahate hai.n
ho.nTh kuchh kahate nahii.n, kaa.Npate ho.nTho.n pe magar
kitane Kaamosh se afasaane ruke rahate hai.n

sirf ehasaas hai ye ruuh se mahasuus karo
pyaar ko pyaar hii rahane do koii naam na do
hamane dekhii hai un aa.Nkho.n kii mahakatii Kushabuu
haath se chhuu ke ise rishto.n kaa ilzaam na do
hamane dekhii hai

Surprisingly, the third one that I am giving is also from a Rajesh Khanna movie: the 1971 Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie Anand (Bliss). The song in which the truth about relationships occurs was also sung by Hemant da in Bengali. Here, it was penned by Yogesh and composed by Salil Chowdhury. Here are very meaningful lines about relationships:

Kahii.n to ye, dil kabhii, mil nahii.n paate
Kahii.n se nikal aae, janamo.n ke naate

Love is the Greatest Relationship

Three months back I wrote an essay titled ‘Love – The Greatest Feeling On Earth‘. The relationship of Love is indeed the greatest relationship. And, it need not be between a husband and wife. Look at the relationship that a soldier has for the motherland (a son’s dedication for Bharat Mata). He is prepared to give his life for her and often does. There is a relationship of love between us and animals. Take this about our dog Roger and us:

Roger and Us1

 

The most important relation or relationship is not by virtue of rituals and ceremonies but what a person actually means to you. Rituals and ceremonies are for societal and legal purposes, for example for inheritance. And why should inheritance be the consideration in relationships since after you are gone, you don’t own anything anymore? As Shakeel Badayuni wrote:

Yeh zindagi ke mele,
Duniya mein kam na honge,
Afsos ham na honge.

You can go narrower and narrower in relations and relationships. The fact is that every man is a variation of yourself and you are indeed related to every person on earth by the colour of his or her blood. If you want to seek more refinement in this God made relationship, you can seek a relationship of Love.

Today happens to be the canonisation of Mother Teresa. She is now onwards Saint Teresa of Calcutta. Here is the relationship that made that possible:

Relationship of Love

 

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox

Join other followers: