Roots and Reflections - Exploring Ideas, Experiences and Wisdom

               (Shiv Mandir, Qazigund )          (Entrance Door of the shiv Temple)  Introduction :  I first visited this sacred Shiv Temple at Qazigund with one of our neighbours, Sh. K. N. Bhat, who resides in a rented accommodation in a building where we are temporarily putting up. He originally hails from Tarigam village in Qazigund. I visited this temple on several occasions along with his family during summers. From Bhat Sahab, I got to know about this temple and he told me in deep detail about the temple's religious, cultural and spiritual significance with regard to KP community. There is also a KP shopkeeper, Sh. Inderjeet Tickoo, who resides near this shiv temple and many a times he used to accompany me to this sacred and pious place and seeks blessings from Lord Shiva.  Located in the historical town of Qazigund, at the foothills of the majestic Pir Panjal mountain range, stands the ancient Sanata...

          (Portrait of Ghani Kashmiri Poet) Introduction: This illustrious seventeenth-century poet flourished during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb and continues to command an eminent position in the illustrious annals of Persian literature. A towering literary figure from Kashmir, he left an indelible imprint on the evolution of Persian and Urdu poetry in the Indian subcontinent. Renowned as an accomplished exponent of Sabk-e-Hindi, or the Indian Style of Persian poetry, which received considerable patronage under the Mughal emperors, his poetic genius transcended geographical and linguistic boundaries. Such was his literary eminence that Mirza Ghalib translated more than forty of his couplets into Urdu, an enduring testimony to the profound admiration he inspired among subsequent generations of poets. The celebrated Kashmiri poet Ghulam Ahmad Mahjoor also pays homage to this remarkable literary luminary in his renowned poem, ‘Arise, O Gardener!’ You know ther...

Lalitaditya Muktapida: A Glorious Epoch in Kashmir’s History Lalitaditya Muktapida (C. 724-760 CE) takes a special place in the history of Kashmir. This great ruler of the Karkota dynasty deserves his place in history for his military genius, ability to rule, patronage of the arts and architecture, and his contribution to the cultural history of ancient Kashmir. The reign of Muktapida is considered to be one of the most brilliant epochs in the history of Kashmir when the region flourished as a political, cultural and religious center. Kalhana, the famous 12th-century Kashmiri historian and author of Rajatarangini, describes Lalitaditya as a great conqueror whose ambitions knew no bounds. According to Kalhana, the king’s military campaigns knew no limits and took him beyond the borders of modern-day Kashmir. Lalitaditya faced the ruler of Kannauj, King Yashovarman, and defeated him before undertaking new campaigns in the east and south of the subcontinent. However, the great king’s fame...

       (Photo of Late Shri. Jagernath Koul) Lt. Shri Jagernath Koul: A Life Rooted in Service and Shiv Bhakti                                      Lt. Shri Jager Nath Koul is son of Late Gasha Lal Koul a respectable Kashmiri Pandit of 20th century. He was born on First April 1916 at Village Bugam  then Tehsil Kulgam District Anantnag now Tehsil Kulam, District Kulgam. Lt. Jagernath Koul is remembered as a person who combined the dignity of government service with the simplicity, humility, and spiritual inclination of a saintly  human being. His life represented  an older Kashmiri ethos in which public service was not merely  a profession but a  responsivity towards society. Born and brought up in Bugam, Kulgam, Jagernath  belonged to  a generation  that valued simplicity, honesty, punctuality, dedication to service, learning and...

Lal Lakshman: Kashmir’s Fearless Voice of Satire Kashmir valley is considered a land rich in poetry, philosophy, spirituality, satire and the tradition of Shivaism and Sufi mysticism as well as strong poetic tradition from poets like Lal Ded and Nund Rishi.  Exempli gratia, there was Lal Lakshman, born Lakshman Razdan, a writer and poet of tremendous talent from humble beginnings. When we talk about Lal Lakshman, we are talking about a simple postman, moving from home to home, delivering letters, but became the talk of the town in Kulgam and erstwhile Anantnag district, for not what he was supposed to deliver in his bag but what he spontaneously delivered via satirical verse with his tongue. A Kashmiri Pandit, by birth, was an orthodox worshipper of Maha Ganesh whose temple at Hanand Chowalgam village, remained at the core of his existence. He was the quintessence of Kashmiri satire. It was in Lal Lakshman's modesty, simplicity and rustic sense of humor that the reader could deciph...