The Shrine of Sultan Sahib (Sultan Darvesh) at Hakura Badasgam, Anantnag

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A 20th century Sufi known as Sheikh Muhammad Sultan used to live in a small village in Anantnag, the Kashmir valley called Hakura Badasgam. He has achieved miraculous status throughout the Kashmir area as well as outside of it as one of its prophets. Baba Sultan is classified as a Qalandar (one of 4 categories of Sufis). The Qalandars lived their lives wholly devoted to God by following Him alone and not following social customs (that is, the accepted rules of society) as a matter of course, except where doing so might violate the Shari'ah (that is, the universal law of God). (The differences in behaviour, dress, and objects carried by Qalandars has been used as an excuse to consider Qalandars to be separate from others.) There exists a considerable amount of literature concerning Qalandars in languages other than English such as Urdu (the principal native language of Pakistan), Persian (the principal native language of Iran), and Arabic (the principal native language of Saudi Arab...
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The legacy of Maharani Yasho Rajya Lakshmi

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https://vivekkoulinsights.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-legacy-of-maharani-yasho-rajya_10.html


A Life of Compassion, Grace, and Enduring Legacy:

The legacy of Maharani Yasho Rajya Lakshmi is one of beauty, compassion, and integrity. Her personality was full of charm, a deep compassion for all people, and a desire to help those less fortunate through social service. The kindness she showed to the poor, widows, orphans, and those who were differently abled was genuine; it was not simply a charitable act, but rather a lifelong commitment on her part to assist those in need. Maharani Yasho Rajya Lakshmi left us on 24 May 2009; this date will always be one of the saddest in the minds of the people of Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi and Nepal. The passing of Maharani Yasho Rajya Lakshmi, who is the wife of Dr. Karan Singh, whom we honour with the title Padma Vibhushan, and a former Sadr-e Riyasat of Jammu & Kashmir, marked the end of the physical life of a person who brought great joy to many. As we remember her life and legacy today on the anniversary of her passing, we celebrate the contribution she made to society through her many accomplishments.

Royal Lineage and the Historic Union of Nepal and Jammu:

Maharani Yasho Rajya Lakshmi was born on January 9, 1937, into the renowned Rana Family of Nepal; she was the granddaughter of SIR Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur (the last Rana Prime Minister of Nepal) and the daughter of General Sharda Shamsher Singh. Her upbringing was in a royal environment with an emphasis on discipline, which instilled in her the values of humility, responsibility, and compassion from an early age. At the age of 13, on March 5, 1950, she married Prince Karan Singh (the son of Maharaja Hari Singh) of the Jammu Dogra Royal Family, thus symbolically uniting the Sisodia Royal Family traditions of Nepal with the Kachawaha traditions of Jammu. Maharani Sahiba was also able to adapt to the vast cultural differences that existed at that time, such as linguistic differences, cultural differences, as well as social differences, through her natural grace and ease. A young girl who spoke Nepali at first, she quickly became fluent in Dogri, Hindi, and English languages and was regarded to be a gracious hostess as well as a dignified representative of the Dogra Royal Family. The simplicity and gracefulness of her actions won her respect from people in all areas of life.

Lifelong Commitment to Social Welfare and Humanitarian Service: 

The commitment of Maharani Yasho Rajya Lakshmi to benefitting society through charitable acts has positively impacted many lives, particularly women and children. The efforts of Maharani Yasho Rajya Lakshmi were directed toward the support of widows, orphans, the blind, the deaf, the dumb, the mentally challenged and persons from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Maharani Yasho Rajya Lakshmi provided this support in both Jammu and Kashmir and New Delhi without seeking recognition or notoriety for her good deeds. In addition to serving as the Chief of the Jammu and Kashmir Social Welfare Board, she was affiliated with many charitable and social service organizations and institutions such as Women's Industrial Units, Hospital Welfare Societies, and Institutions for the Deaf and Dumb, and Institutions for Mentally Challenged Children. Maharani Yasho Rajya Lakshmi played a very vital role in establishing and supporting all of the different charities within the Dharmarth Trust and the Maharaja Gulab Singh Memorial Trust; this included her involvement in several programs specifically geared toward empowering Women. She was able to efficiently operate these many charitable and social service organizations while maintaining a high degree of compassion and understanding for their beneficiaries; her exceptional organizational skills were a perfect reflection of her ability to do so. During the 1965 Indo-Pak War, Maharani Sahiba consistently provided tremendous support to the Indian Army; she did this by spending many long hours with soldiers, particularly during the most trying times, when she was distributing essential items and providing moral support. Maharani Sahiba's presence during these difficult times had a lasting impact on both the Armed Services and the general public.

Service in Times of War and Unwavering Support to the Nation:

Maharani Yasho Rajya Lakshmi, a very committed devotee of Maa Durga who was also a very strong devotee of the Goddess and believed in doing spiritual work as well as social work. Yasho Rajya Lakshmi and Dr Karan Singh installed the Natraj idol in Raghunath Temple, Jammu in 1979, thus further emphasising the tremendous amount of spiritual heritage that existed in the region. Throughout her life, Yasho Rajya Lakshmi was very closely associated with the cultural and spiritual sentiments of Duggar land. Yasho Rajya Lakshmi was a constant source of support for Dr Karan Singh during his many years in public life, including during the long election campaigns in Udhampur and Kathua. She was able to develop a genuine rapport with women, the elderly, and the rural areas, which contributed considerably to Dr Karan Singh's public support. Various monuments that are today open to the public serve as a testament to Yasho Rajya Lakshmi's accomplishments and contributions. 24 May 2012 saw the inauguration of Yasho-Karan Park close to the historic Rabireshwar Temple in Jammu. 2013 saw the reconstruction of Shiv Mandir in Kankhal, Haridwar, as well as establishment of Maharani Yasho Rajya Lakshmi Sanskrit Pathshala.

Spiritual Devotion and Cultural Contributions to Duggar Land:

Maharani Yasho Rajya Lakshmi, a very committed devotee of Maa Durga who was also a very strong devotee of the Goddess and believed in doing spiritual work as well as social work. Yasho Rajya Lakshmi and Dr Karan Singh installed the Natraj idol in Raghunath Temple, Jammu in 1979, thus further emphasising the tremendous amount of spiritual heritage that existed in the region. Throughout her life, Yasho Rajya Lakshmi was very closely associated with the cultural and spiritual sentiments of Duggar land. Yasho Rajya Lakshmi was a constant source of support for Dr Karan Singh during his many years in public life, including during the long election campaigns in Udhampur and Kathua. She was able to develop a genuine rapport with women, the elderly, and the rural areas, which contributed considerably to Dr Karan Singh's public support. Various monuments that are today open to the public serve as a testament to Yasho Rajya Lakshmi's accomplishments and contributions. On May 24, 2012, Yasho-Karan Park was inaugurated near the Rabireshwar Temple's historical site in Jammu, along with the reconstruction of Shiva Mandir in Kankhal (Haridwar, India) and Maharani Yasho Rajya Lakshmi Sanskrit Pathshala established in 2013.



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