The Development…

1 May, 2008

Thursday

I have been going to the physiotherapist and do exercises under his guidance. But while my physical self is busy in motion my mind works at a much faster speed gauging at all the reasons that might had gone wrong! “Did you have some injury?” the doctor asked. “I don’t remember exactly.” I replied. I thought hard of some incident when my shoulder must have been injured. I think of some but waive off the thought.

My sole concern is to make my shoulder work. The machines I work on look intimidating as if challenging me to action. I take up the challenge and start working with a vigour. I am really amazed at the stubbornness of my arm that would not straighten up despite my best efforts. I would order, request and cajole the poor thing but it would not listen to me.

My Priority these days…

17 April, 2008

Thursday

It is time that I start seriously the process of my “physical Overhauling”! I am really in a bad physical state. Can you imagine how does it feel when you are not bale t ostrech your arm to its full length? It feels terrible. I feel so helpless and wish like untangling some nerves that may be restricting the movements. I look at my arm and hand and wonder how could it happen to it? This hand of mine has helped me put to words my thoughts on paper and computer, has drawn and painted innemerable paintings and designs and has even untangled lengths of yarns both for knitting, stiching and embroidery purposes. It had worked witjout ever making a murmer of protest for such a long time but suddenly now it has refused to listen to me.

Looking back I find that it was trying to give me signals in its own little way about it being not well but did I ever listen to it? No. I would just discard all such messages as my wild imagination. I remember that it started with some pain in my index finger and I was a little alarmed but thought it to be my imagination of overworked nerves! Next it was pain in my upper arm especialy during the nights when I would try to move the quilt over my head. I once again thought it to be a result of some overwork and tiredness.

I would talk about this pain during the day to my friends but would never think of doing something in this matter. But when I realized the problem, it had worsened. I lie on the floor and try streching my arms over my head but one of the arms would be short by few inches!

Last night i slept on floor so that I could strech my arms at night whenever the urge came to me to strech them. I am really worried about my poor state of health as my near and dear ones are eqyally alarmed. But as I am a fighter, I would fight it and finish it. This arm of mine is such a good one that despite being in pain it still is helping me to put my random thoughts to words. Can you ever think of a better friend? I’ll take care of you my beloved arm, don’t you bother.

The Faustian Souls…

Faustus is gone; regard his hellish fall,

Whose fiendful fortune may exhort the wise

Only to wonder at unlawful things,

Whose deepness doth entice such forward wits

To practice more than heavenly power permits.

(Christopher Marlowe in Doctor Faustus)

Rural Development in Himachal Pradesh: A New Perspective…

Please don’t call me anti-establishment and anti development if I write about my most honest views the way Himachal Pradesh is moving towards development. I may be wrong in my interpretation as it may reflect my own perspective that is very narrow and old fashioned!

It was during Nalwar Mela when I had this strange enlightenment about the so called development of our beloved state. The fact that rearing of oxen had dwindled in the hilly terrains, and that just one pair of bullocks is shared by many households in the village for farming and the truth that all these families share the fodder and other maintenance service of the bullocks, made me question the changing life style in the rural areas of this hilly state. Why such a change?I remember that when I came as a young bride to a village some 28 years ago I was surprised to find a pair of bullocks in each of the households in the village. The pair of the bullock would be considered privileged pride for the owners. But today hardly one family keeps a pair of bullocks! Where have all those pairs vanished? Or is it that cows these days don’t deliver male calves? Or don’t people plough their fields anymore?

When I visited my village some days back I was surprised to find huge crowd of women at a shop. On enquiring I found that they had come to take the monthly ration—grains, cereals and other essential commodities that are supplied at dirt cheap price at the fair price shops. More surprise was in store for me when I found some of the ecstatic ones calling their friends on mobiles to inform about the availability of the ration! A real information sharing! I got answer to my question—why should someone bother to toil in dirt and fields when the public distribution system takes care of all your needs?So what do they do during the free time thus made available to them courtesy Himachal Government—Ekta Kapoor’s serials are what keep them busy. I am so thankful to the Television and the cable TV services made available to our villages. This has made it possible the village women to use time to some useful activity. Such a wonderful and judicious use of time!So why would people rear calves and toil in fields.

Everyone wants to have a government job and go to office instead of fields. Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh seems to be serious towards encouraging Agriculture sector in Himachal. And what if the Himachal Government plans for Organic farming in a big way—where would we have cow dung from? Perhaps we will have to import cow dung from some other states to use that for organic farming in Himachal. The village life has changed a lot and an old fashioned person like me is susceptible of such a development in my state.

We really have come a long way in the name of development!

Nalwar Mela, Sundernagar, Mandi

22 March, 2008

Saturday

Mute Animals at Mela Ground

I had heard so much about the Nalwar mela that I could not contain my excitement when I got a chance to actually see the mela on 22 March, 2008. It was  a  news to me that there are three Nalwar melas i.e. Nalwar Bilaspur, Nalwar Bhangrotu and Nalwar Sundernagar. Among all these three Nalwar Melas the  one at Sundernagar is the most famous one. It was a treat to my eyes to watch hilly bullocks all decorated in red ribbons and other fineries, heading for the mela. No, they were not going there out of their own sweet will but their owners literally dragged them to the mela ground. They were to be sold! I felt sorry for them as their wish had no value for the owners. Many of these young pairs of bullock, it must have been their first visit to a town and many of them might have seen and experienced the vehicular traffic for the first time in their young life as fear was writ large on some of the countenances, if I could read the expressions well.

Eager to collect as much information as I could from the bystanders, I interacted with many a people and collected a lot of interesting information. There were many breeds of bullocks as Punjab, J & K, U.P. and the local area farmers actively participate in the fair. I saw a number of pairs of bullocks that had red ribbons tied on their foreheads and some even had a red tikka mark as well. I could see the love and care that was showered on these mute animals by the persons who had reared them, especially the women accompanying the pair were more compassionate towards the stubborn animals!

Charging Menancingly…

With camera in hands I wanted to click a few pictures that would capture the true expressions on the countenances of the bullocks but when some bullocks came running towards us, I literally forgot about everything else and ran to same myself from some injury. The bullocks were not comfortable for being led to the mela ground as it was something that was happening for the first time in their life. Like human beings, they too seemed to resist change in all forms. I saw a pair that was so adamant that the owners had to pull the bullock with such a strength that their was bleeding from the nostril of one of the animals. I felt  so sorry for the animals. My accompanist told me that there are veterinary doctors camping at the mela ground to provide all  possible medical aid to the animals. I was a bit relieved t0 learn of this angle of the management. Talking to the vets made me appreciate the hard work that goes behind the scene to make such melas possible. The Animal Husbandry department vaccinates all animals at the Mela against Foot and Mouth disease that some of them might have contacted through the long and arduous journeys that they have to undertake to reach this place. The department has made this service available to the bullocks free of cost so that the owners may not shy away from getting their bullocks vaccinated. Every owner has to get his bullocks registered at the Veterinary stall and get a certificate. I was all praise for the stalwarts of the department who were providing such a service when I just ran for my life when a pair of uncontrolled bullocks charged towards me!

Another interesting fact that came to my notice was that the manual for of ploughing was still the feasible and practical way of farming in some areas of the hilly state as the terraced fields could be ploughed with the help of bullocks only. But the sad part of the story was that the rearing of male calf was on a decline and the number of bullocks had declined considerably. Someone chipped in another startling information that some persons leave their incurable animals at the Mela ground as they find no reason to feed a useless animal. I was at a loss of words as how could someone do this to a mute and suffering animal but then have we not become so progressive that carrying a dead weight is the last thing that we would do.

Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister inaugurated the week long State Level Nalwari Fair of Sundernagar in district Mandi by nailing the stake at Nagaun Khad and worshipping a pair of oxen, symbol of hilly agriculture. He said that the cattle fair were directly linked with the agro-economy since trading of oxen had been taking place during such fairs and every farmer visits the mela to buy best pair for ploughing their fields. He said that the significance of domestic animals was still of utmost importance with the hilly farmers where scientific farming was not practical. He emphasized the need to rear best species of the domestic animals to carry their agricultural activities more effectively besides adopting the modern scientific modes of farming.
I wish that the Chief Minister initiates some plans so that the farmers are encouraged to take care of the male animal rearing in the right spirit and the symbolic worshipping of the pair of oxen turns into the real worshipping of the oxen in the everyday life of hilly areas.      

The Mysticism of Mandi’s Mahashivratri…

 

The Blend of Ancient and the Modern

Mandi and Mahashivratri seem to have become synonymous as when we name one the other comes to mind immediately! Like all other festivals Mandi Mahashivratri, too, has some legends behind it and the legend has Lord Shiva behind it. Legend has it that a cow used to drip her milk on a stone in a forest where the present Mandi town is located. The fact was verified by the then ruler Ajber Sen. In the meantime Lord Shiva appeared in the dream and ordained Ajber Sen to dig beneath the stone. He did it and to his pleasant surprise a large Shivlinga was found. He built Bhutnath temple on that spot in 1926.

Bhootnath Temple Mandi 

Simultaneously the capital of Mandi State was shifted from Bhiuli to this place where the town is located at present. First Mahashivratri Fair was held at that time and is continuing since then. 

 

The town of Mandi, considered to be the most fashion conscious place in Himachal next only to Shimla, is suddenly filled with an age old mystic presence of gods and goddesses arriving to the town for a great gathering on the occasion of Mahashivratri. For the entire week the town forgets everything else and celebrates the arrival of hundreds of local deities on elaborately decorated palanquins. It is a lifetime experience to watch the gods and goddesses heading for Mandi from various parts of the district, being carried either on back of the accompanying “Gur” or on Palanquins or some even on vehicles!

I was intrigued to find why some of the gods prefer to ride on the shoulders and backs of the accompanying devotees when the journey may take 2 to 3 days to reach the destination? I couldn’t contain my curiosity when I saw a local deity being put on a vehicle at a place near Kataula and asked someone about it. According to my informant the gods and goddesses belong to different categories of Brahmins, Kshatriya and even some lower castes and the Brahmin and Kshatriya would not ever travel in vehicles! The answer surprised me.  

The whole of the town reverberated with the sounds of the nagaras and other traditional musical instruments! It seemed as if all these gods and goddesses had thronged all the nooks and corners of the town and the town had suddenly dotted with reds and orange colored palanquins giving the town a holy and mystic look. The god fearing me would bow my head at all the gods and goddesses making all kind of pleas to fill my life with happiness.  

Though it is a fact that Shivratri is celebrated all over the country, but it has assumed special significance for Mandi, once the capital town of a princely state. A Shoba Yatra called Zareb marks the beginning of the fair, in which the images of gods and goddesses are carried in palanquins. The Shoba Yatra terminates at Padal ground, the venue of the fairs. The devotees first visit the Raj Madhav temple, which is the shrine of the main god of the area, and then visit Bhootnath temple to worship Lord Shiva, during the fair. The gods astride the palaquins would display their feelings of happiness at meeting Raj Madhav Rao and Lord Shiva the Bhootnath by making their palanquins sway in a joyful manner. These deities seemed so very human to me. I felt so close to their world—the world of ego, happiness and anger as well!

Rishi Kamru Nag, the presiding deity of the Mahashiratri, has a wooden temple near a legendary lake located at a height of 9000 ft above sea level and about 63 km from Mandi town. Kamru Nag came to Mandi town on Thursday and straightway headed for paying his obeisance at Raj Madhav Rao temple. After paying his obeisance he headed for his abode that is Tarna ma temple and it is here that he stays throughout the entire Mahashivratri fair. The legend about Rishi Kamru Nag and his Mahabharta connection made sense to me behind his wish to stay at the top most point of the town and watch the festivity from there. Recorded in the history of Mandi state, Kamru Nag is also a god of rains.

Raj Madhav Rao Temple Mandi

The other main gods and goddesses would come to pay their obeisance to Raj Madhav Rao temple that has a very pretty silver idol of Radha and Krishna. These deities would then wait for the procession called Zareb to start from this place where all the deities would march towards Paddal ground—the venue for celebration of the fair.

The excitement was in the air and the small area was thronging with more people then it could accommodate. Excitement filled with exhilaration and unrest was the mood of the thronging crowds. Overhearing the heated discussions among the devotees having accompanied these deities made me feel how human these simple hilly deities are! There was one deity who was participating in the Zareb after 45 years and his devotees were arguing for the position that they had earlier but was now usurped by other deities! It was a tough job to assign the position to all these deities and then make them proceed in the procession. Egos at work even among deities!  

Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister led the inaugural procession of Raj Madhav Rao, the reining deity of the week long international MahaShivratri festival at Mandi accompanied by 175 deities participating from different parts of the District. It was a pleasure to watch hundreds of devotees, folk dancers with traditional musical instruments clad in colorful attire. The Kesariya turbans of the dignitaries made the scene more colorful! The whole of the procession started for Paddal ground and it seemed as if whole of the inhabitants of Mandi in their Sunday bests were heading towards the venue.

The day was warm and clear. Festivity was in the air but suddenly strong winds gushed forth and the clear sky was dotted with clouds and lightening. We were surprised at this sudden change of weather and wondered about this strange happening. The rain drops made us look towards the sky and also the Tarna Hill where the presiding deity of the Mahashivratri fair Rish Kamru Nag had taken abode.The sudden gush of rain finished as soon as it had started and a sense of relief swept me. But the local people around me were feeling ecstatic as the “god of the rain” Kamru Nag had shown his happiness by this act and had showered his blessings! It sure was a miracle and I bowed my head in reverence at god Kamru Nag and made another silent wish for the happiness of all my loved ones!

The Mysticism of Mandi’s Mahashivratri…

The Abode of Kamru Nag during Shivratri…

The Presiding Deity of Mandi Shivratri–Rishi Kamru Nag

Mystic and Enigmatic Mandi…1

The Sunken Garden and tbe Gantaghar: The Heart of Mandi

The Heart of the Town….

Mandi, situated on the left bank of Beas River in the foothills of Shivalik range, had fascinated me since my early childhood when we passed through the town during our yearly sojourn back to our ancestral village. The rickety HRTC Bus would stop at the old bus stop that was in the middle of the market. I would raise my little head from the lap of my mother and would watch out of the window. The sunken garden, at that time, was a deserted place, full of garbage and wild plants with heaps of rubbish lying around it. The Ghantaghar would raise its head proudly from behind all the littered waste that made the place.

I would be mystified and would ask my father about this strange combination. “This is the place where a princely ruler of Mandi had hung his enemy to death.” Afraid that the restless soul of the killed enemy might be hovering around, I would again sink my head in the comfortable lap of my mother.  The ancient past always haunted me especially the hoary legend behind the sunken garden! I wonder whether the youth of Mandi who throng the lush and green garden and the Indira market, a modern business complex, around it know the hoary story that is buried under this green façade? The pagoda-type structure with a clock tower, a marvel of hill architecture and the star attraction of the garden, hides a hoary secret under it.Beneath this precious monument are buried the tragic tales of the hoary past. It reminds of the cruelty, betrayal and perversion of Sidh Sen (1684-1727), who beheaded his son-in-law, Raja Prithi of Bhangal. A small area near Jogindernagar used to be Bhangal state in that time. His head was buried in the centre of the garden and limbs at the four corners of what became the Sunker Garden. According to the legend the Rani of Bhangal, Raja Sidhsen’s daughter, had come to her father following strained relations with her husband. Sidh Sen wanted to teach him a lesson and perhaps another reason would be to take over the small princely kingdom of Bhangal.  He laid a trap and sent for Prithi Pal who came to Mandi but on his arrival at Mandi he was taken captive. An abortive attempt was made by Prithi Pal to escape from prison with the help of Raja of Sukket, the present day Sundernagar. It is said that Prithi Pal was hidden in a sack and was to be ferried across the river Beas but the ferrymen were able to detect him when they poked the sack.  Ferrymen recognised and informed Sidh Sen. Prithi Pal was then killed.  The ghastly murder of Prithi Pal was followed by many natural calamities. Sidh Sen summoned astrologers and tantrists who attributed to the wrath of the raja’s wandering spirit. Sidh Sen grew panicky and on the advice of astrologers started lighting an earthen lamp daily at the place where the head of his son-in-law had been buried. The subsequent rulers kept up the tradition of lighting earthen lamp for centuries. The Sunken Garden used to be a small lake in the days of Sidh Sen and was called Sidhsar. Joginder Sen, the last ruler of Mandi state, converted it into a garden. A clock tower was built during him regime. Though the historic Sunken Garden located on the confluence of the Beas and the Suketi in this 500-year-old town, has regained the grandeur of its royal past when all cultural and religious festivities were held here, but can we forget the tale of treachery, cruelty and betrayal that marked the place?Watching the gaiety and life reverberating the sunken garden I thought of the mortal remains lying buried under the garden and a restless soul hovering over it questioning the betrayal, cruelty, greed and spite that guide all tales of sadness and pain.