• Founded by Swami Vivekananda on April 14, 1900, what was known as the first Vedanta Class grew into its present organized form in which Vedanta philosophy is flourishing

By Swami Tattwamayananda

Vedanta philosophy first arrived in northern California in February of 1900 with Swami Vivekananda, the great disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. He lived and taught like his master, as did later leaders of the Vedanta Society of Northern California, San Francisco, like Swamis Turiyananda and Trigunatitananda, and Swami Abhedananda. The organization thrived under the leadership of other Swamis who followed in the footsteps of these spiritual giants, becoming one of the best-established Vedanta centers in the country.

Founded by Swami Vivekananda on April 14, 1900, what was known as the first Vedanta Class grew into its present organized form in which Vedanta philosophy is flourishing under the stewardship of the Vedanta Society of Northern California and its offspring the Vedanta Societies of Berkeley and Sacramento.

Read: What is Vedanta?

The wisdom of the ages ties the history of God and religion to the evolution of the human consciousness of the divine, as expressed in our ideas and concepts of God. The history of Hinduism reveals that temples were centers of religious life after the Vedic age. However conventional temple worship was far removed from the religious universalism as understood today. Swami Trigunatitananda gave a universal dimension to the concept of temple worship by building a Hindu Temple in San Francisco; this picturesque landmark has graced the city’s urban landscape for more than 100 years.

Temple Worship in Hinduism

Temples in India have always been central to the Hindu way of life serving not just as places of worship but also as centers of culture and arts, as well as religious and philosophical literature. They played an important role in the lives of sculptors, florists, musicians, priests, and the common people. In the Hindu tradition building a temple was considered a sacred act that gave spiritual merit to the builder and sanctity to the surroundings.

To a pious Hindu, a temple is the abode of God and a representation of the omnipresent, cosmic, and transcendental dimension of the creator. The Brihat Samhita states that a temple is a microcosm of creation, conceived as everlasting spiritual symbols of human effort and devotion “Yaavat chandraarkamedini…” (As long as the moon, the sun, and the earth exist”). From the standpoint of the individual spiritual seeker, a temple represents the subtle body with the seven psychic centers mentioned in the Tantric texts.

In Hinduism, a true devotee sees a temple as a source of divine energy, symbolizing in essence, the link between man and God that helps humans to evolve from the earthly level to the transcendental divine realm. The temple plays a key role in the tradition of religious practices in Hinduism because it is conceived as a symbol or combination of various symbols, much like a human being.

In Hinduism, a true devotee sees a temple as a source of divine energy, symbolizing in essence, the link between man and God that helps humans to evolve from the earthly level to the transcendental divine realm

The diversity of India’s temple architecture, its aesthetics and art forms, legends and storytelling, and the aesthetics and art forms associated with the temples – are foundational to the preservation of Hindu heritage. As religious institutions, temples have always played an important role in the history of religious practices in Hinduism, where traditionally a temple is conceived to be a symbol or a combination of various symbols, much like a human being.

Realization in Rituals

A temple’s sanctity is rooted in the idea that it manifests the body of the Divine in visible form, as presented by texts such as ‘Aparajitaprichcha’ (a well-known Sanskrit text on traditional Hindu architecture by Bhuvanadeva). The Agni Purana, views the sanctum sanctorum alone as the body of the presiding deity. Temples and image worship represent the intermediary stage between the immanent and transcendental levels of the realization of God.

Through ceremonial rituals, accompanied by chanted mantras, austerities, and meditation, . The idol created by the sculptor becomes the deity and the rituals symbolize stages in devotees’ spiritual journey to discover God in their hearts.

The pattern of worship in Hindu temples is based on important principles of spiritual psychology – the mind takes the form of the object on which it meditates.

The Bhagavata Purana states: यत्र यत्र मनो देही धारयेत्सकलं धधया ।

स्नेहाद्द् वेषाद्भयाद्वाधि याधि ित्तत्स्वरूििाम् ॥ २२॥ (The Bhagavata Purana: XI – 9 – 22).

Religious symbolism

Each of the items used to perform a Puja has a specific spiritual symbolism.

Water represents Sraddha; flowers – devotion; light – knowledge, and cooked offerings, the body. The conch stands for ‘OM’; the bell for the principle of sound and incense symbolizes sensual pleasures. Namaskara represents ‘prapatti’ or self-surrender and offerings of fruit, the results of actions, while circumambulation around the temple symbolizes experiencing the Divine Presence everywhere.

Read: Heavenly Temples and Towers – A Bouquet of Mystic Poems from China

The intent of worship at a temple is to make the devotee spiritually conscious of the omnipresent Divine presence within (inside the heart) and without (in the outside world.)

The puja rituals correspond, symbolically, to taking the Deity out from the devotee’s heart to deposit in the image so that the worshipper feels the divine presence within, in the image, and everywhere. The process is meant to exert a shift on worshipper’s subjective state, consciousness and outlook on the journey to achieving realization of the Divine.

A Devotee’s Characteristics

In the Bhagavata Purana, Hari, one of the Navayogins, describes the characteristics of the highest devotee of God:

“The highest devotee of God experiences the presence of God in himself as his own divine Self and, at the same time, experiences the presence of everything and everyone in God. He sees his own Divine Self in all beings. He looks upon the whole of humanity as spiritually non-distinct from himself. He will have love for God, friendship with other devotees, mercy for those who are less accomplished in their spiritual aspirations, and total indifference towards enemies.

सर्वभूतेषु यः पश्येद्भगवद्भावमात्मनः ।

भूतानि भगवत्यात्मन्येष भागवतोत्तमः ॥ ४५॥

ईश्वरे तदधीनेषु बालिशेषु द्विषत्सु च ।

प्रेममैत्रीकृपोपेक्षा यः करोति स मध्यमः ॥ ४६॥

अर्चायामेव हरये पूजां यः श्रद्धयेहते ।

न तद्भक्तेषु चान्येषु स भक्तः प्राकृतः स्मृतः ॥ ४७॥    ( Bhagavata Purana: XI- 2- 45-47)

This article is the first of a three-part series on Swami Trigunatitananda, the Missionary of Vedanta & Builder of the First Hindu Temple in the West. A version of this article was first published in the June – July – August issues of Ramakrishna Mission’s English journal ‘PRABUDDHA BHARATA’

Read: Shikarpur, once known as The City of Temples

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Courtesy: India Currents (Posted on February 1, 2025)

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• They reflect the cultural heritage within the dynamic Shikarpur district and thus highlight the district’s rich religious diversity.
• Previously, several wooden doors in temples and darbars in Garhi Yasin depicted Hindu deities and Sikh Gurus – but most were removed during renovations and expansions

Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro

Madeji, a small town in the Garhi Yasin taluka of Shikarpur, is famous for its Hindu temples and darbars. There are about six temples and darbars in Madeji, each with its own unique history and significance. In the Shahi Bazaar, the Sant Baba Jairam Das Udasi Darbar is believed to have been built before the partition. Sant Baba Jairam Das was an eminent Udasi saint. The darbar has been renovated now.

As one enters the spacious courtyard, one notices the carved images of Baba Guru Nanak and his son Baba Sri Chand, on the main doorway. It is rare to see such carved images on wooden doors in the Garhi Yashin taluka. Previously, several wooden doors in temples and darbars in Garhi Yasin depicted Hindu deities and Sikh Gurus. However, most doors were removed during renovations and expansions. Nevertheless, one can still see a carved image of Baba Guru Nanak with his companions Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana on the wooden door of Sheva Das Darbar in Garhi Yasin town.

Another important detail at the main entrance is the name of the Darbar, written as “Udasi Sant Baba Jairam Das Darbar Madeji,” with the year 2003 inscribed on the gateway’s facade. It seems that 2003 marks the year of the Darbar’s renovation, not its construction. As one enters, one will notice a Shiva lingam on the left. While entering the Darbar room, one notices the Takhat (throne) on which Guru Granth Sahib is placed. To the right of Takhat Sahib, five alcoves on the wall display pictures of Baba Guru Nanak, Sikh and Hindu saints. The first alcove has a picture of Baba Guru Nanak, the second has Sant Baba Mayya Das, the third has Sant Baba Jairam Das, the fourth has Sant Baba Shiv Bhajan, and the fifth has Baba Gobind Ram.

Kali Mata and Pooj Samadha Dham are two newly built temples in Madeji’s Hindu Mohalla. While entering the Kali Mata temple complex, one notices Shiva lingam and Akhand Jyot of Julelal in a room

Sant Baba Mayya Das was a Udasi saint and the 10th Gadisar of Udasin Ji Darbar or Mandir, which was founded by Chetandas Udasi in the 18th century. Now, this darbar is named after its 9th Gadisar Sant Jamnadas. The Jamnadas Darbar is located in Nauhahro Feroz’s Shahi Bazaar. Baba Shiva Bhajan was also an Udasi saint and 6th Gadisar of Pooj Udasin Samadha Ashram in Shikarpur. Sant Baba Gobind Ram (d 2003) was the 8th Gadisar of the Shadani Darbar, which was founded by Sant Shadaram (d 1793) in Ghokti’s Hayat Pitafi village.

After Sant Baba Jairam Das’s death, Sant Baba Teerath Das became the Gadisar (custodian) of the darbar and migrated to Kanpur, India, where he lived most of his life. He originally hailed from Madeji town. Baba Haridas is the current custodian of the Sant Baba Jairam Das Darbar and resides in Kanpur. There is also a branch of the Sant Baba Jairam Das Darbar in Kanpur, India. The Sant Baba Jairam Das Darbar in Madeji is now maintained by the previous Mukhi Sunder Das under the supervision of the Hindu Panchayat Madeji. Different festivals and ceremonies are performed in this darbar.

Apart from Sant Baba Jairam Das Darbar, Baba Hari Ram Darbar is another old religious place in Madeji town. It is located in the old town committee area of Madeji. Udasi saint Baba Hari Ram founded this darbar. One enters through the gate to the spacious courtyard that leads to the main Darbar hall. The Darbar hall has a Takhat sahib on which the Guru Granth Sahib is placed. To the right of the Takht sahib are seven alcoves on the wall that show pictures of Hindu deities, Sikh Gurus and saints. In the first alcove, there is a depiction of Baba Guru Nanak; the second features Guru Gobind Singh; the third showcases Sant Satramdas; the fourth contains the image of Sant Hari Ram (after whom this darbar is named), the fifth displays Shiva, the sixth presents Durga, and the seventh exhibits Baba Roop Bhajan.

Above the alcoves are depictions of Sikh Gurus, Hindu deities, and saints. Positioned on the step of the Takhat Sahib is a portrayal of the Udasi saints of Pooj Udasin Samadha Ashram in Shikarpur. Also, the image of Sain Vasan Shah, whose darbar is situated in Rohri overlooking the Indus River, is displayed on the Takhat Sahib. Adjacent to the Takhat Sahib, a poster featuring Baba Ram Das, the present Gadisar of Jamnadas Darbar in Naushero Feroze, is exhibited.

After the death of Sant Baba Hari Ram, Hari Ram, another Udasi saint with the same name, became the Gadisar of Darbar. He was succeeded by Fakkar Das. Fakkar Das was succeeded by Manglo. After the death of Manglo, another Hari Ram from Shikarpur city became shivadar of this darbar. Today, Hari Ram Darbar is managed by the Hindu Panchayat of Madeji.

Bhai Mehro is another historically significant darbar on the same street as Baba Hari Ram Darbar. Although limited information is available about Bhai Mehro, it is known for its simple yet tranquil ambience, with a majestic pipal tree gracing its courtyard.

The main chamber of the darbar is adorned with posters of Hindu deities and saints, and Sikh Gurus and saints, creating a rich and serene atmosphere that invites deep contemplation and spiritual reflection for all the devotees and followers.

Apart from Bhai Mehro Darbar, another pre-partition old religious place for Hindus of Madeji town is the temple of Raja Veer, which is located in Adh Makani Mohalla adjacent to the Soomra Mohalla. According to Mukhi Satram Das, the temple of Raja Veer was initially a simple structure, subsequently undergoing reconstruction and expansion. Upon entering the temple, a prominent pipal tree is observed in the courtyard alongside a Shiva lingam.

Read: The Historic Pooj Udasin Samadha Ashram of Shikarpur Sindh

The main temple chamber contains the Bhagavad Gita and an Akhand Jyot of Jhulelal housed within a domed structure. To the right of the domed structure, there are five alcoves on the wall. These alcoves feature images of Sant Satramdas, Raja Veer Vikramajit, and Jhulelal, as well as pictures of Sikh Gurus, Hindu deities, and saints. An image of Sant Baba Mayya Das is also placed in one of the alcoves on a wall near the central doorway to the temple chamber.

It’s worth noting that Jhulelal is depicted riding a horse, which is different from his more common portrayal, where he is shown seated or standing on a palla fish. The figure of Raja Veer, also known as Amir Pir, in the religious history of Sindh has not been thoroughly studied. The most famous place associated with him is the village of Aminani Sharif in Dadu. On the facade of the building is written “Amir Pir Rajal Veer.” The Astan of Amir Pir, located in Jhimpir, Thatta, overlooking the bank of Keenjhar Lake, is a most sacred place and is revered by the Ismailis of Sindh. Raja Veer Vikramajeet’s temples can also be found in other towns of Sindh, with the most impressive one located at Thano Ahmad Khan in Jamshoro.

Kali Mata and Pooj Samadha Dham are two newly built temples in Madeji’s Hindu Mohalla. While entering the Kali Mata temple complex, one notices Shiva lingam and Akhand Jyot of Julelal in a room. There is a hall in the temple where one can see an image of Kali Mata and Bhagavad Gita.

Read: Swami Shankaranand Bharti Temple of Shikarpur Sindh

Adjacent to the temple of Kali Mata is the devri of Sain Sacho Satramdas (SSD). An image of Sant Satramdas is placed in this Devri. The foundation of Sain Sacho Satramdas Devri was laid by Sain Sadh Ram, the Gadisar of Devri Sahib, also called Sant Satramdas Dham (SSD) in Ghotki’s Raherki village, on 9th April 1993. Different festivals and rituals are held in this temple complex.

In addition to the Kali Mata temple, there is another temple called Pooj Samadha Dham in the Hindu Mohalla of Madeji. The Pooj Samadha Dham was founded by the current Gadisar Swami Narain Bhajan of Pooj Udasin Samadha Ashram in Shikarpur on December 3, 2012. In the main hall of the Pooj Samadha Dham, Guru Granth Sahib and Bhagavad Gita are placed in the Takhat Sahib. Pictures of Baba Shiv Bhajan, Jhulelal, Baba Sri Chand, Baba Guru Nanak, Baba Roop Bhajan, Durga Mata, and Radha and Krishna are also placed on the Takhat sahib. On the left of Takhat Sahib, there are six alcoves on walls showing the images of Baba Sri Chand (the founder of Udasi Panth) and Udasi saints of Pooj Samadha Udasin Ashram in Shikarpur, including Baba Har Bhajan (the founder and first Gadisar of Pooj Udasin Samadha Ashram Shikarpur), Baba Ram Bhajan (2nd Gadisar), Roop Bhajan (3rd Gadisar), Baba Kishan Bhajan (4th Gadisar), Baba Gobind Bhajan (5th Gadisar) and Baba Shiv Bhajan (6th Gadisar). The image of Roop Bhajan is placed within a glass panel in an alcove.

The temples and darbars of Madeji hold significant religious importance for the community. They reflect the cultural heritage within the dynamic Shikarpur district and thus highlight the district’s rich religious diversity.

Read: Haven For The Elderly: Shikarpur’s Pre-Partition Budha Ashram

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The writer is an anthropologist. He has authored 16 books on Pakistan’s cultural heritage and anthropology. He tweets @kalhorozulfiqar

Courtesy: The Friday Times Lahore (Posted on October 11, 2024)

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By Dolat Ram Khatri

Tourism holds great importance worldwide, with several countries gaining significant recognition due to their historical and tourist sites. Some nations, such as Switzerland and Thailand, rely heavily on tourism for their economy. European countries dominate the list of popular tourist destinations, followed by countries in Africa, America, and Asia. Globally, Switzerland and Singapore stand out as exceptionally beautiful countries, with notable attractions like the islands of Java in Indonesia, museums in France and Germany, and the pyramids in Egypt and Algeria. These destinations remain crowded with tourists year-round.

In Pakistan, places like Kashmir and other regions also offer numerous historical and tourist spots. However, these locations have not yet reached their full commercial potential. September 27 is celebrated as World Tourism Day annually. On this occasion, tourism departments worldwide plan initiatives to boost tourism, offering necessary facilities at resorts and tourist spots to attract more visitors, which in turn benefits the economy.

The Karoonjhar Mountain Range, with its natural beauty, can become a major commercial tourist hub if properly developed.

In Sindh, the region’s rich history and traditions include several forts and historical sites. From Mohenjo-Daro to Karoonjhar and from Kot Diji Fort to the Umerkot Fort, there are numerous locations of historical significance. The Gorakh Hill Station and the sites of Makli, Ranikot, Bhit Shah, and Sehwan Sharif all attract crowds throughout the year. However, many of these sites have deteriorated due to recent floods, though exact data on the damage is yet to be released.

Globally, tourism is run on a commercial basis, which differs from the situation in Sindh. The lack of commercial planning has prevented many historical sites from receiving due recognition. Several forts and castles in Sindh have also been affected by recent rains. While Sindh has historical forts and castles, it also has Jain temples around Nagarparkar in Thar, which are known as “Jain Bhons.”

The historical sites in Thar, including the fort of Naukot, Karoonjhar, Sardharo, Dham Kasbo, Bhodesar, the village of Marvi, Bhalwa, Gori Temple, Choorio Temple, and the sand dune of Mithi – all of significant importance. Every year during the monsoon season, these places are crowded with tourists. However, many of these sites are in a state of disrepair, such as Naukot Fort, which was built by Mir Karam Ali Khan Talpur in 1814. Mithi’s sand dune is a popular picnic spot, but it lacks proper facilities, such as a well-maintained park for children. Additionally, the site lacks hotels or restaurants for visitors.

The lack of commercial planning has prevented many historical sites from receiving due recognition

Near Mithi, there is a newly developed hill station called “Nai Gadhi Bhitt” where development work is ongoing. Forty kilometers from Mithi is Islamkot, home to the Sant Nenuram Ashram, a symbol of religious harmony in Thar that attracting many visitors. Further along, the Gori Temple stands as a remarkable example of ancient art and architecture. Most of the temples around Nagarparkar date back to the 11th century and are made of marble.

The village of Bhalwa is known for being the home of Marvi, a legendary character in Sindhi folklore. The village has a well associated with Marvi and a small museum set up by the Department of Culture and Tourism that draws many visitors. Bhodesar, located in the plains near Nagarparkar, is home to an ancient mosque and Jain temple. These sites, including Bhodesar Lake, have been badly affected by recent rains.

The area around Karoonjhar Mountain, with its Hindu temples and beautiful streams like Gordharo and Bhitiyani, is a significant tourist attraction. The Department of Culture and Tourism has constructed a cultural complex in this area. Ten kilometers from Nagarparkar lies the lush village of Kasbo, home to two temples frequently visited by tourists. Nearby, the visually impaired artist Yousuf Faqir is known for his musical performances. Choorio Temple, located 40 kilometers southeast of Nagarparkar, is a stunning site, with the surrounding views adding to its beauty.

Despite government efforts to develop the Choorio Temple, much more needs to be done to preserve the historical monuments around Bhodesar and Virawah. The Karoonjhar Mountain Range, with its natural beauty, can become a major commercial tourist hub if properly developed. Government initiatives can make tourism more commercially viable in Sindh, focusing on preserving historical sites, improving facilities at resorts, and promoting the region’s rich culture and natural beauty.

Read: Jain delegation from India visits ancient temples in Thar Desert of Sindh

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Writer is Lecturer in Chemistry at Sadiq Faqeer Boys’ Degree College, Mithi, the headquarter town of District Tharparkar Sindh. He is writer and columnist and regularly contributes to various newspapers. He is author of a book ‘Dharti, Dard Pukaroon’, a compilation of his articles.   

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By Manjula Tekal

The destruction of deities

People who have suffered intense trauma don’t want to talk about it. They don’t want to listen to stories that remind them of their trauma. But they cannot become fully functional unless they confront their pain.

Avatans Kumar says in his preface, “For Indians, Hindus specifically, the massive destruction of temples and the desecration and dismemberment of their deities throughout the past millennia has been an acute source of transgenerational trauma. The fact that no standing grand ancient Hindu temple older than about a hundred years exists in and around the National Capital Region of Delhi accentuates this trauma.” And Delhi is an ancient capital of a nation that is thousands of years old!

Until recently, we Hindus were not allowed to talk about our pain because of various political and economic pressures. Our stories were buried, our history was distorted, and we bore our anguish in silence.

A welcome catharsis

This book, “The Flight of Deities: An Anthology of Desecration and Devotion,” comes as a welcome catharsis.

Professor Meenakshi Jain, whose book, The Flight of the Deities, has inspired this anthology has written a beautiful foreword.

I started reading the book expecting to find a collection of historical narrative stories about the attacks on temples and the desecration of deities. Yes, the stories are about the flight of deities, but they are more narratives highlighting the human aspects of sacrifice, unswerving devotion, and steadfast stoicism and hope in the face of defeat.

Lost images of Vishnu

Surela Chakraborty narrates the story of a brilliant, passionate, and introverted young archaeologist who sees visions of a lost image of Vaikuntha Vishnu while working at the temple in Khajuraho. His efforts to recover the image fail tragically. The story is abundantly interspersed with many factoids about Khajuraho’s history.

Devamalya De’s Thakurji’s Promise is the story of the Rajputs saving the image of Srinathji from desecration and taking Him away from Govardhan to Rajputana. The author also narrates how Srinathji decided to settle in Nathdwara and how the Rajputs built a temple for Srinathji there.

Kavita Meegama’s Multan, Sindh, is a heartrending tale of abduction and forced conversion in the backdrop of the desecration of the Multan temple, narrated with great sensitivity

The temple in Multan

Kavita Meegama’s Multan, Sindh, is a heartrending tale of abduction and forced conversion in the backdrop of the desecration of the Multan temple, narrated with great sensitivity. The abduction of the protagonist’s mother, who belongs to the family of caretakers of the temple in Multan, and the intolerable personal truth that the protagonist himself must face are only hinted at, adding to the poignancy of the narration.

However, as a reader, I question that allegiance to one’s faith lasts beyond a couple of generations. The intergenerational turmoil must surely be tempered with a certain degree of rationalization and retrospective falsification. Still, the story tugged at my heartstrings. I particularly loved how the story ends, with an act of small defiance that acknowledges a profound change within while implicitly hinting at the protagonist’s regret at his inability to effect any real difference at a macro level.

Invasions of Jagganath Puri

Aneesh Gokhale’s Eighteen Invasions of Jagannath Puri is an account of the brutal invasion of the Konark Sun temple. The Aruna stambha of Konark is relocated to Puri by the Marathas. A reader understands that the history of the kingdoms is irrevocably intertwined with the history of its temples—there is no way to secularize this knowledge. It is much more the wealth held by the temple. I resonated with the evident pride that the author feels for his ‘tenacious Maratha ancestors.’

Mahabharata-era Shivalings

The Fellowship of the Shivalinga is an action-packed story set in the times of later Mughals of a thrilling rescue of a Rajput princess and Mahabharata-era Shivalings. Pranshu Saxena packs an incredible amount of history in his story while maintaining the continuous flow of history from the times of Mahabharat to the time of the story with ease. The politics and intrigues of Faruksiyar’s court keep the reader engaged and guessing. I was left wondering about the story of Nawab Bai Nee Anuradha Bai Sahiba, who claimed direct descent from Janamejaya of the Mahabharata. Perhaps her story is another that must be told! Muazzam alias Bahadur Shah was enamored of tales from the Puranas, a character in the story informs us! Another story that perhaps needs to be examined on its own is the story of Princess Inder Kanwar.

Pranshu Saxena also examines the moral quandary of a soldier engaged in the rescue mission. “Those who cannot create have no right to destroy.” What is the right dharma? Though the story is simple, it is thought-provoking and dense with detail.

Reprise and Remorse

Reprise by Aditi Gopinath is an evocative story that captures the somber mood of a venal man suffering the torments of remorse in his final hours for betraying his parents and Ma Saraswati during the pillage of Martanda temple in Kashmir.

The Language of the Deities, a charming story about the flight of Radharani and Govindadeva from Vrindavan written by Aditi Banerjee, poignantly brings home to the reader that home is where the heart is. You feel that even Gods feel the pangs of dispossession when being forced out of their home. The story is multilayered and narrated in a voice that is surprisingly devoid of melancholy or melodrama. There is an emotional pull of a lost language, the sounds of the Yamuna flowing nearby, and the fragrance of Bakula flowers. The strong force the protagonist feels to search for the Bakula tree, even at the cost of renouncing his dreams, is narrated with compassion. The protagonist’s vision is not some hyper-imagination of a fevered brain but is deductively reasoned out. “For me to have imagined it, I must have known about the Bakula tree next to their temple in Vrindavan. But I do not even know what a Bakula tree looks like.”

The protagonist is successful in his mission but throws away everything he has achieved in a fit of anger. And Lord Govindadeva says, “I know what he could be, but not what he would be. That was always up to him.” Is the author indicating that even providence does not know the final outcome of an action? All in all, a very thought-provoking and enjoyable read.

Murtis in Madurai

Agyaatvaas by Shubhra Prakash is about a student of temple architecture whose passionate objective is to find and liberate the murtis in agyaatvaas.

There are two stories in the anthology about Madurai Meenakshi. The first, The Will of Gods by Rajesh Ramachander, chronicles Malik Kafur’s invasion of Madurai and the desperate defense put up by Veera Pandyan. In the first of several attacks, Kafur’s army burns the Meenakshi temple, and the old head priest is burnt in the fire. But after several such attacks, the Pandyas are weakened, and the deities must be secreted away to safety. Decades later, the deities would be welcomed back to their home in Madurai by the Vijayanagar king. Despite the many battles and loss of life, a whiff of romance and triumph in this story made me happy.

The second story about the Islamic invasion of Madurai, The Queen of Madurai, is written by Deepa Doraiswamy. Told from the point of view of a young grandson of the temple priest, it is the magical story of how Kampana reinstated original deities. I loved how the author interspersed verses from Lalitha Sahasranamam to underscore her ideas. It is a pleasure to read narratives rich in cultural references. From her notes, I learned that the author also liberally quotes from Madhura Vijayam by Queen Ganga Devi. She also offers some deep philosophical insights. “Have I not taught you well, Sarva? The linga is the instrument. We invoke the lord in the linga—the body can break; the spirit cannot.” Even after completing the book, this poignant story lingered in my mind.

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Manjula Tekal is an author and translator. She has several translations to her credit, including Kannada translation of Jagmohan’s My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir, Babu Krishnamurthy Ajeya, biography of Chandrashekhar Azad, from Kannada to English (releasing soon), and Sankrant Sanu The English Medium Myth in Kannada. Manjula holds Masters’ degrees in management from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and has worked in Fortune 100 companies.Manjula’s early influences included her father, who fostered a sense of pride in her heritage and respect for independent thought, and her mother, who loved literature. She lives with her husband and two children in Illinois, USA. Devayani is her debut novel.

Courtesy: India Currents (Posted on August 13, 2023)

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Ashraf Aboul-Yazid

A small country, its right hand holds the palm of China, and its left hand rests on the shoulder of India, so that between them appears a nut in the jaws of a giant crusher… It has Mount Everest; the tallest peak in the world, continuously visited by travelers and adventurers, and Buddha, the boy who is deified by millions around the world.

You walk in its streets as if you were in an open museum of cities that prevailed and then perished, and you pass through its temples as if you were in a fireplace whose candles are still glowing, and you sit with its people, and then you are in an Arab countryside, but beauty in the eyes does not hide much of the pain of the heart, and between pain and hope Nepal was born and the Nepalese lived.

It is rare for me to go to a country where I do not have a ticket to leave, but the trip to the Nepalese capital; Kathmandu was one of those rare times. I traveled from the South Korean capital, Seoul; Country of Quiet Morning, heading to the land of gods and legends; Nepal, I only carry a ticket whose destination ends there, and between the modernity in which the Korean Incheon Airport was drowning, and the innate sense that the Nepalese Kathmandu Airport receives you, travelers will discover that the issue is not the hours that the plane took, but rather the time machine that brought you back to the heart of ancient history.

In Nepal, the gods live with humans, and even embody them sometimes. Why not, and most of the people of Nepal bear sacred names! Despite this apparent innateness, the people of the country will assume that their visitors know the technology, as they have installed machines in which you fill in your data electronically, digitally photograph your passport, and face the lens of the automated robot to take a picture of your face, before you press a button with it to print the papers that you will submit to an employee to review. And you pay the fees to officers in foreign currency, and they give you a receipt for the visa fees, and you will take all of that to the entry counter, to pass simply, calmly, and without complication, triumphing over the crowds and apprehension, and you do not have the return flight data and you do not know the hotel of residence!

But the government of Nepal depends on you and the millions of tourists who come to it every year, to help its economy, restore its ruins that were destroyed by the 2017 earthquake, and implement its long-term plans to develop its infrastructure.

150 Bishnu and Bishnu

Awaiting me was Bishnu Nisthuri, a brilliant journalist, friend and fellow of Asia Journalist Association. Common name Bishnu has a secret. Naming a Nepalese child with one of the Hindu gods is common because of the religious nature of the daily life in the Nepalese society. Thus, the name of the Hindu god Bishnu or Vishnu, and 150 of its vocabulary index, some of which are also known as Hafiz, is given to boys, and Bishnu is a god with four arms that indicate his strength and power.

In accordance with the ritual of welcome, Bishnu Nisthuri would carry a silk shawl with the color of golden sun, embossed with Nepalese alphabet and symbols, to make it a scarf for me, in front of the airport gate, before the car he had rented to take us to the hotel where I would be staying in the heart of the capital. For a moment, after the sun had set, I felt that I was entering the heart of an ancient Indian city, perhaps the sense of similarity between the alphabets, and perhaps the feeling that the features were drawn from a sub-continent in the heart of Asia, but in the following days I will discover those differences that make you realize that the Nepalese have their distinctive faces with their deep features and characteristics, men or women.

As a gift for a first-time visitor to Nepal, Bishnu was in store for a pleasant surprise. He booked me a flight for the early morning of the next day, in which the plane would circle its passengers over the Himalayas, and circle the most famous of them; Everest. The plane bears an emblem of a giant foot, representing the foot of the Ice Man (Yeti).

Everest certificate above the clouds

Yeti flew us over Kanchenkunga (8586 meters), Makalu (8463 meters), Chamlang (07319 meters), Amadalbam (6812 meters), Lhotse (8516 meters), Sagarmata (Everest) (8848 meters), Noptse (7855 meters), Pomorie (7161 meters) and Jiachungang (Jyachu – 6637 meters), Dorji-Lakpa (6966 meters), Shisha Bangma (Josian Tan) (8013 meters), Ganesh Himal Manaslu Anpurina Dalguri (8588 meters) and Langtang Lirong (7234 meters).

We had the opportunity to witness the topography of the country, between valleys, desert, mountains and forests. The houses are distributed and paths are branching out, on the edges of which mud and stone buildings looked like grains of fruit in the process of ripening.

The legend of the Ice Man (Yeti) is believed by the public in Nepal, India, Siberia (Russia) and Tibet (China), and new films have confirmed its giant size and ape-like appearance, although science confirms that there is no evidence of (his) existence.

In the sky, the hospitality crew began to explain what we see to the right and left of the small plane, and one hostess escorted us one after the other to enter the cabin of the two pilots, or more accurately the male pilot and the female pilot while the other hostess began distributing drinks in crystal glasses, for everyone to drink to the Lord of the Mountains; Everest.

We were nearing the end of the flight when our hostess began handing out certificates of completion of flight over Everest, signed by the pilots, stamped by the airline, and everyone began celebrating as if they had just won a college degree.

But with my adventurous friend Chakra Karky, an Everest climber and one of his lovers, there was another story, no less amazing than climbing the mountain, a story higher than Everest, where he and a group of lovers of their immortal teacher decided to organize a campaign to clean the mountain from the waste of climbers who exceed thousands. Of them, annually the peak is only reached by dozens.

Thanks to the support of a local bank, an excavation campaign began under the snow that covered the debris and waste of the years, which global warming began to reveal its remnants, and the team included 31 volunteers to clean up this mess in this very dangerous area and at a high altitude. And he happily told me about the documentary they had to record this unique expedition to clear the waste from the face of Everest. It is a film that has become the best call to encourage people to keep the environment clean, especially among school children.

The crescent of Ramadan appeared in Nepal

The next day, I had a meeting with a new Bishnu, Bishnu Gautam, a journalist for the newspaper (Rising Nepal), after his driver drove us to a field near the newspaper building, where we stopped to show me the way on foot, as if we were walking in an open gallery. Many ancient buildings have been turned into restaurants and shops, in addition to being inhabited by new residents who may have rented them, in order to reuse them.

After its publication in Nepali in 1901, the Bishnu Gautam newspaper launched its English sister newspaper, The Rising Nepal, in 1965. The funny thing is that the one in charge of the supplements told me that the old Nepali newspaper publishes its most important supplement on Fridays, as it records the most sales as well!

In the newspaper office, I was surprised, as we were going to survey the crescent of Ramadan after a few days, to find a picture of the reception of the holy month in Egypt on the last page of one of the newspapers issued in English where a picture is published of an orange seller sitting on a cart in the middle of a market filled with goods, nuts and lanterns, under the title “The Traveling Merchant”, and the funny thing is that the word traveler is also pronounced in Nepali and means the traveler, in Arabic, one of many words that I transmitted from Arabic, just as it was transmitted from Hindi and Urdu.

Helicopter receiving roses

I agreed with Bishnu Gautam to visit the historical sites, and chose to mention here between the excursion of the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu where my guide told me about those who come to the annual celebration of Lord Shiva; lord of the three major Hindu gods; Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar, he is the giver of energy, the patron saint of yoga, the guardian of time, the lover of art and dance, and also the god of destruction. The temple is located on the bank of the Bagmati River, and it has been a center of affection for all Hindus since ancient times.

More than 900,000 devotees come to it from India and Nepali regions to stand for about eight hours in wavy lines, before entering the main temple. The most exciting scenes can be captured of about four thousand naked hermits who smoke and are called Sadhus in the local Nepali language, hinting at foreigners who spread their carpets and raise their wet hands. You will see readers of religious texts mumbling aloud, hats beside them, waiting for alms. Most alms givers come from Malaysia. During the middle of the day, a Nepalese army helicopter hovered overhead and dropped flowers on the temple and cheered the crowds, who are celebrating seeing the temple for once in their lives. Some of them came from China via an international road built by China at its expense to serve those coming from its minorities to visit the homeland of Buddha.

A thousand faces of Nepalese women

It is not strange to find a saleswoman in the store, a dancer in the restaurant, and a waiter in the café, but the woman here is also a driver, a teacher, a journalist, a traffic policewoman, a doctor, and a pilot atop of the list. Trafficking in women and girls and supplying sex markets in India and other countries with them remained one of Nepal’s major social problems, especially after the development of other destinations by attracting them to work in Asia and Africa.

In this regard, the most important meeting of my trip was with Mrs. Anuradha Koirala, Founder and President of Maiti Nepal; an organization established to rescue and rehabilitate trafficked women and girls, whose number is estimated to be around 300,000. Thanks to her effort and dedication, the 70 year old lady (born April 14, 1949) was elected as the first Governor of District No. 3 by the Government of Nepal.

In her office, Onurduha pointed to a map of the provinces, and how her organization, which retrieves women from border posts before they are trafficked, has outposts. Maiti Nepal operates its own rescue offices at 11 different entry points of the Nepal-India border. After meeting the social activist – who won the Courageous Conscience Award (Massachusetts, 2006), the CNN Hero of the Year award in 2010, as well as the prestigious Korean Manhae Award for Community – Onurdaha gave us a tour of her foundation where children born to trafficking victims, being cared for and taught, gathered around her, calling her Grandma. (Maiti Nepal means “mother’s house” in Nepali).

Here is a sanctuary for the rescued women where they can stay in the homes run by Maiti Nepal until they can go back to their homes, or if parents and the community do not accept they can stay until they can live on their own.

Within a decade, Mighty Nepal has helped rescue and rehabilitate more than 12,000 women and girls. It also reunited the rescued women with their families, and participated in patrolling the Indo-Nepalese border with the police and other law enforcement authorities.

In the farewell evening, and after buying the return ticket, Bishnu Nisthuri was invited to a company in a musical atmosphere, in which we had dinner, in which vegetarian dishes were mixed with chicken dishes buried in the fire, cooked with hot sauce, with folk dances and singing, and the Nepalese woman appeared again, But this evening she was singing with her colleague dressed as a peacock. We bid farewell to friends, and promise them another visit, to continue listening to the rest of Nepal’s songs.

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Ashraf Aboul-Yazid is an eminent poet, novelist, travelogue writer of Egypt who has authored over three dozen books. His poetry has been translated into over a dozen languages. He is Editor-in-Chief of Silk Road Literature Series.   

The post The Crescent in Nepal…Higher than Mount Everest first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Another prominent temple in Chak belongs to Prem Prakash Panth, a Hindu spiritual and religious organization that was founded by Swami Teoonram Ji Maharaj.

Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro

Chak is a small town in Lakhi Ghulam Shah taluka in the Shikarpur district, which is noted for some of its Hindu temples. It is located about 24 km east of Lakhi Ghulam Shah town. Some of the prominent temples and darbars in Chak town include Mata ji Marhi, Shri Paramhans Advait Mat, Amrapur Asthan Prem Prakash, Bhagat Kanwar Ram, Ganga Ram, Shivalo and Ashram, Guru Nanak Darbar and others.

Guru Nanak Darbar, now called Gurdwara, is one of the prominent worship places of Nanakpanthis of Chak town. It was also called Pevand Tikano, as Pevand Mal who used to sell Kulfis, stayed in the darbar, hence it was also known as Pevand Jo Tikano. It was probably first managed by Bava (ascetic) Gobind Ram. He also used to stay in Guru Nanak Darbar. He was known for his piety. According to Azad Bukhari, a teacher, and writer of Chak town, it was rebuilt in 2001. Dr. Santosh Kumar gave donations in memory of her wife Dasi Bai. Lekhmichand also played an important role in its construction. There are two canopies in the hall of the darbar. On a raised platform (Singhasan) is placed the Guru Granth Sahib and on another are placed images of Jhulelal and Mata Mol Wari (Pooj Shri Mata Sahib Tilli Bai).

Another prominent temple in Chak belongs to Prem Prakash Panth, a Hindu spiritual and religious organization that was founded by Swami Teoonram Ji Maharaj. Swami Teoonram Ji Maharaj was born in Khandu village in 1887. He spent his time travelling and preaching. He finally settled near Tando Adam where he conducted spiritual discussions, and that place was marked with a fence that later came to be called Amrapur Asthan. He formed Prem Prakash Mandal to continue his teachings and discourses which attracted many people who enrolled themselves as his disciples. It is believed that he also visited Chak town, where Amrapur Asthan Prem Prakash Mandal was formed during his lifetime.

Prem Prakash Mandal is managed by the Budhani family of Chak. The first caretaker of Prem Prakash Mandal of Chak was Manik Mal Budhani. Later it was managed by Maharaj Sukhdev. There was also located a Budda ashram (old age home) inside the Mandal, where old members of the Hindu community used to live. There are five spiritual Masters or Satgurus (true teachers) of Prem Prakash Panth. The first Satguru and founder were Swami Teoonram Ji Maharaj. After the death of Satguru Swami Teoonram Ji Maharaj in 1942, Satguru Swami Sarvanand Ji Maharaj (b. 1897, d. 1977) became his second successor. The third Master of Prem Prakash Panth was Satguru Swami Shanti Prakash Ji Maharaj who was born in Chak town in 1907. According to Azad Bukhari (2014), the author of Chak Ja Chandan Har, Satguru Swami Shanti Parkash Ji Maharaj caught chicken pox at the age of 12. He lost his eyesight due to chicken pox. He also composed poetry in Sindhi and Hindi. He died in 1992 and was succeeded by Satguru Swami Haridasram Ji Maharaj (b. 1930 d. 2000). Satguru Swami Bhagat Prakash Ji Maharaj is the fifth successor of Satguru Swami Teoonram Ji Maharaj, who lives in India.

There is a large hall in the Prem Prakash Mandal in Chak where one finds a raised platform and two flanking canopies. On the platform are placed the pictures of Radha and Krishna and four Satgurus of Prem Prakash Panth. The murti (image) of Satguru Swami Teoonram Ji Maharaj is also placed on a platform. In two flanking canopies are placed the Guru Granth Sahib. One can also observe pictures of Stagurus of Prem Prakash Panth, Durga, and Sai Baba of Shirdi (d.1918) on a wall of the main hall of the temple.

The Mata Ji Marhi is another temple in Chak that is taken care of by the Balmiki community of the town. It was first managed by Arjan Sonaro. This temple is now managed by Nand Lal Balmiki. It is a small temple that has now been renovated and an image of Durga has been placed therein.

Apart from Mata ji Marhi, there is another temple which is called Shri Paramhans Advait Mat Mandir which is named after Shri Paramhans Swami Advait Anand Ji Maharaj, also known as Shri Paramhans Dayal Ji Maharaj who was born in 1846 A.D at Chhapra town in Saran district in Bihar Province to Pathak Brahmin family. He preached Surat Shabd yog and Guru Bhakti. He died in Teri in Kohat in KPK where his Samadhi is located.

According to Shri Paramhans Advait Mat (1975), a book published by Advait Anand Pur Trust, Shri Paramhans Swami Advait Anand Ji Maharaj was succeeded by Shri Swami Swarup Anand Ji Maharaj (b. 1884 d.1936). Moreover, one knows from Shri Paramhans Advait Mat (a soft copy of the book can be accessed here) that when Shri Swami Swarup Anand Ji Maharaj was the second spiritual Master, his disciple Shri Swami Vairag Anand Ji Maharaj, whom he initiated in 1916 who later succeeded him as Third Master of Advait Mat in 1936, visited their devotees in Sindh.

The Second Master Shri Swami Swarup Anand Ji Maharaj on the requests of devotees from Sindh visited them at Lakhi in the Sukkur district, where many of his devotees came to have his Darshan and he allowed them to build Ashram in the town of Lakhi. Swami Vairag Anand Ji Maharaj first visited his devotees of Sindh in 1926 and later in 1934. Third Spiritual Master Shri Swami Vairag Anand Ji Maharaj had a great following in Sindh. Shri Paramhans Advait Mat Mandir of Chak town is located in Mukhi Haveli of Chak town which was built by Mukhi Kirori Mal in the late 1930s. In the main hall of the temple is kept the Singhaasan (throne) on which are placed six pictures of Spiritual Masters of the Shri Paramhans Advait Mat faith in a row. These include Shri Paramhans Swami Advait Anand Ji Maharaj, Shri Swami Swarup Anand Ji Maharaj (b.1884- 1936) Shri Swami Vairag Anand Ji Maharaj, Shri Swami Beant Anand Ji Maharaj, Shri Swami Darshan Pooran Anand Ji Maharaj, and present and sixth Master Sri Swami Vichar Pooran Anand Ji Maharaj.

There were also followers of the Radhasoami faith in Chak. The Radhasoami tradition is traced back to the spiritual Master Swami Shiv Dayal Singh in Agra in 1861

One can also visit a beautiful small temple of Sant Bhagat Kanwar Ram (1885-1939) in Chak, who was a disciple of Sant Satram Das (b.1866-d.1910). He was a singer and poet who was killed by extremists at Ruk Railway Station. A temple was built in his name at Chak town after his murder in 1939. Today one can see images and pictures of his spiritual mentor Sant Satram Das in the temple. This temple was first managed by Ladak Mal and his family. The temple was rebuilt in 2006. It is now being managed by Bal Chand Esrani, Tara Chand Thawani, and Prakash Lal Devani. There are three canopies in the main hall of the temple where one can see the images of Sant Satram Das and pictures of Bhagat Kanwar Ram and his followers. Guru Granth Sahib is also placed in the two canopies. On the walls of the temple are also to be seen the pictures of Sant Satram Das, Bhagat Kanwar Ram, Khota Ram, and others followers of Sant Satram Das.

Another temple in Chak belonged to Swami Ganga Ram Ashram and Shivalo, which is not functional now. The Shivalo or Shiv temple was managed by Swami Ganga Ram (b.1860-1949), who was known for his piety. Many of his followers migrated from Chak to other towns and cities of Sindh. A small temple of Swami Ganga Ram is built in the house of Karam Chand Rohera which is now managed by his sons. According to Azad Bukhari (2014), the author Chak Ja Chandan Har, Ganga Ram was also a good poet. His bhajans (devotional songs) are still popular. One of his disciples Qavi Tejo Mal Budhani (b.1865 d. 1950) of Chak was also a good poet who composed poetry in the praise of his spiritual mentor Swami Ganga Ram.

There were also followers of the Radhasoami faith in Chak. The Radhasoami tradition is traced back to the spiritual Master Swami Shiv Dayal Singh in Agra in 1861. The Radhasoami Satsang was first managed by Hukoomat Rai along with Seth Parmanand and Tejo Mal. It was later maintained and managed by Hakeem Ram Chand, Partab Rai, and Jivani Nand. Other prominent adherents of Radhasoami of Chak were Kako Jagu Mal, Nand Lal, Sundar Das, Master Pehlaj Rai, Master Partab Rai, and others. There were two prominent Radhasoami Satsangs before the pre-partition of 1947 one at Khahi village and the other at Chak town in the Shikapur district. Radhasoami Satsang hall of Chak was probably built in 1930. Today, Radhasoami Satsang in Chak is managed by the followers who now live in Sukkur city and they occasionally come and perform Satsang.

There are also a few small temples and a gurdwara in Juriyapur Mohallah of Chak where people of the Bagri community worship. Those temples are Sacho Satram Das Dham (SSD) – managed by Manu Ram Bagri, Baba Krishnanand Maharaj temple which is taken care of by Karam Singh Bagri and the Gurdwara Sahib which is managed by Niko Faqir Bagri.

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Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro, an anthropologist, has authored 13 books: ‘Symbols in Stone: The Rock Art of Sindh’, ‘Perspectives on the art and architecture of Sindh’, ‘Memorial Stones: Tharparkar’ and ‘Archaeology, Religion and Art in Sindh’. He may be contacted at: zulfi04@hotmail.com

Courtesy: The Friday Times Naya Daur Lahore (Published on February 2, 2023)

The post Historic Temples and Darbars of Chak in Shikarpur Sindh first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro

There are many historic villages and towns in the Shikarpur district which are noted for historical monuments, a majority of which are now in deplorable condition. Like Shikarpur city’s heritage, the condition of built heritage in its various villages and towns is not different. While travelling through the Shikarpur district, I came across many mosques, Maaris (mansions) and mandirs (temples) that are not properly documented. Nothing has been written on them. Only local oral historians know about it.

Like various other examples of built heritage of Shikarpur, Maaris (mansions) are found in many historic villages and towns in the district. Maaris were built by both Hindu merchants and Muslim elites. I have been visiting villages and towns of the Shikarpur district since 1998 to document the fast-disappearing built heritage. During my various trips, I interviewed the oral historians and village intellectuals to discuss the lost heritage of the villages and towns. Moreover, the oral history of the mystics and sants of those villages was also collected.

During my two visits to Khahi in 2019 and 2022, I met a few oral historians and interviewed them about the history and heritage of the village. Khahi is a historical village in Lakhi taluka in the Shikarpur district. It is located about 22 km east of Lakhi town. This village is noted for Maaris (mansions) and mandirs (temples). Neighboring Abdoo, Bodo and Bhirkan villages were also noted for mansions of Hindu merchants and landlords. The majority of Hindus in those villages migrated to India in wake of the 1947 Partition.

In Khahi village, both Muslim and Hindu families live together even today. Hakra, Otha, Bhaya and Mahar are prominent Muslim castes in Khahi village. Some Hindu families also live in Khahi village. According to Vasdev Manghir Mal Mandhwani, a notable of Khahi village, there were around 85 to 90 houses of Hindu families in the village before the 1947 Partition.

There were a few Maaris of rich Hindu merchants and landlords. Mandhwani, Haseja and Achhara Hindus lived in Khahi village. Some of the notables of Khahi village were Anand Mal, Asudo Mal, Harchu Mal, Diyalo Mal, Gokal Das, Bhai or Hakeem Sobhraj Mal, Manghir Mal, Diyal Das, Shatrughan, Chandan Lal and others. There are a few Maaris on one of the streets which lead to the Guru Nanak Darbar in Khahi village.

The most prominent Maari in Khahi village belongs to Gokal Das which is also known as Jadam Maari named after his son Jadam Mal. It is a two-storey building that is noted for its intricate woodwork. Now, this Maari has lost its original magnificence. The plaster of the walls has come off, reflecting that the owners of this Maari today cannot even afford to repair it properly. Yet in his own time, Gokal Das was the most influential and rich person in Khahi village. He was both a businessman and landlord. He also owned a rice huller machine in Khahi village. His son Jadam Mal also assisted his father in managing the business. After the death of Jadam Mal, his son Ramesh Lal migrated to Sukkur, where his family lives now.

There were other mansions in Khahi village. The mansion of Anand Mal, who was a Mukhi of the Hindu community in Khahi village, was to be found in the village. The Maari of Diyalo Mal son of Asudo Mal is also noted for its woodwork. Like other mansions in the village, it has also lost its grandeur. There is also the mansion of Harchu Mal which was noted for its wooden balcony, which has now crumbled into pieces. Many Hindu families migrated to India after the 1947 partition. Some stayed back in Khahi village and later migrated to other towns and cities in Sindh, where they established their businesses.

Apart from Maaris of Hindu merchants and landlords, there were six shops in the village Bazaar. The shops of Bhagwano (Bhagwan Das), Shatrughan, Kako Phundu Mal, Mansha Ram, Wadhu Mal and Dhanoo Mal were located in the village bazaar. According to Zulfiqar Ali Otho, a resident of Khahi village and a teacher at the Government Higher Secondary School Chak town, Kako Phundu Mal, and Shugo Mal were brothers who had a shop of Mao or Khoya (curd) in the village. Bhai or Hakeem Sobhraj Mal had three sons: Mansha Ram, Basant Ram and Gopi. Krishan Mal, Manik Mal and Engineer Teekam Das who were brothers had a house located near the Guru Nanak Darbar. Engineer Teekam Das was a literary person who established a library in Khahi village. Wadhu Mal, the brother of Hakeem/ Bhai Sobhraj Mal had also a shop in the village bazaar. Apart from shops in the bazaar, there was also a famous shop of Shevak Mal – which was located near the Shiva temple – and he used to sell Desi ghee.

Apart from Maaris and old shops, Hindu temples and darbars also dominate the village landscape. The earliest temple in the village is said to be the Shiva temple (Shivalo), which was built in the first quarter of the twentieth century. It is a small square temple which is located inside a walled enclosure. There are four niches on four sides of the Shikhara which contain the image of a Hindu deity. Inside the garbhagriha (innermost sanctuary) are found the images of Nandi, Cobra, Shiva and Ganpati. The walls of grabhagriha are covered with posters of Hindu deities, sants, saints and Sikh gurus. This temple has been recently renovated. According to Vasdev of Khahi, it was taken care of by Bhagat Holla Ram. This Bhagat Holla Ram had a disciple named Gulabrai from Shikarpur. Gulabrai became a popular Sindhi singer. Apart from the Shiva temple, there was also located the temple of Mata in Khahi village, which was managed by the Mahraj.

Guru Nanak Darbar is another worship place in Khahi village. It was managed by Bhai or Hakeem Sobhraj Mal in the past. Now it has also been renovated and expanded. In the main hall of the darbar is found the Guru Granth Sahib. The walls of the main hall of Guru Nanak darbar are covered with posters of Sikh gurus. A poster of Jhulelal is also found on a wall of the darbar.

Apart from the temples of Shiva, Mata, and Guru Nanak Darbar, the Hindus of Khahi also established the Radhasoami Satsang centre in the village. It is said that Mukhi Anand Mal and others built Radhasoami Satsang hall in the village. According to the article The Social Significance of Radhasoami by Mark Juergensmeyer, which is published in the edited book Bhakti Religion in North India: Community Identity and Political Action by David N. Lorenzen (1995), the Radhasoami tradition is traced back to the spiritual master Swami Shiv Dayal Singh in Agra in 1861. Mark Juergensmeyer (1995) believes that Shiv Dayal Singh was succeeded by other spiritual masters, and presently there are at least twenty lineages in the Radhasoami family tree.

Khahi village is also famous for Qavi Swami Pehlajram, who was an eminent poet of Sindhi and Hindi. According to Sindh Ja Sant (Sants of Sindh) by Dr. Diyal Asha, Qavi Swami Pehlajram was born in 1900 in Khahi village. He studied religious literature under the supervision of Shamanad Bharti, a swami who was connected to the ashram of Shankar Bharti, whose ashram is located in Shikarpur. Later he founded an ashram in Hyderabad in 1930, which came to be called after his name “Pehlaj Puri Ashram.”

After the 1947 Partition, he migrated from Khahi village to India where he died in 1967. His bhajans were popular in Sindh and were sung by Bhagats and sants. His bhajans are still sung at the temples of Chak and other towns in the Shikarpur district. He was also connected to Prem Parkashpanth, a panth that was founded by Swami Teoonram Ji Maharaj (b. 1887 – d. 1942), whose Samadhi is located in Tando Adam town in the Sanghar district.

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Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro, an anthropologist, has authored 13 books: ‘Symbols in Stone: The Rock Art of Sindh’, ‘Perspectives on the art and architecture of Sindh’, ‘Memorial Stones: Tharparkar’ and ‘Archaeology, Religion and Art in Sindh’. He may be contacted at: zulfi04@hotmail.com

Courtesy: The Friday Times Naya Daur Lahore (Published on December 14, 2022)

The post Mansions and Temples in Khahi Village of Shikarpur first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro

The tehsil of Gujar Khan is home to many historic villages and towns. A majority of these settlements still contain Sikh and Hindu monuments.

One such small town is Gulyana which is noted in Gujar Khan for its elegant temples, samadhis and splendid havelis. Gulyana is located about 10 km south of Gujar Khan. In the past, Gulyana was predominately inhabited by Hindus and Sikhs before the 1947 Partition. The old buildings that were erected before the Partition are splendid havelis, fabulous temples and a samadhi.

Before 1947 Diwan Prithvi Chand, Tek Chand and Bakhsi Moti Ram were the notable Hindus of the town who controlled the business of the village. Sardar Bali Singh and Tara Singh were also notables of Gulyana who belonged to the Sikh community. The haveli of Bali Singh known as Lal Haveli dominated the landscape of Gulyana. After the 1947 Partition, the people of Dera Bakhshian, a village that lies 5 km west of Gulyana, destroyed the Lal Haveli of Bali Singh.

Today many of the buildings built by the Hindu and Sikh inhabitants still grace the landscape of Gulyana. The Hindu buildings include temples and havelis whereas Sikh monuments include a samadhi, wells and havelis.

The haveli of Tara Singh still stands with its old grandeur. Sardar Tara Singh was a brother of Bali Singh. The haveli of Bali Singh does not exist now. There was also an imposing gurdwara attached to the haveli which does not exist anymore.

After the 1947 Partition, the people of Dera Bakhshian, a village that lies 5 km west of Gulyana, destroyed the Lal Haveli of Bali Singh

In fact, the haveli of Tara Singh still dominates the landscape of Gulyana, which is noted for its wooden windows and ornately carved doors. The entrance of the havel is decorated with floral designs. Close to this structure is another haveli which is noted for the jharokas and carved wooden doors. Apart from Hindu and Sikh havelis, those of Muslim nobles of the village also dot the landscape of Gulyana. One of the prominent Muslim havelis still extant in Gulyana is noted for fabulously carved wooden doors. Locally this haveli is known as Qasr-e-Amir.

There are also two temples in Gulyana which lie 1 km east of the village. Of these, one is larger with a shikhara (superstructure) and it actually is a samadhi, but is locally called a mandir. From inside it is decorated with paintings depicting themes from the Sikh and Hindu belief systems. On the southern wall of the temple is the painting of Baba Guru Nanak with his two companions Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana. The depiction of Baba Guru Nanak with two of his companions was a recurrent theme in Potohari havelis, temples and samadhis. Both Hindus and Sikhs painted this theme in religious as well as secular structures. From the samadhis of Kot Fateh Khan in Attock district to the Khem Singh Bedi haveli in Kallar Syedan, every religious and secular structure depicted Baba Guru Nanak with Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana.

On the western wall of the Gulyana temple are depictions of Rama and Sita with Hanuman and Laxman. Here, Hanuman is shown paying homage to Rama and Sita. The southern wall depicts the stories of Krishna with gopis and Radha. In one of the panels, Krishna is shown together with Radha. In another, he is depicted sitting on a tree after stealing the clothes of the gopis.  Gopis are shown pleading him to return them clothes. This theme is painted in many temples and samadhis of Potohar. The northern wall depicts Shiva with his consort Parvati. They are shown preparing bhang. It also depicts Anantashayana Vishnu reclining on the Ananta-Shesha (snake) with Lakshmi. Here, Lakshmi is depicted messaging the feet of Vishnu.

On the western and southern sides of the temple are three old wells. Of these two are still used by the people for irrigation.

On the northern side is a small samadhi. It is built on a square plan. It is believed that two Sikh notables were buried inside this samadhi.

To the west of this temple and samadhi complex is located another Hindu temple. It is built square in plan. The inner sanctum (garbhagriha) is square. And the shikhara (the superstructure) is also square. From inside, it is decorated with depictions of Hindu deities. Krishna Lila decorate the western southern walls of temple. All these paintings have now been defaced. There are some inscriptions in the temple. Floral designs also decorate the interior of the temple. The temple is believed to have been built by Bakhshmi Moti Ram who was grandfather of Tek Chand. As it happens, Tek Chand embraced Islam after Partition. He had three sons, Roshan, Bhera and Shal. They also migrated to India.

At present all the monuments are in a deplorable condition. The concerned authorities should take serious note of the decay of this priceless cultural heritage and promote Gulyana as a potential tourism site. This will bring many socioeconomic benefits to the local community.

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Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro is an anthropologist and has authored 12 books: ‘Symbols in Stone: The Rock Art of Sindh’, ‘Perspectives on the art and architecture of Sindh’, ‘Memorial Stones: Tharparkar’ and ‘Archaeology, Religion and Art in Sindh’. He may be contacted at: zulfi04@hotmail.com

Courtesy: The Friday Times, Naya Daur, Lahore

The post Gulyana – A village known for Temples, Samadhis and Havelis first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro

Bhera in Sargodha district is one of the historic towns which boasts many remarkable old buildings, noticeable for their impressive embellishments. One comes across impressive havelis with ornate carved wooden doors, splendid jharokhas and balconies. Walking in streets of Bhera opens to the visitor the rich past vista of this town.

Bhera town is noted for the historical monuments of the Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus. Every street of Bhera town has a historic building, either belonging to the Muslims, Sikhs or Hindus. Today, Hindus or Sikhs do not live in the town but their monuments still reflect the identity of these communities.

There are many historical mosques in Bhera town of which the mosques of Tughlaq, Khalji and Suri periods are quite prominent. The list of historical mosques in Bhera is long. The Qazianwali mosque, Haafizani mosque, Peeranwali mosque, Gondianwali mosques, Hakimwali mosque, Jamia Masjid Mohajirin in Pakhiwaran Mohalla are some of Bhera town’s well known historical mosques.

The so-called mosques of Khalji and Suri periods still retain their old grandeur. The Khalji mosque in Sheikhananwala Mohalla is noted for its monumental gate. It is believed that Sheikhanwala Mohalla was established during the Khalji period (1290-1320). But its architecture appears to be of the Mughal period. The mosque was likely rebuilt by the Mughals. As such, the mosque is noted for its elegant three domes and two turrets which add beauty to the structure. The façade of the mosque is now whitewashed but one can still see traces of the original decorative work on the walls, particularly on its main gate. The two octagonal towers on either side of the gate reflect the typical early Mughal style. However, the local people associate this mosque with the Khaljis. The boundary walls of the mosque look like a fortress reflecting the typical Central Asian style of mosque building. The renovation work has damaged the original beauty of the mosque. Formerly, the mosque had a painted exterior. However, there are still some paintings inside the mosque.

Another mosque believed to have been built by Sher Shah Suri in 1541 – the year that is inscribed on the entrance of the mosque – has also been renovated. The mosque has three domes and arched entrances. But this mosque is entirely different from the one built by Sher Shah Suri at Rohtas which is noted for its intricate decoration. Sher Shah Suri was a great builder. He is believed to have built many forts, mosques, baolis, sarais (inns) and tombs. He also excavated baolis (stepped wells) and built sarais on the GT Road for the travelers and his soldiers.

The boundary walls of the mosque look like a fortress, reflecting the typical Central Asian style of mosque-building

The Jamia Masjid of Bhera was rebuilt by Qazi Ahmeduddin Bugvi in 1860 and later on repaired by Qazi Zahoor Ahmed Bugvi in 1926. The name of the mason, Muhammad Asif, is also mentioned in the inscription. The foundation of the mosque has its origins in the time of Sher Shah Suri, whereas the superstructure was rebuilt by Ahmeduddin Bugvi.

With the help of Col (rtd) Zahid Mumtaz, Sahibzada Abrar Ahmed set up a library and the Bhera Information and Research Centre at the mosque. The library has the original architectural design of the mosque and about 300 invaluable manuscripts with a copy of Ain-i-Akbari and 10 copies of the Holy Quran from the Suri and Mughal periods. These manuscripts on the Suri and Mughal periods are very useful for research workers.

Apart from mosques, there are also several havelis, temples and gurdwaras in Bhera town. The spectacular havelis and impressive temples are located in different mohallas of the town.

There are about eight temples in different mohallas of Bhera town: in Sheikhwala mohalla, Nagianwala mohallas, Baoliwala, Khawjgan, Chirih Chong and Gang wala Darwza etc of which three have almost been leveled to the ground whereas the others are also in a crumbling condition.

The Boliwala Mandir, the mandir in Sheikhanwala Mohallah and the Shiva mandir are the most impressive structures that have withstood against the vagaries of weather. The Boliwala mandir lies on the road that leads to the Jhelum River. The elevated summit of the temple is conspicuous from a distance. The temple lies deserted and the lower part where the sacred image was placed (garbhagriha) is in a bad state of preservation. The temple has three openings from four directions. It features also basement cells which were possibly used for mediation. There is pradakshina (circumambulatory gallery) around the garbhagirha. On the top of the entrance gate was an inscription tablet which was taken away possibly by the concerned authorities or else by treasure-hunters.

The entrance gate of the temple is in an appalling condition. The stairways leading to the main chamber of the temple are all broken. Now, the main chamber (garbhagirha) is full of fallen debris. The shikhara (superstructure) of the temple is still in good condition. The niches which were apparently made to place images (murtis) have also been damaged by people.

Another Hindu temple is located in Nagianwala mohalla. This temple is dedicated to the god Shiva who was the first guru or lord of the yogis. The Nath yogis are Shaivite renouncers and take Shiva as the first guru followed by Machhindar Nath, Gorakh Nath, Jalander Nath and Kanipav etc. The temple was believed to have been built by Jogis. They were famous for their ascetic practices or tapas. As such, the Pothohar region was a centre of the Jogis with the main headquarters situated at the Tilla Jogian in Jhelum district. There are many places in Pothohar region which are associated with Jogis. One of such places is located at Bagh Joghain in Islamabad where there were some structures, probably Samadhis (now destroyed) of the Nath Jogis.

The temple of Shiva in Bhera town is associated with Nath jogis. There are also eight Samadhis of the Nath Jogis on the podium of the temple. Nath jogis bury their dead near their homes or at the temples rather than cremating them as is the custom for other Hindu castes. Their place of burial is referred to as Samadhi, the final resting place of the world-renouncers. The Nath Jogis used to wear ochre-coloured clothes, which were called bhagva. It is likely that the name Bhera is derived from the word bhagva because the religious structures of Nath Jogis were once numerous in and around Bhera in general and Jhelum in particular.

The distinctive feature of the temple is the mandapa (columned hall that precedes the main chamber of a temple). The pillars of the mandapa are decorated with the images of Shiva in yogic postures. One of the pillars of the temple is also decorated with a painting of Brahma. The temple is built in an octagonal plan superimposed with a dome. It looks like a Muslim tomb but the religious paintings make it a distinctive Hindu structure.

Apart from these two temples, another is situated in Sheikhanwala mohalla. It is noted for its elegant shikhara. This, too is a squared building.

Apart from Hindu temples, there are also gurdwaras and a Jain temple in Bhera, all of which have lost their original beauty. The Jain temple is noted for beautiful woodwork which has deteriorated now. The paintings that once decorated the interior and exterior of the temple have also disappeared now.

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Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro is an anthropologist and author of 12 books including ‘Symbols in Stone: The Rock Art of Sindh’, ‘Perspectives on the art and architecture of Sindh’, ‘Memorial Stones: Tharparkar’ and ‘Archaeology, Religion and Art in Sindh’. He may be contacted at: zulfi04@hotmail.com

Courtesy: The Friday Times Lahore

The post Bhera – A Punjab town of historic mosques and temples first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro

Fateh Jang, in Attock district, is home to a number of Sikh and Hindu monuments which are in deplorable condition. In Fateh Jang town are located two temples which stand together. Both temples are accessed through two small domed structures, the mandapas. The walls of both the mandapas do not exist anymore. Both the temples are square in plan. The temples are adorned with paintings representing themes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana and Gita Govinda. The southern temple depicts more interesting themes from these sacred texts. The walls of temple depict Vishnu reclining on the coils of great serpent Shesha. Lakshmi is shown massaging his feet, Brahma seated on a lotus emerging from Vishnu’s navel and sage Markandeya paying homage to him.

The southern temple depicts different avatars of Vishnu. It shows Matsya avatar, incarnation of Vishnu, Krishna-lila episodes. It also shows the battle between the armies of Rama and the king of Lanka. The artist has painted it on the southern wall of temple in which monkey hordes, loyal to Rama and his allies, battle Ravana’s army of titans. The ceiling of southern temple depicts Parasurama (Rama with the axe). In the painting, Parasurama is shown conquering the warrior class to restore the social order who, according to Hindu mythology, had tried to wrest the spiritual power of the Brahmins or priests. Parasurama is the sixth incarnation of Vishnu.

The ceiling of the southern temple depicts Rama with his consort. It also depicts the King Bali offering water as a vow to donate his kingdom to dwarf Vamana, the fifth incarnation of Vishnu. The southern wall of the temple depicts Samudra manthan (churning of the ocean) as well. It also shows the infant-god Krishna killing Putana, the demoness (rakshasa). The scenes from Bhagavata Purana has also been painted in the temple. In one of the paintings Krishna is shown killing Kansa with an elephant tusk removed from a mad elephant that he and his elder brother Balarama have killed. Kansa is shown seated with his attendants holding sword around him but they did not resist as they saw Krishna killing Kansa. The Potohari artists have tried to paint them from Bhagvata Purna with the details of each of the characters. Krishna is also represented milking the cow as Radha looks on at him.

The most amazing paintings are dancing scenes. In the first panel in the southern temple, Radha and Krishna are shown dancing together. In the northern temple, the Raas Lila of Krishna with gopis (cow-herd girls) is painted on the ceiling.

Apart from Fateh Jang temple, there are also few Sikh and Hindu monuments in Qutbal village in Fateh Jang tehsil. Qutbal was an important trade Centre during the Sikh rule over Punjab and was also famous for Hindu merchants who controlled business in Fateh Jang and other towns in Attock district.

After 1947 the Hindus and Sikhs migrated to India. Today the village is mainly inhabited by Khatter, Mughal, Awan and other castes.

Some of the monuments built during the Sikh and British periods still grace the landscape of Qutbal. The ban (pond) constructed of semi-masonry was used by Hindus for ritual baths with a small area reserved for women, which no longer exists. Another building complex from that period is that of a temple, a Samadhi and haveli (locally called Maari) which dominate the landscape of Qutbal village.

The most amazing paintings are dancing scenes. In the first panel in the southern temple, Radha and Krishna are shown dancing together

The temple is believed to have been built by Lakhi Devi in the memory of her father Narain Singh in 1924. The inscription slab is fixed on the façade of the temple. It is a square building. The sanctum is superimposed with a square shikhara (superstructure), different from other temples in the Potohar region, which have octagonal shikharas.

The artists of Attock have also added corner turrets to the structure which are normally found on Muslim tombs. In the temple architecture, the skhikara is always decorated with miniature shikhars or niches for placing the images (murtis). The temples found in other towns and villages of Attock district, particularly at Makhad Sharif, Attock Khurd, Attock town, Hazro, Kot Fatah Khan, Fatah Jang, and Hasan Abdal do not have corner turrets or kiosks.

Corner turrets are, therefore, peculiar to the Qutbal temple. This is the innovation of the Attock artists, because the artists of the Attock were famous temple- and haveli-builders in the Potohar region.

The top of the shikhara is also decorated with a turret, not with the kalasa or amalaka as found on the shikharas. Close to the temple is a Samadhi which is also built on a square plan. The main entrance of the Samadhi is flanked by two niches which were used for placing oil lamps. From inside it is decorated with floral designs but most of its paintings have now been damaged.

However, the truly impressive structure in Qutbal is the haveli. It is a two-story building and decorated with fresco paintings on the inside as well as outside.

There is no comparably impressive haveli in the whole of Fatah Jang tehsil. One of the distinctive features of the Maari is the tower on the top of the haveli which, in Potohari havelis, is generally square or octagonal.

The havelis in Daultala and Kontrila in Gujar Khan, Khem Singh Bedi haveli in Kallar Syedan and Wah have towers for taking a panoramic view of the surroundings and enjoying the morning and evening breeze in the summers.

The haveli was turned into government girls’ primary school when the owner of the building migrated to India.

Much of the painting work is now damaged. Floral paintings on the façade of the haveli are also in a bad condition. The wooden doors of the haveli are all gone. The wood carvings found on the windows and the ceiling of the haveli are also in a bad state of preservation.

All these historical buildings are victims of neglect. Authorities should take note of the crumbling condition of the temples, haveli and Samadhi. The haveli being used as a school needs to be repaired as it is serving a purpose and is a landmark of the history of the village.

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Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro is an anthropologist and has authored 12 books: ‘Symbols in Stone: The Rock Art of Sindh’, ‘Perspectives on the art and architecture of Sindh’, ‘Memorial Stones: Tharparkar’ and ‘Archaeology, Religion and Art in Sindh’. He may be contacted at: zulfi04@hotmail.com

Courtesy: The Friday Times Lahore

The post Fateh Jang Temples first appeared on Sindh Courier.