Gomukh - Trek to Mother Source

INDIA PERSPECTIVES JANUARY 2004 2

GaumukhTREK TO MOTHER SOURCE

SANDEEP SILAS

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Gangotri, a temple town, is a holy place for most Indians. It alsomarks the end of pilgrimage for some and the beginning forothers. Being at a height of 3140m above sea-level, you can feel

here the piercing sharpness of the wind.

The religious significance of the place is immense, as many mythologicallegends are associated with it. The most popular one has it that KingBhagirath, unable to bear the suffering of his people due to water scarcity,worshipped Lord Shiva at Gangotri. His devotion so pleased Lord Shivathat He asked him for a boon. Bhagirath prayed that Ganga be releasedfrom Lord Shiva�s hair locks for the benefit of his people. So was grantedGanga to the earth. It is named after Bhagirath as river Bhagirathi from thepoint of its descent at Gaumukh upto Dev Prayag. At Dev Prayag, riverAlaknanda merges with Bhagirathi and thence onwards it is called Ganga.

The eternal source from where Ganga originates.


An arched gate at Gangotri, giftedby the Border Police to the town,welcomes all visitors. Everyone hasto pass through it � whether thedestination is Gangotri temple, thebathing ghats or the steps leadingto the 18-km trek to Gaumukh �from where Ganga emanates.Gangotri temple is small. It iserected on the sacred stone whereas per tradition King Bhagirathworshipped Lord Shiva. Thebuilding is non-ornamental, ratherordinary in appearance. There areno statues on the exterior andits height is also about 12 feet.E.T. Atkinson wrote of it in the19th century: �It is quite plain,coloured white with red mouldings,and surmounted with the usualmelon-shaped ornament commonlyknown as Turk�s cap.� The temple

is quite the same save that thecolour combination is now whitewalls and silver top.

The serious trekkers take to thesteps, which connect the Gangotrighats and the trek route. Buy awalking stick � you might needthree legs on the way ahead. Theriver Bhagirathi is a pleasantcompanion all through right uptoGaumukh. Sometimes the mountainrocks to your side echo the forcefulholler of rushing waves. Yes, theriver makes them sing. The snowpeaks enveloped forever in aclouded embrace sit happily abovetheir unsteady glaciers. It is a treatto lift the eyes from a rivuletmeeting the river bed; slowly caressfirst the green cover, then theblack, rough and prominent crags;

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Above: The Bhagirathi peaks (I, II & III)at the dawn.Following page: Serenity at its peak...captured by Satbir Silas.




then allow the vision to melt inthe snow at upper reaches. Thetrekking route is tough, full ofuneven stones, even dusty at times.It is a real test for the muscles ofthe legs. You really get to knowmore about your own legs than youbelieved. Tree trunks have beenused to bridge rivulets and one hasto balance steps lest the bouldersin the water have the last laugh.The trek is a story of ascents anddescents. You rise again as thepath decides to lift itself from theriverbed. It is good to feel theheights. You tend to pause beforeevery new face of a snow peak,which is revealed to you. Theedges of the black crags are to beadmired. The eyes can feel theirrazor thin sharpness and also theirblunt prominence. The peaksrepresent human aspirations,leaping towards the sky, past thefluffy clouds. They have left theriver of trials and tribulations,ascended beyond the temptationladen green conifers; they cannotbe held back by sentinel-like blackmountain precipices, they have toglow like sunshine on the summitand aim for the sky. What is theirdestiny? What is the treasure theyseek? Perhaps, they will see theface of beauty or have a vision ofthe ultimate truth.

Shacks enroute provide plasticcomfort to weary travellers. Theyoffer simple snacks and even meals� besides bottled water. Bite intosomething at Chirbasa, ninekilometer deep, from the origin ofthe trek at Gangotri. Have some teawith a dash of salt, it will pep youup. The hamlet of Chirbasa is acluster of pines rushing from theheights in a straight descent to theriverbed. Shacks are perched onspace created between boulders onthe ridge. This ridge you cross.Do not halt too long lest the legsSa

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refuse to lift again. Bhojbasa, fivekilometres ahead, has to be reachedfor a night halt. And of course,sunset must be enjoyed at Bhojbasabefore you hit the sack.

The flora along the trek route isdifferent and interesting. GangaTulsi, a shrub with a heady scent,used as an accompaniment duringHindu worship, and White JungleRose, each flower with only fourpetals, almost line the route. Yellowwildflowers too have a word to say!Some concerned environmentalistgroups are trying not onlygenerating public awareness butalso giving a green cover to theHimalayas where it is most needed.So we see plantations of Spruce,Silver Fir, Blue Pine and Himalayan

Cedar along the way. A little aheadof Chirbasa, some educationistsnurse a Bhojpatra nursery. Thiseffort at preserving a threatenedspecie is laudable. The BhojpatraUtilis has a distinct white bark andround green leaves. Its botanicalname is Betula Utilis. The bark ofthis tree served as paper forrecording ancient Hindu religionstexts. I peel some. It is actually asthin as finest quality paper. I keepit as a memento, but it is notenough to write a song!

There are no wild animals to sight,save herds of mountain goat anddeer. The sun plays hide and seekon a June afternoon. Clouds drift atwill. Sometimes you see a snowmountain half-concealed by clouds

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The Gangotri temple (above) andthe river Bhagirathi � a �pleasantcompanion� during trek to Gaumukhwhich begins here (facing page).


and half-visible to the eyes. It islike watching a Venus, thinly clad,sensuous in demeanour andamorous in the eye, whom youwould like to only see and nottouch!

The Bhagirathi river continues tosing its song as we continue

upstream. It is past 4 p.m. in theevening. Our guide warns of fallingstones in a patch ahead. A warningsignboard and we smell trouble.True enough it rains stones on theroute ahead. We do not carry hardhats. I hide behind a huge boulderclutching the hand of my 10-yearold son. Stones keep rolling down.They can break bones or eventhrow a person deep down towardsthe riverbed by sheer impact. One

has to exercise caution. Thisphenomenon in the evening is dueto harsh winds blowing across. Themountains in this patch are loosestones embedded in mud. Hence,the peculiar rain.

The last leg to trek for the day toBhojbasa is tougher still. A streamhas to be crossed sans a logbridge. You have to place your feetin the bed on firm stones so as to

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The Neelkanth peak, as seenfrom Badrinath.


save your shoes from getting wet.My son exclaims aloud � �Toughroute, tottering wooden bridges,falling stones, icy wind, quitedeadly.� Still he makes the 14 kmtrek in good seven hours. Alas mydesire of watching the sunset atBhojbasa is not fulfilled. The cloudsjust whisked away the sun in aswift move! I have to wait yetanother day braving the biting windon the Bhojbasa ridge. There is a

GMVN Tourist Rest House, anAshram and several shacks, whichserve as night shelter.

The Bhojbasa valley is panoramic.It is really huge. Gaumukh is seenas a cluster of rocks from this ridge.It is the source of the riverBhagrathi or Ganga, regarded byIndians over the centuries asmystical, spiritual and holy. Threepeaks of Mount Bhagirathi tower

above Gaumukh. It is anunbelievable sight-one, which youdeserve in a lifetime. The threesummits, Bhagirathi I, II & IIIperhaps symbolise the trinity ofbeauty, truth and peace.

The morning was proclaimed in aloud exclamation. The moon hadnot left its rightful reign of the nightsky and the sun was raisingexpectations of travellers as it


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continued in its upward stride.Straight above Gaumukh, thecloud curtain was graduallybeing lifted from over the threeBhagirathi peaks. They were beingrevealed like sacred verses arespoken to listeners. If you losethem in that pure moment theyare gone, sucked in by thatforce, which transforms thepresent into the past � the churningwheel of time. Sure enough anoverpowering cloud fall barred thesnow peaks from sight in the nextfew minutes.

The last four kilometers toGaumukh are tougher. Especiallythe very last! The trek reduces tonothing but trapeze walk over

accumulated boulders. Only faithand will power can take you ahead.Finally Gaumukh, 4000 m abovesea-level, is reached. I find a perchon a rock before the cave, thesource, and settle down to mythoughts. As I look at Gaumukh,I feel the sensuousness andabundance of love. That love,which knows no bounds. That love,that giveth always and forever.Gaumukh is a cave surrounded byglacial bottle-green ice. Water, thesource and preserver of all life onearth, keeps gushing out in goodmeasure. The spectacle is akin to amother giving birth to a child.

People bathe, pray here. By doingso they believe that they havepurged all sins. I feel the icy waterand look at the slab of ice bobblingbeside the rock I sit upon. I lookB

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The Kedarnath temple (above), a bridge onriver Yamuna on way to Yamunotri (left)and the Badrinath temple (facing page).


again at Gaumukh or the cow�smouth, the name given to theglacier cavern. Next moment, I amin the water, my hands clutching arock and my lungs holding mybreath. I have done it! Yes howmany get the opportunity toworship the mother source of aholy river at its hideout deep intothe Himalayas. The sun isbenevolent. It lights up eyes andmany lives. The ice sparkles.Sometimes chunks of ice fall downfrom the top of the glacier cave tomeet the water below.

The Himalayan glaciers have longfascinated the British explorers whoarduously mapped and recordedtheir uniqueness. Colonel Gordon(Roof of the World, 17) writes ��the glaciers of the WesternHimalayas are twice as extensive asthose of the Alps, and are probablythe largest in the world or at allevents larger than any others out ofthe polar regions.�

After a tete a tete with Bhagirathiglacier and river source one mustreturn to Bhojbasa or if possibleChirbasa for a night halt. Walkingearly morn on return is puresatisfaction to the visual and

olfactory senses. Start about6-6.30 a.m. The clouds are stilllazing in the valley. Their effortlessglide up the mountains is inspiring.The atmosphere is filled with thefragrance of plants and shrubs,especially Ganga Tulsi. Youbecome part of generous nature.Many prayers come to lips in suchcircumstance � �God make me amountain stream so that I canquench the thirst of earth, plants,and men; God make me awildflower, so that I can enliven ajungle path; God make me abirdsong so that I fill the woodswith music; God make me a cloudso that I roam anywhere at freewill; God make me a mountainsummit so that I tower aboveeverything else; God make me thewind so that I can give life to theworld; God make me a star in thesky so that I fill the eyes of yourchildren with dreams�. Any one ofthese could be yours. The prayer ofhumility, of freedom, of power, ordreams; it just depends on how youfeel. I, for one, would like to endup as a birdsong in a forest!◆The author, a civil servant, is a noted travelwriter.

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The confluence of rivers Mandakini andAlaknanda at Rudraprayag. Hereafter, theriver is called Ganga...


The Kangra Fort in Himachal Pradesh, situated at an altitude of615 meters, has seen the rise and fall of many ruling dynastiesduring its chequered past. Its history goes back to the

Mahabharata times when the 234th Raja of Kangra, Raja SushramChand Katoch, an ally of the Kaurvas in the Mahabharata war, is saidto have built it.

The Fort is situated on a precipitous cliff overhanging the Ban Gangaand Manjhi rivers. The circumference of its walls is about four km. It isprotected by a number of gates named after its victors like Jahangir

Dr. A.C. KATOCH

The Kangra FortCHEQUERED HISTORY



and Ranjit Singh. A long narrowpassage leads to the top of theFort through the Ahani andAmiri Darwazas (gates)attributed to Nawab Alif Khan,the first Governor of Kangraunder the Mughals. Some150 meters from the outer gate,the passage turns round at a verysharp angle and passes throughthe Jahangiri Darwaza. TheAmiri and Jahangiri Darwajaswere damaged in the earthquakeof 1905. The next two gates,namely the Andheri and DarsaniDarwajas were completelyruined. There is a courtyard andstairs leading to the top of thefort and the palace of the KatochRajas and Maharajas which werealso destroyed by thatearthquake.

Along the south side of thecourtyard, there are the shrinesof Lakshmi Narayan, Sitala andAmbika Devi � the family goddessof the Katochs. Next to the fort,there is the beautiful Jain templewith Adinath in stone image.

According to historians, rule ofthe Katoch Dynasty is believed tobe the longest unbroken rule ofany dynasty in the world. Therewere 487 Katoch Rajas andMaharajas who occupied thegaddi (throne) of Kangra HillState, one after another, withoutany break � right from antiquitytill the achievement of India�sindependence in 1947.

However, control over the Kangrafort did pass from one ruler toanother. First it was Mahmud ofGhazni who wrested the control

of Nagarkot (Kangra) in 1009,also known as the Kot Kangra,Fort of Bhim or Bhimanagar. Itwas so named because Pandavasare believed to have visited theregion and one of the fivePandavas � Bhim � wasconsidered to be the symbol ofstrength. The Ghazni ruler foundso much wealth here in the Fortand its temple that it was morethan contained in any of thetreasuries of contemporary rulers.

More than 300 years later,Mohammed Tughlaq plunderedthe fort again in 1337 but couldn�thold it for long. When he died in1345, Raja Rup Chand Katoch ofKangra regained the control ofthe fort. When Feroze Tughlaqtried to conquer the Fort, he wasmet with tough resistance by RajaRup Chand Katoch. Feroze finallyrelented and made Raja RupChand his friend and allowed himto continue holding the Fort.

Later on, Mughal rulers also triedto assert control over the Fort and

Jahangir finally succeeded in thisventure. Thereafter, the controlover the fort remained with theMughals. Subsequently, theKatoch rulers tried to regain theFort but couldn�t succeed. In theearly 19th century, Raja SansarChand Katoch joined hands withMaharaja Ranjit Singh andcaptured the Fort. It remainedunder the Sikh rule till 1839when Maharaja Ranjit Singh died.Thereafter, the Fort was annexedby the British.

But now, the Fort stands a silenttestimony of the turbulent times ithas seen. The ArchaeologicalSurvey of India (ASI) is makingall-out efforts to restore the pastglory of the Fort so that visitorscan feel its majesty and thevicissitudes it has gone through.◆The author is a writer, researcher andphotographer.

Facing page: Entrance to the Kangra Fort(above) and the beautifully carved templein its precints (below).Top: Steps leading to the Fort.


India’s Foraysinto Global Space Market

a Memorandum of Understandingwith the Antrix under whichMalayasia will make use of theIndian launch vehicles, in additionto provision for training of itsengineers at the Indian spacefacilities.

According to Sridhara Murthy,Executive Director of Antrix Corp,a large part of the Rs. 1000-millionearned last fiscal came fromservicing satellite resources datamarket and from broadcasting andcommunication satellite business.Murthry also revealed that theMumbai-based Agrani SatelliteEnterprise promoted by the Indianmedia moghul Subash Chandra hadapproached Antrix with a proposalto build and launch India�s firstDTH satellite. However, Murthysaid that the Antrix is yet to take adecision in the matter.

Meanwhile Agrani, meaning frontrunner in Sanskrit, the first Indianprivately owned satellite, is gettingready for a launch in 2004. Custombuilt by the Alcatel Space, Agraniwill provide communications andbroadcasting services across Indiaand its neighbouring countries, aswell as in UAE.

The tie-up of Antrix Corp with theAmerican outfit �Space Imaging�has resulted in the data from India�sIRS series of earth observationspacecraft getting marketed aroundthe world. Thanks to thispartnership, the high quality datafrom the IRS series of spacecrafttoday account for one-fourth of the

The GSLV lift-off.

As part of its move to doubleits annual revenue toRs. 2000-million during

2003-04, the Bangalore basedAntrix Corp, the commercial armof the Indian space programme, isholding talks with the leadingtelecom players in South-East Asia.In particular, Antrix is keen to buildand launch one tonne class satellitesfor Malayasia and Thailand. It maybe recalled that Prime Minister AtalBihari Vajpayee had recentlyoffered to build and launch satellitesfor ASEAN countries at a �modestcost�. As it is, the AstronauticTechnology of Malayasia has signed

RADHAKRISHNA RAO


PSLV � with its three spacecrafts � readying for launch.

satellite resources data soldworldwide. Growing demandfor such data reflects the giantstrides made by India in theglobal space market. Today Indiaboasts of one of the largestconstellations of civilian remotesensing satellites in the world.According to Prof. U.R. Rao,former chief of the Indian SpaceResearch Organisation (ISRO),�India�s strength in remote sensingis internationally recognised�.

In a significant development Anirixin association with the Spaceimaging is busy expanding theinternational marketing of IRS datawith IRS coverage extending intoLatin America and Central Europe.According to sources, IRS data isreceived by five ground stationsin USA, two in Russia, one eachin S. Korea, Argentina, Germany,UAE, Japan, Thailand, Myanmarand Spain. Plans are also afoot forsetting up IRS data receptionfacilities in Zimbabawe, Venezuela,Taiwan and Dubai.

On the launcher service front,Antrix is now promoting the

four-stage Polar Satellite LaunchVehicle (PSLV) featuring alternateliquid and solid fuel stages, asa cost efficient booster fordelivering lightweight satellitesinto near earth and middle earthorbits as piggyback payloads.Antrix recently signed anagreement with the NanyangTechnological University (NTU) ofSingapore for launching its earthobservation microsatellite X-satonboard a PSLV flight sometimein 2005-06.

As it is PSLV has carried out twocommercial missions with a highdegree of success. During its May1999 flight, PSLV launched threesatellites simultaneously, India�s1050-kg. IRS-P4 ocean watchsatellite, South Korea�s 107-kg.Kitsat probe and Germany�s Tubsatpayload. This was the first time thatan Indian carrier rocket deployedthree satellites into orbit at one go.

Antrix has also made it clear that itwould market the potentials of theIndia�s most advanced highperformance GeosynchronousSatellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)

once it becomes operational afterits third flight slated for 2005. Whilethe first two stages of the boosterare derived from PSLV, its upperstage cryogenic engine is of Russianorigin. ISRO hopes to replace theRussian cryogenic stage with a fullyIndian made engine in the �nearfuture.� The mission objective ofthe three-stage GSLV is to helpIndia acquire independentcapability for launching its INSATdomestic spacecraft weighingupto 2.5-tonnes.

However, to enter the globalmarket for launching commercialcommunications satellites, Indiawould need vehicles morepowerful than the GSLV. To thisend, ISRO is developing GSLVMark-III booster capable oflaunching 4-tonne classcommunications satellites. Antrix isplanning a joint marketing strategyto promote the sale of GSLVservices to the worldwidecustomers in addition to exploringthe possibility of marketing mediumclass satellites to developingcountries. Antrix which hassupplied satellite components,hardware and systems to aerospaceoutfits in West Europe and NorthAmerica, recently made availablecertain critical spacecraft hardwarefor the Japanese MITSAT-2 satellite.India has thus achieved fullcapability in building world classsatellites.◆The author is a noted writer on scientificsubjects.


Adi Shankaracharya, theversatile genius � whoepitomised a rare

combination of a philosopher, poet,debater, commentator, saint andreligious reformer, was one of themost resplendent stars in thephilosophical and spiritualfirmament of India. He was thegreatest exponent of the philosophyof �Advaita� or non-dualism,according to which man�s individualsoul and Brahman, the UltimateSoul, are one and not two separateentities. In his terse andunequivocal words, �The onenon-dual Brahman alone exists;there is no duality at all�. In theUpanishads the word, �Brahman�stands for the Supreme Reality,while the Rig Veda mentions it as�sacred knowledge of utterance�and �reality experienced at thetranscendental level�. ForShankaracharya, it stood for eternityand purity as the most prominentfacets of the same Supreme Reality.In the context of the real world,Brahman is also spoken of asomnipotent, omniscient andomnipresent Creator, Preserverand Destroyer.

Born in 788 A.D. at village Kaladiin Malabar (Kerala) to Shivaguru, aproficient religious teacher, and hisdevoted wife, Aryamba,Shankaracharya was popularlycalled Shankara. His parentsbelonged to a sect of austere,scholarly and diligent Brahmins andhis father himself started impartingreligious education to Shankaraeven when the latter was only an

Adi ShankaracharyaGREAT PHILOSOPHER-SAINT

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infant. Shankara was a precociouschild blessed with an extraordinarytalent and sharpness of intellect.He emerged as an unparalleledprodigy as he picked up the basicsof Sanskrit when he was only oneyear old, even before he learnt hismother tongue, Malayalam, at theage of two. Endowed with aphenomenal memory and animmense power of concentration,he could repeat ad verbatimanything, which he heard or readonly once.

He was about five, when his fatherpassed away. Soon thereafter, hewas admitted to a Gurukul (schoolfor religious learning) and within ashort period, he mastered the Vedicand auxiliary lore. After completinghis education when he was onlyeight, he embarked upon themonastic life and constantlypractised spiritual disciplinesinvolving yoga of action, devotion,knowledge and control of mind.Consequently, he was soonrecognised as a leadingphilosopher, mystic and a reviverand reformer of Hinduism.

In the next twenty-four years beforehe breathed his Last at Kedarnath inthe Garhwal Himalayas in 820 A.D.at the age of only thirty-two years,he had traversed on foot the vastlength and breadth of the pan Indiaof his time and established theearliest Hindu monastic order withseveral maths or ashrams(monasteries or shrines), the chiefamong them being those atRameshwaram in the south, Dwarkain the west, Puri in the east and


Badrinath in the north. He placedeach monastery under a teacher,also called a Shankaracharya, whopropagated the philosophy ofmonism.

This earnest and passionate loverof God appeared at a criticaljuncture in the history of humanthought and culture when religiousconflicts were the order of the dayand divergent trends werestruggling for supremacy. Hesucceeded largely in resolvingthose conflicting tendencies andachieved an integrated harmonysignifying a united view andmeaning of life.

Through his brilliant commentarieson the scriptures, in particular theUttara Mimansa, and incisivedebates he repudiated the flawedlogic of his opponents andestablished non- dualism as theultimate creed. He also refuted theclaims of the popular religion ofthat time for being an exclusiveroute for attaining the highest good.He gave new dimensions todevotional literature by bringingwithin its orbit exquisite enquiryand mysticism. In his learnedcommentary on the Bhagvad Gita

he explicitly maintained that theSupreme Lord is transcendental tomaterial creation and that LordKrishna was the same SupremePersonality, who though seemedas born and possessing a body,was in reality unborn, unchanging,the Lord of all created beings,and by nature eternal, pure,illumined and free. His writings,which include a number ofphilosophical treatises and soul-stirring hymns, were regarded as�marvels of precision andpenetration�. According to the lateDr. S. Radhakrishnan, formerphilosopher President of India, �asthe traditionally accepted beliefshad become inadequate and falseon account of changed times,Shankaracharya�s insightsupervened and stirred the depthsof spiritual life�.

Shankaracharya recognised diversepopular divinities as manifestationsof one and the same God. In hisview, all the holy books of theHindus express the same truth i.e.the need of Unitism in variousways. He believed that nothingexists except God, who is Nirgun(free from all attributes) and all elseis mere illusion, which man in hisignorance regards as real and actsin practical life in the light of thishypothesis. A true seeker ofsalvation must, however, lift theveil of ignorance and perceive realunity, and this exalted state can beachieved only after certain spiritualexercises which lead to mysticism.The promotion by him of theharmony of religions through hisphilosophy of non-dualism, wasand is even now his and India�sunique contribution to thephilosophical thought of the world.This is also reflected through thisancient country�s age-old traditionof religious tolerance and culturalaccommodation.

As in the case of several otherspiritually illumined and God-realised saints over the centuries,certain miracles were alsoassociated with AdiShankaracharya. When at the tenderage of eight he wanted to launchhimself on a monastic life, hismother strongly opposed the move.But, while one day he was bathingin a river, a crocodile caught holdof one of his legs. Shankara�smother, who was a very anxiousand worried witness to thehorrifying scene, desperatelywished her son to be saved at anycost. At that moment, Shankarasaid he would save himself only ifhis mother agreed to his takingto the monastic life. As the motherper force nodded, Shankaraextricated his leg from thecrocodile�s jaw and came out ofwater unscathed. This was not thesolitary marvel in Shankara�s life.The accomplishment by him of theprodigious task of many long livesduring his short lifespan of onlythirty-two years was nothing buta series of marvels and miraclesper se.◆The author is a noted freelance writer.


Kashmiri CarpetsBETTER THAN THE BEST

VIDHU GANJOOR & BUZZ BURZA

What the world knows as�Oriental carpets� are themost universal and finest

works of art. It is an ancient craftthat arose in areas of Asia as part ofnomadic tribal life. It is noteworthythat its original forms have survivedthrough the ages to the present. Asthese tribes travelled with theirflocks across the high plateaus ofCentral Asia, they developed themeans to decorate and insulatetheir black goatskin tents. Multi-coloured woven cloth was used forinsulated wall hangings, doorcovers and various types of bags.The hard ground was made softwith rugs and cushions. In short, itwas an early style of interiordecoration. The skills and artistry ofnomadic floor coverings providethe basis for the tradition of theoriental carpet. The best oriental

carpets retain the basic simplicity,the natural sense of colour, theinstinctive feeling for design andthe pride in good craftsmanship ofthese original nomadic rugs.

In the beginning, the looms thatheld the framework of the warpand weft were simple horizontalconstructions that nomadic peoplecould easily move. The width oftextiles woven on these looms waslimited but not the length. Rawmaterials were limited to the goodsthat accompanied them on theirtravels or what was found in theirsurroundings. Their flocks providedthe yarn and dye came fromvegetable or animal sources thatwere readily available. Roots,flowers, bark, fruit, blood and driedinsects were all used to produce�vegetable� dyes. Dye masters


treated their recipes as sacredtreasures that were handed downthrough generations. They werenever written. Before dyeing, woolwas treated with dung because itmade colours more brilliant andpermanent. In its simplest form, thisloom produces a length of cloth. Itsthickness depends on the density ofthe threads as well as the tightnessof the weaving. If it is thickenough, a cloth will be producedthat will suffice to put on theground to use as a rug. Patternswere introduced into fabrics byweaving different colouredthreads in between the weftthreads that hold the materialtogether. The smooth, pile-less rugthus produced is known as killim.After a rug was completed it waswashed in a cold running stream tofix the colours.

The last and final step towards thecreation of the carpet came whenthe weavers started twisting shortlengths of wool round the warpthreads and in between eachrow of weft. Although they arereferred to as �knots�, they are

not knots in the truest sense.Rather, they are loops of thread thatare held in place by the weftthreads that are continually pulledtight against each new row of�knots�. Although their numbercan go upto 2,500 per sq. inch in a50 by 50 format, usually they aremuch less.

There are two types of knots: theGhiordes (Turkish) full knot has theyarn twisted about the warp threadsin such a way that the two raisedends of the pile alternate withevery two threads of the warp; theSenne (Persian) half knot has theadvantage that it can be tied toeither the right or the left of thewarp and has a piece of piledividing each warp thread. Thesetufts of wool produced a warm, softpile. Every kind of pattern �stylized rending of flowers, birdsand animals or just geometricalshapes- was made possible bychoosing tufts of different colouredwool. The resulting representationsare indeed real art albeit whatin the West is referred to as�applied art�.


of Asia creating a large market forprayer rugs for individual andmosques � eventually creating amarket for finer and larger carpets.

Carpet-weaving techniques werebrought to Kashmir during the15th century by Sultan Zain-ul-Abadin who brought Persian andCentral Asian weavers to Kashmirto teach the craft to localinhabitants. During his reignfactories were established toproduce carpets and the new craftthrived. With long establishedtraditions of spinning and weaving,Kashmir readily and successfullyadopted these new skills. Becausecarpet weaving in Kashmir isessentially the same as in Iran,Kashmiri carpets have been sold asIranian for ages. For centuries thesefine carpets travelled the Silk Routespreading their fame.

Various Kashmiri rulers haddifferent influences. During theMughal rule, the boteh beganemerging as a main design themefor carpets and shawls. In the West,since the 19th century, this stylizedrendering of a cone has beenknown as �Paisley�, the name of

the town in Scotland that was thecentre for the production of replicasof Kashmiri shawls. Maharaja GulabSingh contributed roses, Pathansbrought triangles, children andanimals and tribals had their ownunique motifs. To the trained eye,these various design elements canpinpoint the origins of a carpet.

The skill of the weavers and thesuperiority of Kashmiri wool spunfrom local sheep and goats are themain factors for the fineness ofthese carpets. Another reason is theusage of silk in the main body ofthe carpet. It is used in smallinterspersed flecks that give anextra sheen. Kashmir is blessedwith an abundance of naturalcolours which are reflected in thepalette used in carpet design. Thesecolours are soft and soothing, likethe beautiful flowers. The majestyof the mountains underlines variousnatural colours. Kashmiri carpetsreflect all of this and much more.◆The authors are noted freelance writers.

Although this is a rather simplisticexplanation, it is how Orientalcarpets are made. Thisuncomplicated technique has notchanged over the centuries as thiswondrous art form evolved andspread through the world,becoming part of humanity�s sharedcultural heritage.

During the European dark ages,carpets found their way westwardbringing with them their innerradiance. Renascence paintingsshow the rich and powerful insettings where oriental carpetsabound both on the floor anddraped over tables.

As the relentless shift from the ruralcountryside to urban settlementsdisplaced the nomadic lifestyle, sotoo the making of carpets and rugswas transferred to villages andtowns. With the establishment ofpermanent locations, the means ofproduction became more variedand sophisticated. Early factory-likesituations arose that could producelarger carpets. Using graph paperwhere each square represented aknot, patterns were developed torecord various styles and motifs thatgave exact instructions to replicatefavorite carpets. The key to this sortof production was in the �caller� or�teller� who would sing out thevarious colours using an old chartas a guide The weavers would singback their reply as they used theproper colour. After a few rowswere finished, they were poundeddown beneath the weft and the pilewould be trimmed before additionalrows of knots would be added.Two identical carpets could bewoven simultaneously.

Two factors were responsible forthe growth of the market forcarpets: in urban areas, merchantsand the nobility could affordcarpets; Islam swept over vast areas


Bamboo plays a verysignificant role in our lives.From making knives for

cutting the umbilical cord, it is usedin almost every sphere of humanactivity. It even finds a mention inthe ancient scriptures. Known asvenu in Sanskrit, it is said thatGautam Buddha chose to live in abamboo grove after hisenlightenment.

Probably no other grass, tree orplant has been so closely linkedwith man�s existence in the waybamboo has. Though bamboo hasover 1500 documented traditionaluses, they consist largely ofhousehold items and handicraftsleading to its image as the poorman�s timber. The reason,obviously, was the dominance oftimber for decades. It was an

BambooGOOD TIMBER ALTERNATIVE

UMA SWAMY

indispensable resource that hadno match in terms of utility andavailability. While it commandedthe center-stage in every respect,other forest products wererelegated to trade between localcommunities. However, as thelarge-scale timber harvestingwreaked havoc on eco-systems,search began for an alternativethat could suitably meet social,cultural, economic and ecologicalneeds of man.

This search inevitably led tobamboo. Many research projectshad already successfully testified tobamboo�s capability as an industrialand technology friendly resource.It was also ideal for creatingincome and employment-basedopportunities. Thus bamboo hascatapulted into a major league


today. New technologicalapplications of bamboo promise tochange the dynamics of industrialand commercial enterprise in India,as it has one of the largest reservesof bamboo in the world. Thecountry�s north-eastern regioncomprising the states of ArunachalPradesh, Assam, Nagaland,Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya andTripura has over half of bamboospecies reported from India.

Bamboo has the potential toprovide livelihood, ecologicaland food security. Bamboo canalso contribute to the conservationof biodiversity and carbonsequestration. It is also useful inrehabilitating degraded land,conserving top-soil and inwatershed management.

In India, a silent revolution istaking shape in the bamboo sector.Many institutions are working onresearch and extension in the fieldof bamboo-based applications.Bamboo-based industries aregender friendly and create muchneeded work opportunities forwomen and semi-skilled personsin the rural communities. In

Bangalore, a project is underwayfor the manufacture of laminatedmat boards of bamboo that canbe used for making doors, roofs,tables etc.

For integrating the efforts ofnumerous institutions, and workingout a structured resulted-orientedwork schedule, the Indiangovernment has initiated theNational Technology Mission forBamboo Development. Theobjective of the Mission is toeffectively use bamboo, in aplanned and integrated manner.

Many minds came together to sortout the issues confrontingsustainable and effective bamboodevelopment in the country. Theneed to synthesize short-term viableprojects with long-term vision andprotecting the interests of allstakeholders was not an easy task.Today, a well-charted blueprint ofthe policy on bamboo managementhas been evolved. Some of themember organizations playing animportant role in the missioninclude the Department of Scienceand Technology, Forest ResearchInstitute, Dehradun, Institute of


Wood Science and Technology andthe Ministry of Environment.

To begin with, the government hasidentified the technology to be usedfor the production of qualitybamboo. The Department ofBiotechnology has standardized thenursery and cultivation techniques.About 100 NGOs and otherorganizations capable of producingand distributing 50 lakh qualityseedlings each every year are beingshort-listed.

Bamboo cultivation promises asignificant boost to ruralemployment. This is giving a newimpetus to the bamboo handicraftindustry. Not only that, high-techbamboo shuttles dashing acrossmodern high speed looms producesome of the finest cloth. Bamboocharcoal produces the hottest offires required to melt gold.Research shows that a sliver ofbamboo increases the sound fidelityof audio systems. An emergencyvillage can be set up in hours usingmodular bamboo houses.

In Karnataka�s Dharwad district, abamboo forest towers 70 feet intothe sky, on a soil whose depth is

only one metre over the bedrock ofthe Deccan plateau!

The wonders of bamboo never failto amaze. It is the fastest growinggrass on earth, growing upto anaverage of 3 to 16 inches a day. Itgrows three times faster thaneucalyptus and can be harvestedfour times as often. It yields sixtimes more cellulose than the fastgrowing pine tree. In a life span of35 years, a bamboo plant canproduce upto 15 km of usable pole.The emerging culms or shoots ofcertain species are edible too.

Bamboo also restores fertility insoil. Its ability to grow in a widevariety of soils, from marginal tosemi-arid, makes it perfect forrehabilitation. It is a great generatorof biomass as well. Therefore it isappropriately called the mostsuitable alternative to timber � thesource that is fast depleting.◆The author is an environment and socialactivist.


The envelope that arrived inthe post for Lorna on thatcold January morning in

1920 came like a bolt from theblue. The address on it was in hermother Lady Hewett�s familiarhandwriting. It was the redirectedletter enclosed within, whichstartled Lorna and reopened oldmemories.

From the words �GovernmentHouse, Lucknow� printed on thetop of the page, it was evidentthat the letter had travelled all theway from India. When Lornaturned her gaze to the foot of thepage, she was surprised to findthe name �Harcourt Butler� staringat her. Sir Harcourt was aconspicuous public figure ofwhom Lorna had heard a lot butnever met. After serving Britishimperial interests in India with

The Stalking Presencein Banks House...

KUSUM PANT JOSHI

distinction, he had risen tobecome Lieutenant Governor ofthe United Provinces of Agra andOudh (UPAO) in 1917. Lornaknew that Sir Harcourt waspersistently discussed in well-informed Whitehall circles andwas a front runner for perhaps themost coveted post in the Empire,that of Vicerory of India!

But having moved in exaltedcircles both in India and Englandsince her childhood, what affectedLorna more was not the positionand importance of the sender ofthe letter, but the place fromwhich it had come. The verywords �Government House,Lucknow� transported her to theyear 1906. What a charmed lifeshe had led in those days! She wasa vivacious, carefree teenager andlived with her parents in what was

Banks House in early 20th century Lucknow.

True Story


then the prime of the British Raj.She was, moreover, no ordinaryEnglish girl who happened to bein India. Her father, Lord JohnPrescott Hewett, had moved thatyear to Lucknow to take up thesame post to which Sir Harcourthad succeeded in 1917.

She could clearly visualise therambling building that was theirofficial residence. It was an Indo-European style building calledKothi Hayat Baksh or Life-givingMansion. It had been designedabout a decade after the FrenchRevolution of 1789 by the Frenchadventurer, Claude Martin, forNawab Saadat Ali Khan (1798-1814) of Oudh. By then, Lucknow,the capital of the Kingdom ofOudh, had become a centre ofIndo-Persian culture and its rulers,the Nawabs, were renowned fortheir lavish (nawabi) lifestyle,patronage of the arts and the loveof luxury. After the Nawabs wereremoved from power and Oudhwas annexed by the British EastIndia Company (EIC) in 1856,

Kothi Hayat Baksh was convertedinto the official residence of theChief Commissioner of Oudh. Itwas renamed Banks House tocommemorate one of its Englishoccupants, Major Banks, who waskilled during the Mutiny (India�sFirst war of Independence) of1857. It was from the very samehouse that Sir Harcourt had sentthe letter that Lorna was thenholding in her hand.

Suppressing the wave of nostalgiaabout to sweep over her, Lornareturned her attention to the letter.Mysterious happenings at Bank�sHouse had prompted Sir Harcourtto write the letter. Explaining themhe had written:

�There is a rumour that his(Hodson�s) ghost haunts thehouse, and I am now collectingevidence in regard to it. (Myguest) Mrs Gamble had felt somepresence in the room occupied byherself and Captain Gamble onmore than one occasionpreviously. It had lifted the top ofa hat box several times when itwas in her bedroom, and alsowhen she had it removed into herdressing room, it had lifted itthere. She heard it again on thenight of the 11-12 November 1919.Next day, Mrs Rathbone, MrsGamble�s sister, shared the roomwith her. On the following nightthey both heard the lid of a boxbeing lifted and a low whistling inthe next room early in themorning at about 3 am.

As Sir Harcourt was eager to hearfrom Lorna about her Bank�sHouse days, it wasn�t long beforeshe sent him a detailed reply:

� My dear Sir Harcourt,

Mother sent me your letter aboutthe ghost at Government House,

Lucknow. As you say you do notscoff at these things, I will tell youmy experience. I have told very fewpeople, as at the time I was ratherchaffed and no one, or rather onlyone person believed my story. HadI known then, as much as I knownow about psychic matters, I mighthave been able to clear the thingup a little. These are the facts:

As you know the big bedroom atthe back is part of the original oldhouse, which was the headquartersof the Mutineers. When we came tothe United Provinces, the end of1906, that room was really a largepassage or hall between the twosmaller rooms either side. Fatherhad it made into a bedroom,dressing and bathroom for me.I think I am right in saying this.I occupied that room all the timewe were in India, but from thevery first night that I slept there,I felt frightened. I was never happythere. I never passed a single nightin that room, without waking uponce if not twice, quite rigid withfright. I always took ages to get offto sleep, and would lie and shakeunder my mosquito net, for noreason at all. As a rule I neverhad a net if I could help it, butin that room I always had itdown, as in some vague way, I feltit was a protection, against what?I couldn�t tell you.

I never could make out whatfrightened me, as I never (exceptonce) saw anything or heardanything definite. I used to wakeup at night, and hear (or imagineI heard), someone breathing nearme; at other times, I could havesworn someone was walkinground and round my bed, butI put it all down to imagination;nerves in those day I had noneand never in all my 18 years of

A sketch of Major Hodson.


life had I been frightened ornervous, until I slept in that room.I am telling you all theseapparently irrelevant details, toshow you that I was not highlystrung, nervous or imaginative,but that there was something inthat room that frightened me,without any shadow of doubt.

My family knew that I was nervousin that room, and repeatedlyurged me to change it, but Iwouldn�t � partly because I likedthe room better than any other inthe house in the daytime, andI was comfortable and had lots ofroom, and partly because I did notwish to give in, and prove myself acoward. The only occasion onwhich I saw anything was asfollows.

I had been ill in bed withlaryngitis for several days, and onthe night of 11 March 1907, I wasreading in bed. I looked at thedoor... and on the left of the

fireplace, at right angles to thebed, was a large Chesterfield sofa.Also on the left of my bed was asmall table with an electricreading lamp on it. This particularnight, as I said, I was reading inbed and absolutely wide awake,when I suddenly heard ratherheavy footsteps coming through mydressing room into my room.I looked up and to my intenseastonishment, I saw a man, inwhat I took to be fancy dress. Fora moment, I was so surprisedI could not speak, but (and this isvery odd) I was not in the leastfrightened.

The man came right into myroom, walked over to the sofa,threw himself down, with his rightarm over the end of the sofa andhis feet out in front of him. He wasdressed in a tight fitting ratherbright blue frock coat with brassbuttons, long white trousersstrapped over his boots, and a high

�Hodson�s Horse� members.


stock; the curious part was thatI could only see the lower part ofhis face, just enough to see he hadwhiskers, but no more. My firstfeeling was of rage, at anybodydaring to come into my room. Itdid not at the time seem odd thatthis man should be dressed as iffor a fancy ball, it all seemed quitenatural, but I was very angry andsaid to him: �Who are you, andhow dare you come into myroom.� He gave a sort of start andgot up and said: �I am very sorry.I did not mean to frighten you�,and walked out through thedressing room again.

The whole thing lasted perhapstwo minutes. When he had gone,I blinked my eyes and wondered ifI was mad, and decided that I hadimagined the whole thing andfinally went to sleep. I told mymother in the morning what I hadseen, and she thought I had beenfeverish and dreamt it all and didnot pay much attention to me.I was still kept in bed, and the nextnight the same thing happenedagain, except on this occasionI did not speak to him or he to meand he just walked round theroom and out again. I forgot tosay that the first night I looked atmy clock and it was 10 past 12.On the second night I lookedagain and it was exactly the samehour, on the third night March 13,he came in again and this time hebrought something in and threw iton the floor saying: �Here it is,I have brought it back� and hethen went out, the time was 12.10.I looked to see what he haddropped, but of course there wasnothing.

A day or so after I recovered,I came downstairs and told thefamily and staff my story. But no

one took it seriously except MrWillie Holmes who was stayingwith us. He was very interested,and made me tell him all I couldremember. He said he was certainthat I had seen the ghost of Hodsonof Hodson�s Horse. I being veryignorant enquired who Hodson ofHodson�s Horse was? Willie told methat Hodson had died in this veryhouse. He then proceeded to lookup details and found that Hodsonhad been shot on March 11 (thefirst night I saw him was March11) and he had died in the houseon 12th. He also said that hethought what Hodson had broughtback was some of the stuff he hadlooted. I still saw no reason whyHodson should appear to me asI had no interest in or connectionwith the Hodson family, and at thetime I had not the faintest notionthat I was going to marry (Jack) aman from Hodson Horse.

Shortly after this, I went toCawnpore for a race week and the9th Hodson�s Horse gave a ball tocelebrate their 50 years. I wentinto the ballroom with Jim Russell,and the first thing I saw was apicture of my ghost. I asked himwho it was and he said it wasHodson. I recognised it as being asfar as I could see the man I hadseen at Lucknow, though as I havetold you, I never saw his facethoroughly, the upper part wasalways in shadow.

I am extremely interested to hearthat someone else has felt thepresence of a personality in thatroom and it would be wonderful ifanything could be cleared up.I suggest if feasible that MrsGamble having the psychic gift,should try and hold a séance inthat room with three or four others,preferably on the dates I have


Like all such inscriptions, it leavesmany things unsaid. Mostimportantly, it does not say thatdespite his many achievements,Hodson was a relentless Empirebuilder who tended to take themost extreme steps to achievehis ends. It also does not mentionthat the charges levelled againsthim during his lifetime includedlooting, vindictiveness andruthless killings. His mostnotorious act, which is said tohave left an �indelible blot onhis character�, was his killing ofthe two young sons and agrandson of the last MughalEmperor Bahadur Shah Zafarin 1857 near Delhi�s KabuliDarwaza (also known as KhooniDarwaza). There was, therefore,much that could be weighingupon his soul when he met hisend. Indeed, Hodson�s dying

whisper: �Lord! Take my soul!�seems to add strength to thisassumption.

If so, then what Lorna saw onthose three nights in March 1907at Lucknow was not a dream, butCaptain Hodson�s ghost! And, whoknows, the �Lucknow Ghost� maystill be haunting Bank�s Housedespite its reincarnation as RajBhawan after the sunset of theBritish Raj in India!

The Author, based in London,says:

Though it might read like a story,the above is entirely based onunpublished records in the IndiaOffice Library and Records,London, and some well-researchedpublications on the British Raj inIndia.◆

La Martiniere in Lucknow.

given. If anyone is earthboundand unhappy, it may be just thechance to help them to go on anddevelop. I have put it down asaccurately as I can remember it,but it all happened 13 years ago,and at the time I didn�t reallybelieve very much that I had seena ghost. I thought it was a dreamand an odd coincidence butI think differently now... Do let meknow if anything comes off yourinvestigations.

Yours

Lorna�

That year in March, a special vigilwas kept for the reappearance ofthe �Lucknow Ghost� on all thedates mentioned by Lorna. Thewait proved futile. A short note inthe Butler Manuscripts,presumably scribbled by SirHarcourt says: �There was nosign of a ghost on the night of the11, 12 and 13 March 1920.�

It is now more than 80 years sinceLorna saw what was perhapsHodson�s ghost. It will soon be150 years since Captain Hodsonwas hit by a musket ball directlyon his chest in the grounds ofLucknow�s Begum Kothi and diedthe next day in Banks House.The spot where his comradeshurriedly buried him on theroadside, today lies in the groundsof La Martiniere School. Thewords inscribed on his tombstoneread:

�Here lieth all that could ofWilliam StephenRaikes Hodson, Captain andBrevet - Major,1st E.B. Fusiliers, andCommandant of Hodson�sHorse, Born March 19th, 1821, fellin the final assault at Lucknow,March 11th 1858.�


Books

Deen DayalTHE �RAJA� OF PHOTOGRAPHY

BHARAT BHUSHAN

In his Foreword to Narendra Luther�s book on �Raja Deen Dayal �Prince of Photographers�, British Crown Prince Charles says it all:�Deen Dayal was at the summit of his craft at a time when the

practice of photography outside the studio was still very much in itsinfancy. Many associate the beginnings of photography withEuropeans and Americans. But throughout this period, photographyflourished in what was then British India � from Delhi to Madras, inBombay and Calcutta, in what even at that time was a genuinelyindigenous movement... Foremost in this was Deen Dayal. A pioneerand practioner, Deen Dayal exhibited internationally, as well as inIndia, and won awards.

�A mark of greatness in an artist is that he or she manages to capturethe spirit and essence of an age. This Deen Dayal achieved to aremarkable degree...� High praise. For a man who was almost self-taught in the art and handled crude, primitive equipment but went onto become a legend in the field � for all times to come! He proved tothe hilt that it is the man behind the machine who is important � andnot the machine itself (camera, in this case).


Deen Dayal was born in a well-to-do Jain family of jewellers inSardana, near Meerut, in the stateof Uttar Pradesh. After finishingschool, he joined the diplomacourse in Engineering at theThomson Civil EngineeringCollege, Roorkee. Photographyhad just been introduced as part}of the curriculum and Deen Dayallearnt his first lessons inphotography here. In 1874, he issaid to have been a witness to anEnglish photographer takingpictures of the Maharaja of thestate. Deen Dayal requested himto let him handle the camera. Theresult was astounding! TheEnglishman was so impressedwith his work that he gifted thecamera and its equipment toDeen Dayal with the words:�Keep these. You are a better

photographer than I am�.Thereafter, there was no lookingback for this gifted artist.

He set up a studio at Indore andcovered the visit to India of thePrince of Wales in 1875. Later in1885, Deen Dayal went toHyderabad with a letter ofintroduction from the Viceroy,Lord Dufferin, to the Sixth Nizamof Hyderabad, Mir Mehboob AliKhan. The Nizam immediatelyappointed him as the statephotographer.

Subsequently, the Nizam was soimpressed with his work thatin 1895 he conferred the title of�Raja Musavir Jung Bahadur�on him. Thus was born �Raja DeenDayal� � undoubtedly the kingamong his peers.

Taj Mahal captured in its pristine glory(above) and magnificence of theDeeg Palace in Rajasthan clearly visiblein this Deen Dayal photo (facing page).


Deen Dayal had by now decidedto settle down in Secunderabad �the twin city of Hydeabad. He setup an establishment under thename �Raja Deen Dayal & Sons�.The size and composition of theestablishment was impressiveeven by European standards. Itemployed about 50 persons �including two Germans and oneBritisher.

Displaying his business acumen,Deen Dayal also set up a deluxesaloon in Bombay (Mumbai).A notice in the reception roomproclaimed that Deen Dayal had�tried, regardless of expense, toprovide this large room witheverything that oriental luxury andartistic taste can suggest�. EvenThe Times of India of November26, 1896, acknowledged it to be

�the most splendidly equippedphotographic saloon in the East�.Deen Dayal was thus not only agreat photographer but also a manof taste.

The training that Deen Dayal hadin draughtsmanship during hisengineering course helped him

compose a perfect picture. Besides,he had a rare understanding of theplay of light. His famous �hints tothe sitters�, given to everycustomer, can serve as a guide forevery photographer even today.

While tracing the career graphof Deen Dayal, Narendra Lutherhas also provided in the booka detailed account of the evolutionof photography in India. Some rarepictures of that era have beenreproduced for the benefit of thereader.

Raja Deen Dayal: Prince of Photographersby Narendra Luther; published byCreative Point, Hyderabad.Price: Rs 2000/US$ 50.◆


JEWELS OF INDIAN SKY

Magpie RobinText & Photographs: BHAGAT SINGH

Robin�s fluting tunes are among the most gladsome sounds ofnature. Whenever the sun shines warmly over the earth, themales tune their pipe, and enliven the neighbourhood with

their melodies. With the advent of the wonderous Spring, theblossoms begin to peep forth in every part of the budding woods,and the nature, in all its beauty, promises happiness and abundanceto all. Then, it is the Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis), perched onits favourite fence-stake or the tree-top, lustily gives vent to thewarmth of its passion, chiefly in early mornings and late afternoons.These are so lovely that they never fail to fill the heart of the listenerwith pleasing sensations. Everyone knows the Magpie Robin andits song.


During the love-season, the songis emitted with increasedemphasis. The male birdszealously guard their breedingterritories, and their songs aremeant to establish their territorialrights. In Sanskrit this bird iscalled �Srivad Pakshi� � �a birdwith auspicious voice�. It remainssilent during the non-breedingseason.

The Magpie Robin is of the sizeof a Buibul: 20 cm. It is a black-and-white bird, with cocked tail.The female is of duller hues, withgreyish-blue and brown throatand breast, as against the darkblue-black of the male. Thisspecies is widely distributed overthe Indian Union, except the arid

parts of West Rajasthan. Itinhabits light deciduous forests,scrub jungles, orchards andgroves, and likes the vicinity ofhuman habitations. It, however,avoids dense forests as well asopen plains. Its food chieflyconsists of insects picked off the

ground, and flower nectar as ofSalmalia and Erythrina.

The Magpie Robin normally raisestwo broods during the breedingseason, which extends fromMarch to August. The nest is builtin tree holes or in wall crevices.It is made of roots, grasses, plantfibers and feathers. The femalebuilds the nest and broods overthe eggs, while the male warnsaway the predators. Both thesexes feed nestling.◆The author is an eminentwriter/photographer on wildlife.


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RASHME SEHGAL

Two famous sisters, ZohraSehgal and Uzra Bhatt, livingin New Delhi and Lahore

respectively and pursuing activecareers in theatre and films,recently came together to stagea hugely popular production calledEk Thi Nani.

Staged in Delhi�s LTG Theatre, theplay received an overwhelmingresponse. Apart from the fact thatthey are both nanis (maternalgrandmothers) in real life, whatdelighted 93-year old Zohra and her86-year old younger sister, Uzra,was the fact that the play had beenwritten on their lives by a Pakistaniplaywright Shahid Nadeem. Theplay was first staged by AjokaTheatres at Lahore in 1993. Sincethen it has had several revivals � allequally popular.

�The play deals with all that wehave gone through,� Uzra saysexcitedly. Uzra had gone to Londonto meet Zohra when ShahidNadeem dropped in to meet them.It was during that visit that Nadeemwas struck with the idea of doinga play featuring both the sisters.Uzra admits her life has not beenas adventurous as Zohra�s who hasremained a bundle of fun andrebellion all her life. Zohra loved toshock people. She shocked thedaylights out of her artistocraticMuslim parents when sheannounced, at the age of eighteen,that she was going to UK to become

FAMOUS THEATRE SISTERS

ZOHRA& UZRA

Zohra (left) with sister Uzra (far left).


an actress. Fortunately for her,her uncle supported her decisionand agreed to drive her by roadfrom Dehra Dun to Lahore, Multan,Quetta, Baluchistan, Persia,Damascus and then on toAlexandria.

Zohra, who lives with her daughter,the Odissi dancer Kiran Segal,recalls: �In Alexandria, I changedmy mind and decided to studydance instead. The school I selectedwas the May Wignam Dance Schoolin Dresden. When I joined, imaginethe culture shock I suffered. Theyoung dancers there wore skimpylittle dresses while I was used tostepping out only in a burkha.�

It was in Germany that she metUday Shankar for the first time.After completing her training, shejoined Shankar�s dance school,called �All India Culture Centre�,which he had started in Almora inthe early forties. �My students in theschool included Guru Dutt andNarendra Sharma. Later on I wenton to do the dance direction for twoof Guru Dutt�s films, Baazi andCID,� Zohra recalls.

Uzra joined Zohra at Almoraand went on to become anaccomplished dancer. After sometime, she decided to go and livewith her eldest brother in Kolkatawhere she met Hamid Butt, aKashmiri Muslim, who was takenin by her dancing. They fell in love,married and subsequently movedto Pune where Butt joined a filmcompany.

Zohra meanwhile chose to marryher student Kameshwar Segal, eightyears her junior. The couple movedto Lahore to set up their ownschool. Partition forced them tomigrate to Mumbai where Uzra hadalso set up house. Both sistersplayed lead roles in severalproductions staged by the legendary

to anchor 26 episodes of Padosibeing made by BBC. There wasno looking back after that and shewent on to give an inimitableperformance as Lady Lily Chatterjeein Jewel in the Crown. Other popularserials included Tandoori Nights andBhaji on the Beach. In 1987, Zohradecided to end her self-inflictedexile and return to India . Themove, like Uzra�s decision to moveto Lahore, turned out to be a wisestep. Zohra loves living in Delhi anddivides her time between givingpoetry recitals and acting in movies.

Uzra loves Lahore. �The city hasculture. For the last 20 years,I am back to doing what I lovemost- acting in theatre,� she says.Zohra, on he other hand, is doingone grand mother role after anotherin both Hollywood and Bollywoodmovies.◆The author is a senior journalist.

Prithviraj Kapoor. Both sisters admittheir indebtedness to PrithvirajKapoor who everyone fondly calledPappaji. �Can you believe it, he wasa Rajya Sabha MP with a first classrailway pass but he always travelledwith us in third class. He lived likeone of us,� says Uzra.

Life however has a way of takingstrange twists. The even tenor ofUzra�s life changed after Hamidwho was directing, writing filmscripts and lending his voice todocumentaries, suffered a severeheart attack. His family insisted theymove to Pakistan and in 1960, theymigrated there. From atheatreperson, Uzra became abusinesswoman, running petrolpumps and other family concerns.Some years after his death, she gavethis up and moved from Rawalpindito Lahore to make her home withher younger sister.

Zohra�s life also changed when herhusband committed suicide. Shemoved to Delhi where she becamedirector of the newly-founded NatyaAcademy. An inner restlessnes tookher to London where she did allkinds of odd jobs before getting abreak in 1976 when she was asked

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KhajurahoText: DINKAR SHUKLA

Photographs: JOGINDER CHAWLA

WHERE LIFE, LOVE & THE BEYOND MEET

The world heritage site of Khajuraho in central India, famed forits temples bearing aesthetic and bewitchingly erotic sculptures,is emerging as the most sought-after tourist destination. This is

thanks to the �new look� Khajuraho which today has many newattractions added to it after the millennium celebrations organised bythe Government of India to commemorate the 1,000-year existence ofthe exquisitely sculpted temples. These attractions include the




Museum of Tribal and Folk Artand the daily sound and lightshow, Sen-et-Lumiere. The showthrows light on the history of thetemples and their builders, thegreat Chandela Rajputs who hadruled central India in themedieval era.

Rulers of the Chandela dynastyhad built 85 temples of differentsects at the site. Most of thesewere constructed between 950and 1050 AD. This was a centurywhen the Chandela dynasty hadreached the zenith of its power.It was also a period ofcomparative peace, stability andharmony. While a majority of the85 temples withered with time,22 remain as an embodiment ofIndian architectural and sculpturalart at its most evolved state.These temples which survivedravages of time and element,attracted world attention becauseof their elegance, gracefulcontours and rich sculpturaltreatment. Perfect in executionand sublime in expression, thebreathtaking sculptures capturelife in every form and mood,including in their erotic best.

While the sanctum sanctorum ofthe temples have images ofvarious gods and goddesses ofthe concerned sects and faiths,the walls of the structures arereplete, both inside and outside,with elegantly carved andsculpted images, statues andfriezes. These depict deities andother celestial figures, wingeddivinities, nymphs, king�s courtand royal processions. Also seenare courtesans and other dancingfigures, musicians playing withtheir instruments, warriors andbattle scenes, game hunting, wild


and domesticated animals, chieflylions and elephants, crocodilesand allegators et el.

But it is the erotic group offriezes sculpted on temple wallswhich form the most beautifuland captivating works of art atKhajuraho. Amorous couples inpassionate embrace, their bodiesentwined in lusty contours areseen at many place. The femalefigures form an elegant work ofart. Marvellously balanced, thesilhouettes are tall and slender,showing anatomical forms whichare full and supple. Richly

ornamented, the female figureshave mostly elongated eyesarched by thin eyebrows.

It is aptly observed that the eroticscenes on Khajuraho templesappear as if Vatsyayan�sKamsutra, a treatise on sexualbehaviour, has been transformedinto stone!

It must, however, be pointed outthat erotic images form but asmall part of Khajuraho�ssculptural treasure. Besides, notall the temples bear eroticsculptures. It is not clear as towhat had prompted the

Khajuraho temples shown in various moodsand facets in this article.


Chandelas to adorn Hindu templewalls with erotic figures, thoughvarious explanations have beenoffered. But the most commonbelief based on an understandingof the Hindu philosophy of lifeis that sensual fulfilment, ratherthan the denial of it, leads to theultimate liberation of the soul.The Indian civilisation is bothspiritual and sensual, striking abalance between the two. It maybe noted here that so far assacred images of gods andgoddesses are concerned, noobscenity is attached to themby the ancient sculptors ofKhajuraho.

An enchanting and entertainingIndian classical and folk dancefestival has become an annualevent of Khajuraho for the past25 years.

Declared as �World HeritageMonuments� by UNESCO, theKhajuraho temples, as celebrationof life, belong not just to Indiabut to all humanity. How aptlyhas it been observed that�enchanted by the beauty ofKhajuraho sculptures, even thegod becomes sentimental�!◆The author is a senior journalist.

ISSN 0970 5074

India PerspectivesJANUARY 2004

From the Editor�

During his recent visit to the ASEAN countries,

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had offered

India�s assistance in helping these countries build

and launch their own satellites at a �modest cost�, thus

underlining that India has come a long way in developing

space technology indigenously. Indeed, India not only can

make its own satellites for diverse developmental needs but is

also in a position to help other countries develop their own

technological base. The accord with Malaysia to provide

training to its engineers at the Indian space facilities, as

also allowing it to use Indian launch vehicles for its satellites,

amply confirms that. In fact India�s technology network

has become so broad-based that now even the private sector

has joined India�s Space Research Organisation, ISRO, in

launching satellites. �Agrani� - the first privately-owned

satellite to be launched this year, will provide

communication and broadcasting services not only across

India and its neighbouring countries but also in the UAE

as well. This indeed is a giant leap forward.

Conscious of the need to keep its technology state-of-the-art

for entering the global market of launching commercial

communications satellites, ISRO is upgrading its GSLV

(Geo-Stationary Launch Vehicles) capability. This

would enable it to successfully launch four-tonne class

communication satellites. ISRO�s commercial arm, Antrix

Corp, has already supplied satellite hardware and systems to

countries in Western Europe and North America, besides

Japan. This clearly demonstrates the maturity India�s satellite

technology has acquired.

Khajuraho temples in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh

have fascinated man for more than a millennium. They have

now emerged as the most sought-after tourist destination � not

only for their erotic sculpture but also for the aesthetic appeal

they hold for the visitor. They are an embodiment of Indian

architectural and sculptural art at its most evolved state�This

issue carries a befitting feature on these temples.

JANUARY 2004 VOL 17 NO. 1

EditorBharat Bhushan

Assistant EditorB. Bhushan

India Perspectives

This edition is published for the Ministry of ExternalAffairs, New Delhi, by Navtej Sarna, Joint Secretary,External Publicity Division, and printed atAjanta Offset and Packagings Ltd., Delhi-110052.This edition is designed by Image & Imprint for theMinistry of External Affairs.

India Perspectives is published every month in English,French, Spanish, Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian,Bahasa Indonesia and German. Views expressed in thearticles are those of the contributors and not necessarily ofIndia Perspectives. All original articles, other than reprintspublished in India Perspectives, may be freely reproducedwith acknowledgement.For obtaining a copy of India Perspectives, pleasecontact the Indian Embassy in your country.Editorial contributions and letters should be addressed tothe Editor, India Perspectives, 149 �A� Wing,Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi-110001.Telephones: 23389471, 23388873, Fax: 23782391email: [email protected]: http://www.meadev.nic.in

Front cover: Sculpture of a lady at the Khajurahotemple complex. Transparency: Joginder Chawla.Back cover: �Char Minar� of Hyderabad, as photographedby Raja Deen Dayal in the late 19th century.

GAUMUKH: TREK TO MOTHER SOURCE Sandeep Silas 2

THE KANGRA FORT: CHEQUERED HISTORY Dr A.C. Katoch 13

INDIA�S FORAYS INTO GLOBAL SPACE MARKET Radhakrishna Rao 16

ADI SHANKARACHARYA: GREAT PHILOSOPHER-SAINT B.M. Malhotra 18

KASHMIRI CARPETS: BETTER THAN THE BEST Vidhu Ganjoor & Buzz Burza 20

BAMBOO: GOOD TIMBER ALTERNATIVE Uma Swamy 23

TRUE STORY: THE STALKING PRESENCE IN BANKS HOUSE... Kusum Pant Joshi 26

BOOKS: DEEN DAYAL � THE �RAJA� OF PHOTOGRAPHY Bharat Bhushan 31

JEWELS OF INDIAN SKY: MAGPIE ROBIN Bhagat Singh 34

ZOHRA & UZRA: FAMOUS THEATRE SISTERS Rashme Sehgal 36

KHAJURAHO: WHERE LIFE, LOVE & THE BEYOND MEET Dinkar Shukla 39

India Perspectiveswishes its readers

a Happy & ProsperousNew Year

Documents

Gomukh - Trek to Mother Source