Parakrama

Today the 1^st June 2014, after a lapse of more than three decades I made a Parakarma of Hariparbat on foot. I alighted from the local mini bus at Rajouri Kadal-a little ahead of Naidkadal and went through the beaten track via Navhatta to Maha Ganesh and Mokdhum Sahib.

 The old passage leading to Saptrishi and Kali Mata is blocked. I came down to the road that runs alongside the wall of the fort. Ahead of Deviangan, unusually the gate of the Ambar koul Mandir was open. Wazwan in the premises was in full swing. I sought permission from one of the volunteers to shoot film of the wazwan. It was a nice meeting with in charge of the show. I disclosed my identity and soon ex students of the School at Rainawari came from distant places. I got a chance to express my wails in exile for which I said that Farooq Abdullah and Rajiv Gandhi are responsible for the miseries inflicted on Kashmiris. I was lead to their drawing room and they patiently listened to me. En route I had purchased Monaco biscuit packet for ten rupees. I had already munched 50% of it. I was entertained by a full flask of black tea and one ex student Mechanical Engineer continued to sit at my service despite his other engagements. Despite their persistence I refused meat preparations. One of the elders asked for the reason. I said that I doubted it to be only mutton. He said: "Why?". I said that Batmaloo market is full of beef.

I visited Chati Patshahi Gurdwara and made some Sikhs around to give response loudly and in high pitch to Bolayyyyyyyyyyyyy so nihal- Sat sria kal; Vai Guru ji ka Khalsa Vai Guru ji ki fatah. A little ahead I boarded the mini bus for Batmaloo, that dropped me at Mahjur Nagar footbridge.

The Parakrama  on foot gave me the feel of pre-exodus era.

People at Amar Koul Mandir suggested for reconstruction of the burnt Dharam Shalla in the premises and maintenance of the lawn beside the Dharamshala. I told them that it could be done by the committee that may be in charge of the premises. One R L Koul residing within the premises offered me free accommodation from December onward.

I recalled the day when I along with my father and other family members in 1961 enjoyed a picnic in the lawns of the temple. The most memorable event was that all other stoves around failed to stand the strong wind when our special stove worked. I had purchased that stove and one tea-set  each for twenty six rupees from the crockery shop of the late Pundit Narayan joo Kokroo on deferred payment of a monthly installment of Rs.ten each. The stove unlike common stoves had kerosene oil in a round glass inverted bottle that supplied k-oil to the wick in the adjacent chamber. People around were astonished to see the special stove that stood the strong wind. It gave an air of superiority for the first time and strangers believed us to be from HIG (Higher income group)