MY DAYS IN ZANNAT-PART 3

The Glacier.

I was already married and also had two kids when I joined the Bank. My batch mates would teasingly sometimes call me Aunty! I didn't mind it, most probably because I simply had no choice! I simply accepted it.

While I was posted at Srinagar, my children were looked after by my parents in their house at Delhi. In the summer of 1976, my parents visited me in Srinagar with my kids. My son Anurag was 4 years old and daughter Chaitali was one and a half year old.

All of us living at this wonderful house in Srinagar decided to trek to Chandanwadi. Chandanwadi was the first stop on the way to Amarnath, the famous pilgrimage cave in Kashmir. We were neither sufficiently charged nor courageous enough to go all the way to Amarnath, so the trek up to Chandanwadi was decided upon.

Vinita, Kamal Kalra, P R Suresh, my parents, my brother Ujjwal, who had just given his school final, his friend Vipin Maira, my kids and I set out from Pahalgam. The distance of the trek was about 16 kilometers each way. We set out with water, and some sandwiches. I must admit that we were quite poorly equipped! My children walked with us. Soon Chaitali tired out, so Ujjwal carried her on his shoulders. Everyone took turns and we walked along the beautiful road full of pine trees and the Lidder River flowing alongside. We were moving uphill and would often take shortcuts through the forest areas avoiding the motor-able road. In those days traffic was very little and we had a very pleasant and relaxing trek. Soon our water supply depleted and Anurag became very thirsty. As traffic was poor there were no shops on the way. There was no way to get water, bottled water was not available then. We were looking out for mountain streams. After a long time we found an Army jeep on the way. They helped us to fetch some water from a stream and we could quench the thirst of the little boy.

The path was memorable, beautiful and full of pine smell. We met a lot of people returning from their pilgrimage of Amarnath cave. They were either on pony or palki or walking. When we crossed them they would shout Baba Amarnath ki jai! My father a staunch atheist would reply, Lala Amarnath ki Jai! Lala Amarnath was a well known Test cricket player. Once we reached Chandanwadi, we were amazed to see the glacier over there. It was all ice and a small stream of milky white water trickled out from the glacier. It was extremely beautiful and also cold. We were to return back soon after as we had not planned to stay at Chandanwadi. Another stretch of 16 kilometers was ahead of us and we were all tired. My mother's footwear started giving her trouble. Chaitali had to be carried and little Anurag all of 4 years old had to walk back all that distance.

Pine forest

Ujjwal was very gallant and gave his shoes to mummy. He actually walked barefoot from then onwards. It was not easy as the road was filled with pine needles, stones and was quite rough. He was also carrying Chaitali on his shoulders most of the time. I was filled with amazement and gratitude for his selfless and helpful attitude.

We reached Pahalgam quite late in the evening and the best part was that Anurag walked all of the 32 kilometers! That was quite a feat!

The trek was memorable and beautiful. The Lidder, the pine trees, the blue sky, the fresh breeze, small mountain streams remain vivid in my memory as if it happened yesterday, although it was actually long, long ago. Time passes but beautiful memories remain fresh forever. One only has to look within and out come tumbling all the freshness, beauty and purity of the place.

The basic goodness of human beings, the unbelievable beauty of Kashmir and the fresh smell of the pine forests remain etched in my mind forever. Those were the days my friend when everything looked good, beautiful, pure, and peaceful. Preserving memories and re- living them like the reel of an old movie on a projector is one of the ways of keeping those memories forever fresh and beautiful. These are the days my friend when I rewind the reel in my mind and again see everything looking good, beautiful, pure and peaceful!

MY DAYS IN ZANNAT-PART 2.

In Srinagar at our beautiful house located between Jawahar Nagar and Raj Bagh Colony,both Vinita and I were not very fond of cooking. Somehow we would prepare dinner, but lunch was always out. We would walk up to Budshah Chowk or was it Lal Chowk (forgot) and go to one of the restaurants where local Kashmiri cuisine was served. It was always either gushtaba or rishta with rice for me. In those days it was not a very common sight to see women (bankers) walking into a restaurant unescorted by a man! Both of us were liberated enough not to bother about the inquisitive glances that came our way. One day there was a big commotion outside our favourite haunt and we came to know that Rekha , the famous actress was in the car in front of a Jewellers store. We also went to have a dekko. The lady in the car was quite dark, beautiful and did look like Rekha. In those days Srinagar was the place where most Hindi films were shot, so seeing film stars was not strange.

That reminds me that once we had gone to the Oberoi Hotel. In the drive we saw Randhir Kapoor, Babita and a cute little three years old, who later on became the famous Karishma Kapoor.

Our days in the Bank were becoming more interesting. The ladies at the Branch started befriending us and invited us home. I can’t recall all the names of the girls, but I vividly recall Janak and Santosh. The houses we visited were mostly wooden and the rooms were small with small windows There would usually be a sun room which was a covered verandah with glass all round. This was made so that in winter the sun could be felt without opening the windows. The food in their house was amazing. Tabak maaz, Hak and various preparations of kamal kakdi or lotus stems were part of the daily menu. The names of the dishes were unique too. Their cuisine was as out of this world as the beauty of the place and the people.

We even attended a wedding where the food served will deserve a page all to itself.

Winter in Srinagar was severe. I did not have to stay there in winter as I was posted there from May to September. But I was told that before us there were two other P O's who shared the flat with KBS Bedi. They used to get so bored of looking at each other throughout the day that every evening they would go in three different directions to have dinner. Loneliness and boredom stared straight in their face, as they were confined within the four walls of the house. In those days there were no televisions and no other ways of keeping busy in the confines of the house. There was only the radio and programmes were broadcast by All India Radio and Radio Ceylon.Ameen Sayani was a rage with his Binaca Geetmala which was broadcast on Wednesday from 8 pm to 9 pm.

 Almonds the green ones were a delicacy. Almond trees were all over the place, just as walnut trees were. Badam halwa was a great treat and a friend Sudhir Mehra used to say that he came to Srinagar only for its badam halwa!The chinar was a tree with amazingly beautiful leaves. The leaves looked like the Maple tree leaves. The Char Chinar was an island in the middle of the Dal Lake. Four Chinar trees had been planted on the four corners of the island which enhanced the beauty of the place. One had to go there by a shikara only. Dal Lake was massive and walking along the lake was a delightful experience. Looking at the fruit trees and fruit stalls would make me gape wide eyed at the variety in front of me. I had never seen so many colours in the fruit that we called the plum or potato fevera...puzzled? It is the literal translation of aloo bukhara!. They were ripe, juicy delicious and yellow, orange, red, maroon and almost black plums. Cherries were large and plump, apples were a delight to see and also eat. It was a veritable paradise of fruit.

Once we went to Pahalgam and on the way crossed Matan. There we saw the ruins of an ancient Sun temple called Martand.. Matan is the place where a copy of the Bhrigu Samhita is kept. Bhrigu samhita is supposed to be the book where every person’s future can be predicted! 

Pahalgam was exactly what it was supposed to be. A small town along a beautiful river. The beautiful Liddar River flows by rapidly. It is pristine, clean, frothing and foaming, unmindful of the rocks, it simply goes fast. The bridge over the river was beautiful. The sound of the river was divine. The place was not overflowing with tourists and so life was still calm, peaceful and clean. The smell in that area was amazing. It was the fresh smell of pine. The area was full of pine trees and one walked on pine leaves and looked for pine cones which fell all over the place. If there was heaven on earth it was in Kashmir indeed. Even remembering this place fills my mind with the fresh smell of pine!

The Mughals loved Kashmir and laid out fantastic gardens. These gardens followed a geometric pattern and had hedges, trees, shrubs and water canals. The Shalamar, Nishat baag, Naseem baag were very large, beautiful and very well maintained. Imagine the gardens with the backdrop of the magnificent Himalayas and one could be transported to another world where only beauty ruled.

Our training at the Bank was going on at full pace. We even attended a State Level Banker's Meeting with our Branch Manager when he was meeting the Finance Minister of the State. We were quite awed by this and were learning what an important role the State Bank of India played in the development of the State and its people. We were still very new to the Bank so every event was a learning experience.

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MY DAYS IN ZANNAT

Long, long ago, in the year 1976, I was posted to Srinagar (J&K), by State Bank of India, for my second branch training. I and my friend who had joined the Bank on the 10th of September 1975, arrived at Srinagar. The wonderful, beautiful, enchanting Srinagar, which one had seen in numerous Hindi movies, was mine to see, enjoy and stay in. I couldn't believe that I had got this lovely opportunity to actually spend time in this Heaven on Earth! People used to visit Kashmir for a holiday and go back, but here was I, going to stay here for four whole months! I was thrilled and excited!

We reached the stately building of the SBI on Residency Road. Our Branch Manager was happy to meet us, and we were happy to meet the people in the branch. We were in fact delighted to meet Mr. K B S Bedi, who was senior to us and was a Field Officer at the branch. He quickly took us under his wing and invited us to take over his house which he called the Probationary Officer's(P.O.) house! Before him a number of P.O's had stayed in the house, and therefore it was sort of an inheritance. He was under orders of transfer and the house was a two bedroom house with a huge drawing/dining room, and also a beautiful covered verandah in the front. Vinita and I quickly grabbed this opportunity. This house was across the Jhelum and wonder of wonders, we had to actually go across the river by shikara twice in a day! Wow, Hindi films, and the effect of the shikaras made us feel like Sadhana and Sharmila Tagore in no time! We loved the place, we loved the shikara and we loved Srinagar.

A shikara

We would walk about half a kilometer, catch the shikara and get off in front of the backyard of the Grindlay's Bank. Then we walked another half kilometer on the embankment of the Jhelum and reached our majestic SBI building. The staff was amazing. Each person was more good looking than the other. We were both getting trained in Agricultural, Small Business Finance, Small Scale Industries, and Foreign Exchange business.

The Forex business was mainly about encashing and selling currency and travellers cheques. Once we saw a beautiful sight of four women in a row come to encash travellers cheques. They had a unique covering on their faces. It was like a masquerade mask made of gold. The forehead was covered, and the nose and cheeks were covered. They wore black robes and were following a Sheikh. It was actually a Sheikh with his harem in tow!Inspite of so many years having elapsed that picture is still vivid in my memory. 

The veil

Agriculture banking took us to the nooks and corners of Srinagar and the neighboring areas where financing had been done by our Bank. We used to tag along with KBS Bedi, who had to often go to the villages unannounced and quite early in the morning, so that the borrowers did not get an opportunity to run away from the bankers who had come to collect their installments and repayments to the bank. We would sit in a room with a number of men all wearing Phirans and holding kangdis close to their chest to keep warm in the cold winters. Incidentally, we were there in the peak summers. Yet Srinagar being at a high altitude it was considerably cool. Although not cold enough for holding kangdis! We were offered boiled eggs and absolutely milky tea  as refreshments.

Almost every evening we climbed the Shankaracharya Hill and looked down at the view of the gorgeous city, the Dal lake, the Pari Mahal, and the Char Chinar.

Every Monday we had to report to our Branch Manager and tell him about the training that we had received during the past week. The gentleman would first of all ask us what we had done during the weekend. He would say, you have come to Zannat, and must take this opportunity to see the place. Vinita and I religiously and dutifully visited every nook and corner of the state. 

Incidentally in the ground floor of our flat lived two Probationers of a batch senior to ours. They were undergoing their third branch training. They were posted at Anantnag, but often came down to Srinagar. Besides this we had SPS Singla, and Sudhir Mehra from Lead Bank department of LHO(Local Head Office) New Delhi visiting our branch off and on. Singla would stay with Bedi too.

After dinner we would all walk down the road up to Zero Bridge, we would cross the bridge and have a cup of coffee, at a small wayside cafe. We would have endless discussions about everything under the sun! No one was in a hurry to get back to sleep, no one bothered about security. Life was serene, peaceful, beautiful and absolutely delightful!

I have lots to tell about Zannat, so watch out for the next episode...it will be coming soon!

THE RIVER OF LIFE

As I go through life I see a lot of places. Walk many miles, cross a number of roads, see a lot of rivers.

Rivers are usually fast. They flow and keep flowing.They do not stop. Whatever be the impediments that it meets on its way, the river simply overcomes the obstacle and moves on towards its destination.Water has been the lifeline of all living beings. All civilizations developed near rivers. They grew they flourished and little settlements became big cities, but the river remained, providing the people with abundance of the life saver water. The river never failed in it's duties. Whatever the size of the population, the abundance of water did not diminish.

The most beautiful memories that I have of a river is of Daksum in Kashmir. I was there in 1976. It was a trip to Daksum which remains etched in my mind for ever. The river was full of frothing white beautiful water running down in full force. There were beautiful dark green trees on the banks, and almost no sign of civilization at the spot where I was standing and watching the river flow freely and fast. It almost mesmerised me. The sound of the water flowing is still fresh in my memory.

The next beautiful memory is that of the Satluj river in Himachal Pradesh. We were staying in tents on the banks of the river. Here again the river was noisy, full, fast, with sparkling beautiful, foaming white water. The sound was enough music to transport you to the world of dreams and happiness.

The Jhelum or Vitasta, in Srinagar is calm, and beautiful. There are a lot of bridges across the river and they have nice names too, Zero Bridge, Amira Kadal, Habba Kadal, Abdullah Kadal, Zaina Kadal. The names sound beautiful!

The River Charles in Boston is another river I love to watch. It is very wide, full of water and looks beautiful.

The Thames looks muddy, has numerous bridges and seems to be very essential to the city of London. It is wide and has an aura around it. It meanders through the City and its banks are wonderful places with an abundance of beauty. The walks on the Embankment are simply amazing. There is so much of beauty on the lamps, so much of history along the banks, that the walk is an experience, never to be forgotten.

The River Ganga before it reaches Hardwar is a tremendous vision. I loved to watch it at all its confluences. Vishnu Prayag, Rudraprayag, Nand Prayag, Karn Prayag, Dev Prayag are very beautiful. The water is pure white, and the force with which the water flows is worth watching. The River Alaknanda meets Dhauli Ganga near Joshimath. It is called Vishnu Prayag here. As it is high up in the mountains, it is very fast, clear and full of froth. 

Then at Nand Prayag the river Mandakini joins the Alaknanda. 

Near Karnprayag River Alaknanda meets the Pindar river. 

At Rudraprayag the Alaknanda meets another stream of Mandakini. 

Near Rishikesh the Alaknanda meets the Bhagirathi. This is called Dev Prayag. It is the last confluence of the river before it descends into the plains of India. Once it descends into the plains near Haridwar, the beauty of the river mellows down, just as the flow of the river also slows down. It meets Yamuna and Saraswati at Allahabad. That confluence is better known as Sangam. From there onwards the river becomes a source of salvation for Hindus and the beautiful river becomes commercialized and is simply "used"!

Why do we human beings misuse the free, flowing, life saving water? The water is abundantly available to us for everything that we need in our life.  Water which nourishes us, helps us, provides for us, why do we trample upon it and destroy the river to such an extant that the river loses its beauty, its power, its purity? Why do we go to any extant to destroy this life saving essential and beautiful water? What are we seeking? What are we doing? Trying to prove to the world that we can harness this free flowing water? We can destroy its spirit, its speed, its force and its beauty? What does one achieve by throwing all our muck into this water? The Ganga they say helps cleanse every one of their sins. Is it therefore compulsory for us to commit sins and then take a dip in the water to cleanse ourselves?

 

woman! be strong

I wander through the world like a lost soul. 

I look for lost memories, I look high and low, 

What am I looking for in the ruins of the world?

Helen of Troy's face could never have been worth the number of dead that were left behind. 

Venus de milo had her lovely arms wrenched to spoil her perfect beauty?

Did Sita's disgrace make us feel very ashamed of our heritage?

Why did Draupadi have 5 husbands when everyone else had one?

What was the fault of Desdemona, just that she was very beautiful?

Why was Cleopatra branded as a woman of easy virtue?

Why have some women been put on a pedestal and asked to stay there? 

Why are they told to remain there and feel elated, not look upon human failings for what they are...cheating?

It is a man's world, 

They write history,therefore it is HIS STORY,

They decide... they have brute power. 

The tenderness, freshness, understanding that a woman has, is misused. 

She is used, and discarded. She is abused and asked to keep her peace.

Woman, you are called all kind of names if you raise your voice, 

Your finger is broken if you lift your finger, 

Your spirit is broken if you show your happiness, your success, 

Woman, be brave, you are the fountain of hope, cheer, happiness, 

Woman live, because you provide solace to many, 

Woman be strong don't let your spirit die, 

Whatever the world may do to you,

 Rise above it all like a phoenix who rises from its ashes,

Because at the end of it all, it is you who matters the most to your own self.

You do not need a helping hand, you are the pivot around which your world revolves. 

It is your world. 

Shield yourself, build your cocoon, don't give anyone the power to destroy you.

Or else they will brand you just like Helen, Venus, Cleopatra, Desdemona, Sita and Draupadi!