Tag Archives: muslim

Story: An insight into conversion

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    One wonders at times, if individuals are in the habit of peeping into their family history. More importantly their family tree as a giveaway to their posterity. Well if they are, they would surely know the names of their ancestors beyond their Grandfather. That is grandfather’s father and even his father and also his father’s father.

    It is widely believed many Muslims in India have converted from Hinduism. And that makes me wonder how the present generation of Muslims deal with their forefathers and ancestors who were Hindus. With love or with hate? This is an emotional topic, that is often thought of by inquisitive individuals but never spoken about. Not even in the serene and quiet corners of their homes. Also, the society in general doesn’t want to dig into this tabooed adventures, and so be it. Yet, there is an undying inquisition at times to know more about such happenings.

    Let us as a hypothesis think about a person named Brij Singh, son of Prakriti Singh, who some two hundred years ago converted into Islam and named himself as Shamsher Khan. If we were to take sixty years to be as one ‘generation’ then that would mean. This would be Shamsher Khan’s fifth generation as a Muslim, flaunting their surname as Khan. Let me further suppose that one out of the current descendant of Prakriti Singh is Amjad Khan, who knows about Prakriti Singh as part of his ancestry.

    Then my inquisition would run further wild. As I would like to fathom from Amjad Khan as to how he deals and feels about his ancestry. Does he have any feelings for Prakriti Singh and Brij Singh, the last Hindu mark in his long lineage. And whether, he is proud and fond of his Hindu forefathers and his lineage. Or has he grown up hating them or revering them or thinking it is a zone where he should not enter. And, last but not the least, if it is a stalemate issue beyond Amjad Khan’s comprehension.

    Often the friction point is the religion of a person. But can religion wash away the truism off an individual’s lineage is the big question. Answer of which is only to be felt by the individual in question and never to be spoken about.

    Perhaps, this remains the weakness of mankind. Where, when, one is bulldozed by religion he gives up on his lineage. While, one may cosmetically try and overlook his lineage over his religion, but it is difficult to wash away the truism of life.

    And if the theory of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) is not a myth, we definitely reach a point, that the world is but one family. Even if people may have converted into various religions and your lineage is a bliss and not a curse.

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(Archived in 7 prestigious libraries of the US, including, Harvard University and Library of Congress. It can also be accessed in MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in Libraries and archives of Canada and Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai)  

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2014)

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for Child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. Book was launched in Lucknow International Literary Festival 2016)

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BEEF-HINDUISM-VOTE BANK POLITICS-RAGHUVANSH PRASAD SINGH

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

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In a recent statement RPS (Raghuvansh Prasad Singh) of RJD said ‘Hindu sages, ate beef.’ Tomorrow if it suits his party he might even say Allah preferred poke. RPS knowingly crossed the line hurting Hindu sentiments. Such silly netas can go to any extent for vote bank politics. They should not be taken seriously, rather as opportunist of the rotten kind. They belong to no one, except hustings. Neither Hindus, nor Muslims should get enamoured by useless netas like RPS. They only belong to themselves and do not shirk to scathe the sentiments of the masses through their quirky bayanbazi and I would leave him as be pendi ka lota (a vessel without a stable base).

That apart, we need to understand the criticality of times while talking about, who ate what and why?

In this regard let me take you through the famous incident of Andes flight disaster.

Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, also known as the Andes flight disaster that happened in South America, and is the Miracle in the Andes (El Milagro de los Andes) was a chartered flight carrying 45 people, including a rugby union team, their friends, family and associates, that crashed in the Andes on 13 October 1972. More than a quarter of the passengers died in the crash and several others quickly succumbed to cold and injury. Of the 27 who were alive a few days after the accident, another eight were killed by an avalanche that swept over their shelter in the wreckage. The last 16 survivors were rescued on 23 December 1972, more than two months after the crash.

The survivors had little food and no source of heat in the harsh conditions at over 3,600 metres (11,800 ft) altitude. Faced with starvation and radio news reports that the search for them had been abandoned, the survivors fed on the dead passengers who had been preserved in the snow. Rescuers did not learn of the survivors until 72 days after the crash when passengers Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa, after a 10-day trek across the Andes, found Chilean arriero Sergio Catalán,[1] who gave them food and then alerted the authorities to the existence of the other survivors.

The Andes survivors fed on dead passengers when faced with an onerous situation where they were about to lose their lives, so does that mean they were cannibals? In the same manner the sages of ancient times led a life of extreme austerity in tall mountains and tough conditions, and they may have consumed a crisis diet of beef only to survive; as to keep yourself safe, and to survive is one of the biggest obligations of life. So does that mean they were regular beef eaters?

A crisis diet should not be branded as your normal diet, but as a survival diet supposedly allowed by a religion. What really matters is your mainstay diet or what you eat on a regular basis should be labelled as your standard dietary habit.

RPS should know that food preferences and diets of communities and civilizations don’t change overnight like political affiliations. In case of Hinduism beef is banned and in case of Islam pork is banned as a regular religious practice.

Respecting the sentiments of our brethren, is our duty; however we should not open our little mouth to vitiate the atmosphere by hurting the sentiments of any community.

RPS thinks if he hurts Hindu sentiments he will get Muslim votes which may not be true. Muslims are wise and definitely won’t vote for RJD on beef appeasement.

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SHORT STORY: DIVINE ALIGNMENT

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    Today, once again, early in the morning I was woken up by a phone call from Sukhwinder Singh. He is a Granthi in a Gurudwara in Faridabad. But he also happens to be my friend, in the abstract spirits of comrade-in-arms. It appears he has a satellite connect with God and is able to figure out. When, over a period of time my entire self goes into a depression, thinking about my younger son, whom I lost some six years back. And just then he calls up.

    He doesn’t understand English and I can’t talk fluent Punjabi and so we make the most of it in Hindi. His occasional calls pep me up but I am not sure if it’s the other way round too. And, unlike most Sardars he is short and stout and often wears a saffron patka. We came together in life because we both share the curse of losing our sons in a space of a week.

    It was sometime in mid-February when I had admitted my younger son, when he was towards his last in a hospital in Faridabad for palliative care, where I found Sukhwinder’s son also admitted for liver disorder. He was in serious state, around twenty years of age; and the next day he expired. Our rooms were adjacent and so I had enough opportunities to picture and frame him in my mind. And, upon the sad and untimely death of his son, that afternoon, I walked across to his room and paid my deep sense of condolence. Thereafter, in a ballooning bundle of grief, he along with his wailing wife, family and the body of his son left the hospital.

    I was feeling sad for him. But I too wasn’t far behind. As my tragedy too, befell upon me within the next four days. I was thereafter on leave for a couple of weeks. And when I resumed office. Every morning I used to drive past a Gurudwara where one day I spotted Sukhwinder. I stopped my car and went up to him. Just to ask how he was, and quite frankly also to discern, better or worse than me. He was looking the other way when I put my hand on his shoulder. He turned around and without wasting time, I reminded him of the hospital and politely enquired about him, post his son’s death. He could recollect me in seconds and asked about my son. I gave him the tragic news. He sounded hurt. I decided to leave after a brief chat, but he ordered for a cup of tea. And our friendship thus began.

    Since that day till the time that Gurudwara was on my way to office, once in a while we used to meet over a cup of tea and he used to narrate quite a few invigorating episodes from ‘Granth Sahab’ and ‘Gita’ that helped me tide away, and soften my tragedy.

    It is now more than six years we continue as friends and we make it a point to talk to each other at least once a month just to share happiness and sorrow, and probably one day when we stop receiving calls from each other one of us will know the other has kicked the bucket.

    Our world is full of affinity, when it comes to being from the same religion, sect, ethnicity, language and food. But after I lost my son I realised there is also an affinity that takes birth out of unusual tragedies in life. I and Sukhwinder had similar tragedies leading to a very unusual experience in life not known and felt by many, and that brought us together.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

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FLOWERS FOR KERALA DEITIES BLOOM IN MUSLIM FARMS

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

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In Lucknow many actors who take part in the annual Ram-Leela are Muslims, where they play the lead role of Lord Ram, Hanuman & Lakshman to name a few. In the TV serial of 1st Mahabharat the lead role of Arjun was played by a Muslim actor. And it is so refreshing to read that flowers for Kerala Deities are grown in Muslim farms.

And this indeed is the beauty of India where our society has an undercurrent-life-connect with each other and resides in a bindass environment.

FLOWERS FOR KERALA DEITIES BLOOM IN MUSLIM FARMS

TOI article

Malappuram:  Balanced on a battered canoe. Aslam gently plucks a lotus that is just beginning to bloom and carefully places it in a pile.

He moves through the vast expense of Valiyaparappur lake in Malappuram, collecting more flowers, all meant for different temples in Kerala. Twenty-five-year old Aslam belongs to one of the 30 Muslim families in the village of Thirunavaya, on the banks of the Bharatapuzha river, who share a deep tie with Kerala’s Hindu temples.

It is known to very few devotees that the lotus blooms used in all major temples across the state including Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple, Sabarimala, Kodungalloor Bhagavathy Temple, Paramekkavu Bhagavathi Temple, Thriprayar Sri Rama Temple and Parshinikkaadavu Muthappan Temple are all farmed by these families.

“We have been doing it for over a hundred years,” says Musthafa Chakkaliparambil, who has 40-acre farm on the valiyaparappur lake. He supplies at least 7,000 lotuses a day to temples in Guruvayur and Kodungallur.

On an average, the village collects and distributes around 20,000 blooms every day. “Our business has thrived only because of the blessings of the deities and the revenue from temples,” says Abdul Rahman Karakkadan, who supplies flowers to Guruvayur and Paramekkavu temple in Thrissur from his 85-acre farm. The flowers are handed over to members of the Warrier community, who handle floral decorations in temples.

Article: YOURS, MINE BUT NOT INDIA’S- FESTIVALS

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KAMLESH TRIPATHI

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Yesterday, on the eve of Christmas I was told our office is not closed. As majority are non Christians who don’t celebrate Christmas. So we need to work on Christmas. A similar thing happened on Eid where again our office remained open. And, on both the days, I left in the morning only to return in the evening. Barely squeezing in time for a few text messages of ‘good wishes’ on the occasion to my Christian and Muslim friends, leave aside celebrating with them. I found this approach of certain establishment’s quite non-secular. But I was even more surprised when none of the so called secular parties of India came forward to address this non-secular issue. And, contrary to this on Holi and Diwali, the two major Hindu festivals, when our office remained closed no Christian or Muslim could come to work even if he wanted to. And with the same hypothesis this too was non-secular.

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India should celebrate and grieve together. Unless we reach out to minorities in their thick and thin, and the minorities reach us in the breath, a sound weaving of minds will never happen, as everyone will celebrate their festivals only as a community and we won’t have too many national festivals.

After all; all our Gods reside in this very country and they all have Indian passports; and it is only for some non-secular establishments to realize this vintage fact.

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#RSS CAN HELP #INDIA EVEN BETTER; THROUGH ITS #SHAKHAS

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

MISSION:

The prime mission of (RSS) Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or National Volunteer Organization” or National Patriotic Organization is to revitalise Indian value system based on universalism, peace and prosperity to all under the divinity of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. Holding a world view that the world is just one big family, so propounded by ancient thinkers and carried forward by many others of present day and age. But some contemporary leaders also link it to be the Hindu renaissance. But before getting into this never ending debate let us more objectively and tangibly see how RSS can help the poor Indian work force out of the current quagmire. In fact it would not be out of context to highlight certain issues where RSS can contribute immensely in the present scenario of India.

STRONG BASE:

RSS is an organization that works through its ‘Shahkhas.’ (Shakha-Hindi for “branch”) Most of the organisational work of the RSS is done through the coordination of these shakhas or branches. These shakhas are run for an hour a day in many public places. In 2004 as many as 60,000 shakhas were there throughout India. But the number of these Shakhas had fallen by over 10,000 since the fall of BJP led government in 2004 but has again swelled to 40,000 in 2014 after BJPs returned to power in Delhi.

SHAKHA ACTIVITIES:

These shakhas regularly conduct activities for its volunteers that include; physical fitness, yoga; exercises and also games. It also performs diverse activities emphasizing civic sense, social service, community living and patriotism. And, in the very recent, our Prime Minister has flagged of two important issues out of their kitty. He has spoken about the importance of Yoga in the US and has also launched the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan’ carving out from of the ‘civic sense’ of RSS.

RSS volunteers are also trained in first aid and in rescue and rehabilitation works. And, last but not the least physical fitness and security drills. Where, they are regular performers and also teach the art of self defense on a regular basis. An art much required in present times.

WHAT MORE IT CAN DO

But that apart, there is something more RSS can do very effectively. What comes to my mind is a comprehensive physical training for our poor work force in the rural and urban areas. Since the physicality of a human body is well understood by RSS volunteers, having been in the business of physical fitness for so long, so who else would know this trait better than them. In fact, I would rate RSS as one of the premier organisations for doing this job, clubbed with skill building and providing work-aids or designing new ones to make the jobs of our poor brethren more humane. So, in a more detailed manner RSS can thus delve in the following issues:

  • Train labourers how to carry maximum load on their back without damaging the backbone, muscles or even their skull.
  • What precautions to take, while working in open fields, as human body is subjected to nagging and devastating pollution all over. Here I would also like to mention about the traffic police that works endlessly on polluted roads, and also the factory labour.
  • RSS is also a knowledge reservoir and can help in the development of small implements that can help poor labourers to exert less, at the same time not bring down their output. Something, like a wheel barrow.
  • Develop Small working aids that can help women in giving equal output as men. One can take the cue from MNREGA where women are paid less basis their output.
  • And if pregnant women have to work what precautions they need to take, and what are the safer jobs which they can perform.
  • Security drills for our hapless working community, especially working ladies.
  • They can even hasten the project of 100% literacy. Which is currently at a level of 75%.

On a more realistic note the girth of this mammoth exercise is going to be stupendous and will touch the heart and mind of every Indian irrespective of caste, creed and religion. For it will be for the Indians in the bottom of the pyramid. Quite, appropriately, for the needy and therefore sterling, noble and even centre of right and left. Surely RSS can make an alternate beginning and see its tinge brighten even further.

 

 

 

 

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES- A BOOK BY KAMLESH TRIPATHI, CO AUTHOR: SUJATA TRIPATHI

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51+O4fGLGaL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX324_SY324_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA346_SH20_OU31_#AADAB #LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES BOOK LAUNCHED IN RECENT- LUCKNOW INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL

E-book available in Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble. Print copies available in Poth.com, Flipkart.

EXCERPTS

‘whatever … whenever … Lucknow is forever.’

‘Aadab-Lucknow … fond memories’ is a story of a group of friends who spend their childhood and part of their adolescence in Lucknow. They part ways for their career and future but the umbilical-cord remains intact and they connect after many years, attempting to relive the city.’

‘What is #Lucknow up to? Smiling, giggling, laughing or weeping. Let’s figure out.’
‘Isn’t Lucknow the world’s showcase of #Hindu-Muslim amity? Do you have any doubts? We have none.’

‘#Imambara-to-see … Evening-in-Ganj-#Hazratganj … Kababs-to-eat …Chikan-to-wear … Attar-for-fragrance … Ikka-buggy-to-roam … Kite-to-fly … Hospitality-by-leaf-Betel-leaf … Sweet-tongue … and the great Lakhnawi pride … after-you-after-you.’

‘Langotia-Gang: A group of ‘Underwear friends’ nay ‘childhood friends’ a metaphorical and peppy expression. The Langotians take you through the intrinsic essence of life.’

‘And post #Kabootar-bazi, dressed in a crisp Achkan, seated on his flashy Ikka, he used to join Rehman for the evening Chai-Nashtaa which he ensured, he never missed after the game. After all … All was fair in love and Kabootar-bazi.’

‘Anyway, guys send me a quick update on, Vakil, Neta, Naukarshah and Abhiyanta … Shahid, IV, Irfan and Savita. Lucknow runs because of these four; business and industry are not there and rest can go to hell.’

‘Other states carry weight as a state, but we carry only some districts as weight.’
‘Mem-sahab, Babuji, kaan laga ke dhyan se suniya Lucknow ka har bachcha kya gaa raha hai.’ (Madam, Sir, listen intently to what every child of Lucknow is singing)

‘Mandar, Masjid, Church the Gurudware da shehar, change shehar Lucknow.’

‘#Awadh shrieks and shrills to the fading countenance of Wajid as she promises to herself to be in command and control of the fond memories of her Mehboob, #Wajid-Ali-Shah.’
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WHAT IS #PLAGUING #CONGRESS? A #voter’s perspective

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‘It is just cyclic and a vote against anti-incumbency so no big time worry. For, we’ll get back when BJP’s bag is also filled with anti-incumbency.’ Perhaps, most Congressmen feel like this. But, I feel otherwise, as the general perception about Congress has changed and stands much negated now. And unless they come out with a complete makeover for PAN-INDIA voters, things won’t improve. Remember, from a ruling coalition they have now become a paltry opposition in the centre. And in states from the main opposition they have downgraded themselves to third and in some states even the fourth position, yet they have a tremendous appetite, to keep smiling. But even with all the smiles the climb-up will not be easy.

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And in a rare manner Sonia Gandhi too is losing steam in gradual and ageing progression. This gets more accentuated with her illness.

Reluctant crown prince Rahul Gandhi goes on and on huffing, puffing, meandering from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal and from Kashmir to Kanyakumari like a whirlwind, but to no avail. His gesture of not grabbing the one time opportunity of becoming the Prime Minister when it came his way spills truckloads of beans.

Priyanka the last hope of Congress resurrection stands hand tied to her ‘baggage’ husband Robert Vadra soaked in unkempt land scams to filthy snobbery that people haven’t forgotten- ‘these mango people.’ Rest is sadly the reminiscent of the flummery by pygmies and opportunists; are reasons why Congress is, where it shouldn’t have been.

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So then what should Congress do? Close shop or retake charge. I think it should go for the latter- take charge. But who should take charge, the first family or the Party? I guess the first family without which there is no Congress, as most of these, so called loyalists are now seen with their ‘turncoats’ more pronounced as the ‘black coats’ in their respective courts, up to Supreme Court; as they came not to conquer but to make hay while the sun was not even shinning.

But this time while gathering the disheveled Congress, ensure all the transplants are well designed both aesthetically and technically. For make no mistake a mere makeover will only be a waste of time as your voters have moved to more receptive faces when they lost their own face in Congress. I have some suggestions for the Congress Party:

1. General perception of Congress: General-Public is a bunch of fools and can be fooled not once but several times. Change this mindset.

2. It is considered to be a Party that always tilts towards minority and especially towards the Muslim community and even schedule caste and tribe, only for the vote bank. Even if this is not true they should remove this perception.

3. Replace ornamental words like ‘SECULAR’ and ‘COMMUNAL FORCES’ with youth identifying words like DEVELOPMENT-JOBS-EMPLOYMENT-GROWTH-OPPORTUNITIES-GLOBAL.

4. Come out openly, heavily against all those corrupt Congressmen who cheated the nation and the list is long; but you can do this only if the top is clean. Even now it is not late. The voters won’t mistake you on the contrary will appreciate you.

5. Be a more accountable Party. If the 1st family of the Party cannot accept accountability; get someone else to the forefront. Maybe some new young face that can drive the party and understand the psychology of voters better. Old, hackneyed faces that have made their big bucks and their children who have forged a dynastic deal will only irritate the voters.

6. Let Congress be something more than the New Delhi’s Lutyens club. Get some new grassroots workers and flag them high as your new mascot.

7. Move from the mentality of ‘ruling’ to ‘serving.’ Shed arrogance.

8. The shameful manner in which some of your ministers handled Anna Hazare movement is still not forgotten. Ask them to apologise to the Public of India.

9. PM Dr Manmohan Singh says he had to take certain decisions under coalition dharma. Why couldn’t he observe the noble dharma –resign and go home then be surrounded by scams.

10. Incorrigible, weak, sheepish and play it by the year kind of a foreign policy with arrogant foreign ministers of no nerve and mettle. Replace such gentry.

11. Congress is unable to identify itself with 65% of the Indian Population that is below the age of 35 years. Build a new marketing strategy for this.

12. It believes in only providing subsidies to the downtrodden for their subsistence but has no programme for their rapid progress. The current generation doesn’t want subsistence; rather they want to see rampant progress for themselves.

13. Prime Minister and national leaders are supposed to be iconic personalities and role models but Congress’s recent Prime was never home on these yard sticks.
14. Don’t work, don’t perform, don’t take decisions, encourage corruption, keep hanging on to your chair, power, position, perks and conveniently blame coalition dharma. Hello!! This is Prime Minister of Congress Party, who could have done better.

15. Congress allowed a whole lot of infiltration of Bangladeshis just for vote bank politics. Indians in India don’t get jobs and you allowed Bangladeshis to grab many menial jobs.

16. It always believed and still believes in divide and rule. Something they had learnt from the Colonial rule. It won’t work now.
17. They now appear as pseudo-intellectuals, bereft of marketing prowess and aggression and not able to match the fire and fury of Narendra Modi and the present day BJP.
18. You need to have fire brand orators. Have many more faces in your bill boards and promote local and regional leaders.

Time is running out. So act fast, as by not acting the to-do list of survival will only get longer.

BHULBHULAIYA- DO MONUMENTS REFLECT THE ETHOS OF TIMES?

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    Yes they do if you hear them intently. I could feel it during my visit to Bara Imambara (BI), Bhool-Bhulaiyaa (BB) and the tall Rumi Darwaza (RD) while doing a book on Lucknow. A tourist guide took me around these signature monuments, and believe me, it was sheer delight. He coaxed me to listen to what the monuments hummed and conveyed while standing tall and tanned under the strong summer sun. Indeed, it is a mirror and reflection of the civilization of those times, when the monument was constructed.

    BI, BB and RD were all constructed by, the then Ruler and Nawab of Lucknow, Asaf-ud-Daulah (AUD) in 1784 about whom, it is said: ‘Jis ko na de Maulah usko de Asaf-ud-Daulah.’ (AUD grants benevolence, even to those, whom Almighty denies—a catchphrase in the honour of the local ruler). AUD imbibed the ethos and spirit of Awadh, only to convert it into grand edifices, further catapulting it, into iconic monuments around which these civilizations flourished.

    He decided to build the BI for Azadari (mourning). To provide relief to his poor subjects who were reeling under severe famine in 1783-84. The construction provided employment to nearly twenty two thousand people at a time. But his concern did not rest there. To encourage men folk of respectable families who felt embarrassed working during the day, fearing they will be recognized as labourers during daylight. The Nawab directed that the construction work be continued even after sunset, and throughout the night, when men would work in darkness without being recognized. Many people who worked in the night were unskilled. Work done by them was therefore sub-standard, which was demolished during the day and re-built by skilled workers next day. Though, this arrangement caused a lot of wastage, AUD put forth some remarkable points relevant to mankind by weaving a fabric of social security system for the society.

    Even today, BI conveys the tale of pain, human suffering and so, is dear to all, as forefathers of many may have participated in this project cutting across religion and strata of the society. AUD had shifted his capital from Faizabad-Ayodhya (twin cities) to Lucknow therefore Ram-Raj was not unknown to him.

    The main hall of the Imambara is 50 x16 meters. And is 15 meters tall without any central pillars or columns supporting it. This is said to be the world’s largest ‘arched room’ without pillars. As if conveying. It is possible for a society to exist and survive with each other’s support alone. As Hindu-Muslims do in Lucknow like the arched room.

    Within the Imambara AUD had also carved the labyrinth … the ‘BB’ which is, three storeyed. It has 489 similar looking galleries without doors, where one can roam endlessly for hours. But by roaming endlessly you don’t reach your destination. To reach your destination you require proper direction, is the lesson it conveys.

    The narrow lanes of BB were carved to confuse enemy intruders during invasions. Only the King and a few of his trusted men knew the way out. Just as your Guru or the Almighty knows the way out for you, in troubled times. And keeping the enemy confused is a robust strategy even today.

    These constricted lanes can make anyone feel lost, as you sometimes, feel in life. Their passages, some of which have cul-de-sacs, exhort us to keep moving in life, even during hardships, and not fear the dead ends. For hardships will only dissolve in front of your endurance.

    Flights of steps go up-and-down like a sinusoidal curve. It is steep, dark and narrow. Where, even the sound of a lighted match stick, amplifies and seems to travel through the length of the corridor. The lit-up effect of which illuminates, right up to the other end of the corridor. Signifying, don’t worry. For, there is always light at the other end of the tunnel.

    There are a series of closed narrow passages. In the form of an intricate network, that connects them to a set of staircases. That suddenly change direction, going up or down just to confuse a person. Only, one correct combination of the passage and staircase when negotiated correctly, leads you to the roof top. In a manner hinting, that perfection requires precision. Like a combination lock. Where, only one correct combination of passage and stairs together, can take you to the top.

    It reminds, even real life is like a combination lock. Where all combinations need to mesh for fruition. You cannot reach the top of BB without the help of a guide, who is trained to perfection to take you up. Just like the journey of life, where the Almighty holds your hand and takes you through and through. Next,

   The grand Rumi Darwaza (RD) standing 60 feet-tall, was also a part of relief operations during the famine. It is devoid of wood and iron and an outright novelty, of its times. When viewed from the West, it looks like a huge Mehraab—a grand gateway. East is even prettier … resembling a Mexican hat. Its three gates in a row absorb the fast, medium and the slow moving traffic, symbolic of the trait of absorption in human life. Born tall, it lives tall and looks prettier from wide angles. The tough, rough and the dainty mix of personality that human beings need to imbibe.

   AUD’s character possessed the sponge to absorb the ethos of the masses, and convert it into these everlasting golden scripts of brick and mortar. Try it out, yourself. As and when you go close to these monuments. They shear off your existing nub of thoughts and fill you with some gentle self-introspection. Which only helps you in re-determining your values. They say values of a man rarely changes. Not even during his lifetime.

    In the flux and flow of life. If someone, were to ask me to describe the Awadh of 1784. I would simply tell him to go and see a movie produced in that era. Or read a book published around that time. But sad, movies were not invented then and books were not too prevalent. So, my request to him would only be, to go and visit BI, BB and even RD.

    I now, never miss an opportunity to visit old monuments, and spend some quality time there. As each monument has something beatific to tell you.

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

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https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

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