SHIVRATRI GREETINGS

SHIVRATRI festival of blessings, happiness, joy is about to come. The festival has started to spread its festivity especially within the community of KASHMIRI PANDITS. The festival has been celebrated in the community with joy and happiness since thousands of years. Every corner of the house is cleaned and cloths being washed so that LORD SHIV and PARVATI JI bestow all family and the members. Hopefully every KASHMIRI PANDIT family has continued to celebrate the festival by welcoming SHANKAR JI in the same manner as we all used to do it at our places in the KASHMIR VALLEY. One thing which is missed is the waiting for GURU JI till late hours for PUJA and the offerings to SHANKAR JI AND PARVATI JI, but the same type of PUJA is offered but the voice of GURU JI has been replaced by audio cassettes and CD’s.
The good old days come in front of the eyes when as a child the competition of making the “WUSER” for WATUK NATH used to be on top. The joint families are being missed now and the elders chanting the LEELA to the BOLENATH at the WATUK room. At present the families have lesser no of members and sometimes do not know the rituals properly and do not perform the PUJA properly as we all used to perform at our places in the KASHMIR VALLEY. Still every KASHMIRI PANDIT family celebrates the festival with full rituals at their own levels. It is necessary for us to keep our glorious culture and the rituals alive till we can which will keep us connected to the roots.
I wish whole world a very happy MAHA SHIVRATRI.

BHARAT B.DAS an el eye cee'ian

THE GREAT SWAMINANDLALJI MAHARAJ

SWAMI NANDLALJI MAHARAJ was a great saint and a pious man who went to eternal journey in mid sixties. I am a mid sixty born so was not so lucky to see that great man, but at the same time my father late Pandit PREMNATH DASS of BOMAI SOPORE remained associated with him for about 30 years and with the blessings of Swamiji every good thing came in our stride. I have been blessed by Swamiji by giving me my name BHARAT BUSHAN DAS and also to my elders too. As I said Swamiji was pious man so was our father too, which I have learnt from my parents, and from those who know Swamiji and my father too and especially have learnt from Swami mast Bab Ji whom I met at Zeistyar Mandir Srinagar in June 2008. The photographs above are that of Guruji of Swaminandlalji known as LALJI (TOP) and Swamiji’s. These photographs are exclusively with my parents since my age and it is a big treasure for me, my family and my children.

With blessings of Swaminandlalji Maharaj

Bharat an eleye cee’ian