Indian Holocaust My Father`s Life and Time - Four Hundred SEVEN
Palash Biswas
http://indianholocaustmyfatherslifeandtime.blogspot.com/
CHEEKHTI HAIN NADIYAN
BAAHAR HEE NAHEE
MERE BHEETAR BHEE HAIN
PAHAAR AUR NADIYAN
SAMANDAR AUR RETEELE DHOOHA
AUR IN SABKE BEECH
BAHTA HUA JEEVAN
FROM YEH JO VAKT HAI BY KAPILESH BHOJ
SCREAM THE RIVERS
NOT ONLY OUTSIDE
WITHIN ME
EXIST THE HILLS AND RIVERS
OCEANS AND SANDY HILLOCKS
ANDAMIDST ALL THESE FLOWS THE LIFE
It is my translation of the first stanza of CHEEKHTI HAIN NADIYAN.
Going thorough Poetry had always been an affair of Passions as I always have been Passionate about Poetry.I perhaps inherited this from my Blood aboriginal which celebrates life most and Poetry is the best Expression of life as it is. For us, in our day to day life, Poetry is intermingled like the air and water, most essential elements for sustenance biologically. Nothing may happen in Folk life style without rhythm, aesthetics,music and poetry. The Production system is in itself Poetry Eternal!
The Kumaon Himalaya, lying between the Kali River in the east and Sutlej in the west, include a 320 km stretch of mountainous terrain. Much pioneer work was done at the turn of the century followed by more modern investigations between 1930 and 1940. The almost complete absence of fossils in the Lesser Himalaya leaves many structural and stratigraphic problems unsolved, since the correlation is based on stratigraphy alone. This casts some doubts on certain stratigraphic interpretations. The Lesser Kumaon Himalaya include a thrust-bound sector delineated by two tectonic planes - the Main Boundary Fault to the south and the Main Central Thrust to the north. Many workers have postulated existence of the regional inversion of sedimentary pile. There are two elongate tectonic belts of sedimentary/metasedimentary rocks separated by an ESE-WNW trending Almora-Dudhatoli Crystalline zone. T he Outer Sedimentary Belt to the south of the crystalline mass is the Krol Belt while the Inner Sedimentary Belt to the north constitutes the Deoban-Tejam zone (Gansser, 1964), or the Jaunsar-Berinag nappe (Valdiya, 1978).
Mohan and me, had been Environment Activists and have been Active in Chipko Movement during our DSB College days. We were the part of Nainital samachar and Pahar teams. Shekhar Pathak and Dr Uma Bhatt had been our teachers and friends at the same time. Tarachandra Tripathi had put us in his home together. We walked all over the Hills and touched all the rivers , wounded and bleeding like the Himalayan Human scape.
Kapilesh Bhoj is simply Mohan for me as he always had been. We do not interact for years. But Pawan rakesh in Nainital, Mohan and me would always make the famous triangle only to be interrupted by GIRDA. We learnt folk and the aboriginal aesthetics from Girda which do reflect in the flat looking poems of Mohan. You may need something EXTRA to feel the rebel heart of the Poet. Mohan did never believe in artificial linguistics or phonetics, he NEVER liked the poetic styles and gimmicks, he never talked metaphors or specialised diction specially.
Mohan was among the Five wise Men who joined my marriage party to Bijnore. Then , he was teaching in Kanth, in Moradabad district. He came with us at our Home in Basantipur.
Mohan was very shy in nature as I knew. He was in love with the idea of love. He was married during Graduation but only a few could know about this as he was in love with several beautiful girls of the college!But the love was always in poetic sense which he would never express.
He was talking mildly while he was introduced to the Bride.
I knew his timid shy character and asked, ` how do you describe my wife?'
Without any hesitation, he replied, `ATYANT SUNDAR!'
Very Beautiful.
Sabita Never did forget the compliment. It is the real Mohan. Who speaks to the point. And it may sound Flat sometimes but you have to try hard to get in his poetry which is rooted deeply in the Landscape as well as the Human scape of the Himalayas. He never tries to use Folk or dilects but they come spontaneously in his poems like the screaming rivers!
We could spend the chilling winter nights on Mal road walking up and down and sometimes Girda or Rakesh would accompany us under snowfall or rain. We would discuss and interact on our world and time continuously and those could be the part of our dreams. We could feel the life in plants, lakes, hills, valleys and rivers.
While I read the poems in Print, many of which had been written during student life as DOST KE NAAM, it is not just reading, it is sharing life and experience, sensuousness and sensitivity at the same time.
Girda had always been our super star who is very famous in Folk Form. But Girda always advocated the supremacy of Content and we did believe the content should shape the form. Reading these poems I am satisfied that my Poet Friend follows the lines and I must say that the Content is very very Powerful as it is related to the Himalayas and its People and dedicated to the Struggle of FREEDOM!
Reading the Poems written my dearest friend MOHAN, Kapilesh Bhoj as he is known to the world, is not just reading but it is living the Time once again as we shared our experiences together. I am well acquainted with the Human scape as well as landscape which inspired his poetry. I may feel the Heart and Mind of the Poet stranded in the Valley of Kaushani and Someshwar situated in Kumaun hills. I share the dreams and the Revolt as well.Reading the poems I may hear the Screaming rivers in the Virgin Valleys of the Himalayas.
It is the first Poetry book of my friend , YEH JO Vakt Hai,waited for so long and at least published. One of my favourite poet Katyani wrote the Flap and she suggested to read the poems slowly as it would help to understand the mood and the nature of the Content. Mohan is quite different from the contemporary Indian Poets praised for their achievement. He is living an isolated life as a lecturer in an Inter College in Chanauda where the life seems to be standstill like the forests of Pines famous for Resin. I may smell the Resin even in Kolkata. Like the forest Mohan also shares the restlessness of the Following rivers and hence he could write, CHEEKHTI Nadian, the Screaming Rivers.
The poems are divided in four Chapters!
1.CHEEKHTEE HAIN NADIYAN
2.KOI KISI KO NAHEE PUKARTA YON HEE
3.ROSHNEE PAANE SE PAHLE
4. KITABEN LIYE CHAL RAHE HAIN NAUJAWAN
Yes, we belonged to the generation of Nainital who used to walk with books. Mohan would capture the library and would get indented every book which we could know. We would discuss Camus, Sartre, Stephan Zwig, Pastarnk, Sholokhov or anything. We would read everything written by Dostovosky, Voltair, Chekhov, Howard Frost, Hemingway, Pearl Buck, Victor Hugo, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, George Bernard Shaw, Shakespeare and every book on Philosophy, Psychology and political theory. We would attend the study circles regularly. Then, tara Chandra Tripathi had his own library and lists which we had to read.These poems reflect the studious youth of the Himalayas who also dream to CHANGE.
He has reflected those times in his poems as titled UTTARAKHAND KEE Dharatee se!
When I read the poems like PAHAAR me PATJHAR, PATJHAR :1992, PATTA,CHIDIA AUR CHAANDNEE, KAUSAANI SE HIMALAYA KO DEKHTE HUE, KHUSHION KE PHOOL, I am Assured the boy from the kaushani valley who befriended with me, has NEVER to lose the MIDA`s touch!
And I do feel the SCREAMING Rivers following once again within my heart and mind!
Nainital is a glittering jewel in the Himalyan necklace, blessed with scenic natural spledour and varied natural resources . Dotted with lakes , Nainital has earned the epithet of 'Lake District' of India . The most prominent of the lakes is Naini lake ringed by hills . Nainital has a varied topography . Some of the important places in the district are Nainital , Haldwani , Kaladhungi , Ramnagar , Bhowali , Ramgarh , Mukteshwar , Bhimtal , Sattal and Naukuchiatal . Nainital's unending expense of scenic beauty is nothing short of a romance with awe-inspiring and pristine Mother nature.
Nainital is headquarter of Nainital District. It is also divisional Headquarter of Kumaon Division of Uttarakhand State.Mohan was Senior to me in GIC Nainital.We met in Craig land Hostel which I left within few days suffering from hard ragging as I landed in Nainital as a rustic Boy from the rural agrarian belt of the Terai. whereas Mohan had come from Ranikhet.he was writing poetry even in those days. I did write poems in those days, too. But I was writing in Bengali, my mother tongue. I transferred myself in Bengal Hotel , beside Mal road as he stayed in the Hostel. Poetry linked us together. Meanwhile Tara Chandra Tripathi captured us both. during Graduation days we shared the same room in Bengal Hotel and Pradip Tamta joined us as a Maoist ideologue. We read Das capital as well as Manifesto of Communist Party together. We did study world Classics together and spent the days and nights in reading and discussing. Mohan was famous for his innocence getup and thinking poses.
Kausani
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kausani (कौसानी) | |||
— Small Town — | |||
Coordinates | 29°50′N 79°36′E / 29.84°N 79.60°E / 29.84; 79.60 | ||
Country | India | ||
State | Uttarakhand | ||
District(s) | Bageshwar | ||
Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) | ||
Area • Elevation | • 1,890 m (6,201 ft) | ||
Codes[show]
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Kausani (Hindi: कौसानी) is a hill station situated in the Bageshwar district of the Uttarakhand state of India.
Contents[hide] |
[edit] Overview
Kausani is a destination for Himalayan tourists. It is located 53 km North of Almora. The altitude of this place is about 1890 mts. This place offers a 350 km view of the Himalayan peaks like Trisul, Nanda Devi and Panchchuli. There are very few places in the Himalayas which can compare with the beauty of Kausani - a picturesque hill station famous for its scenic splendor and its spectacular 300 km-wide panoramic view of the Himalayas. Kausani lies on the atop the ridge amidst dense Pine trees overlooking Someshwar valley on one side and Garur and Baijnath Katyuri valley on the other on Almora-Bageshwar-Didihat Highway. Mahatma Gandhi called this place the 'Switzerland of India', due to similarity in landscape.
[edit] Visitor's attractions
Another attraction named 'Anashakti Ashram', is a quiet and revered place where Mahatma Gandhi spent his some days and wrote his commentary of Anashkti Yog. Pant Museum is another place of importance, this is the place where the famous poet of Hindi literature, Sumitranandan Pant was born. This place is preserved in its original ancestral form and served as a reference library on him.
Lakshmi Ashram is one kilometre away from the Kausani, and is a center run by Kumauni women and dedicated for social service and upliftment of women. Gandhiji's disciple, Sarlaben (Kaitherine Heileman) spent her life here doing social service and established Anashakti Ashram. Lakshmi ashram is located in a solitary area among dense pine forest. Tea gardens (5 km on Bageshwar Road), Baijnath group of temples (16.5 km on Bageshwar Road) and Bageshwar are the places of interest nearby. At Makar Sankranti (which is usually known as 'Uttarayani' in the local language) - a huge fair takes place at nearby Bageshwar. Note: This is a universal truth that is sun rise at first time in kausani.
[edit] Places Around Kausani
- Baijnath
- Bageshwar
- Chaukori
- Berinag
- Gangolihat
- Patal Bhuvaneshwar
- Gwaldam
- Badhan Gari Mandir
- Angayaari Mandir
- Kote Mai Mandir
- Nar Singh Mandir
- Krishna gari
- Tall Camp
[edit] Trek Near Kausani
- Pindari Glacier Trek
- Sunder Dhunga Trek
- Milam Glacier Trek
[edit] Panorama
[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kausani |
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Nainital
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nainital | |
— city — | |
Coordinates | 29°23′N 79°27′E / 29.38°N 79.45°E / 29.38; 79.45 |
Country | India |
State | Uttarakhand |
District(s) | Nainital |
Population • Density | 38560 (2001[update]) • 3,827 /km2 (9,912 /sq mi) |
Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
Area • Elevation | 11.73 km2 (5 sq mi) • 2,084 m (6,837 ft) |
Nainital (Hindi: नैनीताल) is a town in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and headquarters of Nainital district in the Kumaon foothills of the outer Himalayas. Situated at an altitude of 1,938 metres (6,358 feet) above sea level, Nainital is set in a valley containing a pear-shaped lake, approximately two miles in circumference, and surrounded by mountains, of which the highest are Naina (2,615 m (8,579 ft)) on the north, Deopatha (2,438 m (7,999 ft)) on the west, and Ayarpatha (2,278 m (7,474 ft)) on the south. From the tops of the higher peaks, "magnificent views can be obtained of the vast plain to the south, or of the mass of tangled ridges lying north, bounded by the great snowy range which forms the central axis of the Himalayas."[1]
Contents[hide] |
[edit] Geography
Nainital is located at 29°23′N 79°27′E / 29.38°N 79.45°E / 29.38; 79.45.[2] It has an average elevation of 2,084 metres (6,837 feet).
[edit] Climate
Nainital has temperate summers, maximum temperature 27 °C (81 °F); minimum temperature 7 °C (45 °F), during which its population increases more than fivefold with an annual influx of tourists predominantly from the plains of Northern India. In the winter, Nainital receives snowfall between December and February with the temperatures varying between a maximum of 15 °C (59 °F) and a minimum of −3 °C (27 °F).
[edit] Demographics
As of the 2001 Indian census,[3] Nainital had a population of 38,559. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Nainital has an average literacy rate of 91%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 98%, and female literacy is 86%. In Nainital, 1% of the population is under 6 years of age. Kumaonies form the major part of the town's population along with people from all over India.
[edit] Nainital in Mythology
It is believed that Nainital figures in some ancient myths of India. In the Manas Khand of the Skand Puranas, Nainital Lake is called Tri-Rishi-Sarovar, hinting at the story of three sages (or rishis), Atri, Pulastya and Pulaha, who, upon finding no water in Nainital, dug a large hole at the location of the present day lake (sarovar = lake) and filled it with water from the holy lake Manasarovar in Tibet. According to lore, a dip in Naini Lake, "the lesser Manasarovar," earns merit equal to a dip in the great lake.
It is also believed that The Naini Lake is one of the 64 Shakti Peeths, or religious sites where parts of the charred body of Sati (Parvati) fell on earth while being carried by Lord Shiva. The spot where Sati's eyes (or Nain) fell, came to be called Nain-tal or lake of the eye. The goddess Shakti is worshipped at the Naina Devi Temple on the north shore of the present day lake.[4][5]
[edit] History
[edit] Early Construction
The Kumaon Hills came under British rule after the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–16), but the hill station town of Naini Tal was founded only in 1841, with the construction of the first European house (Pilgrim Lodge) by P. Barron, a sugar trader from Shahjahanpur. In his memoir, he wrote: "It is by far the best site I have witnessed in the course of a 1,500 miles (2,414 kilometres) trek in the Himalayas."[6] In 1846, when a Captain Madden of the Bengal Artillery visited Naini Tal, he recorded that "houses were rapidly springing up in most parts of the settlement: some towards the crest of the limitary ranges were nearly 7,500 ft (2,286 m) above sea level: the rugged and woody Anyarpatta (Anyar-patt - in Kumaoni means - complete blackout. The reason for this nomenclature by the localites was because there were minimal sun rays due to its location and dense forests) was being gradually planted and that the favourite sites were on the undulating tract of forest land which stretched back from the head of the lake to the base of China and Deopatta (Camel's Hump). The Church, St. John in the Wilderness, had been built, ..."[7] Soon, the town became a health resort favoured both by British soldiers and by colonial officials and their families trying to escape the heat of the plains. Later, the town also became the summer residence of the Governor of the United Provinces.
[edit] The Landslip of 1880
In September 1880 a landslide (the Landslip of 1880) occurred at the north end of the town, burying 151 people. The first known landslide had occurred in 1866, and in 1879 there was a larger one at the same spot, Alma Hill, but "the great slip occurred in the following year, on Saturday 18 September 1880."[7] "Two days preceding the slip there was heavy rain, ... 20 inches (508 millimetres) to 35 in (889 mm) fell during the 40 hours ending on Saturday morning, and the downpour still lasted and continued for hours after the slip. This heavy fall naturally brought down streams of water from the hill side, some endangering the Victoria Hotel, ... (which) was not the only building threatened ... Bell's shop, the Volunteer Orderly Room and the Hindu (Naina Devi) temple were scenes of labour with a view to diverting streams. At a quarter to two the landslip occurred burying those in and around the buildings mentioned above." The total number of dead and missing were 108 Indian and 43 British nationals. (See poem by Hannah Battersby on the page Literary references to Nainital). The Assembly Rooms and the Naina Devi Temple were both destroyed in the disaster. A recreation area known as 'The Flats' was later built on the site and a new temple was also erected. To prevent further disasters, storm water drains were constructed and building bylaws were made stricter.
[edit] Establishment of schools
In the latter half of the 19th century a number of "European" schools for boys and girls were founded in Nainital. During the Victorian and Edwardian eras, students in these schools consisted largely of children of British colonial officials or soldiers. In 1906, for example, there were over half a dozen such schools,[7] including the Diocesan Boys' School (later renamed Sherwood College) under the guidance of the Church of England; Philander Smith's College(now,Birla Vidyamandirwww.birlavidyamandir.com), maintained by an American; St. Joseph's College a Roman Catholic institution, Wellesley School an American institution; St. Mary's Convent High School, a Roman Catholic institution; All Saints Diocesan High School for Girls, under the Church of England, and Petersfield College for Girls.
In the 1920s and 30s, the schools began to admit more Indian students. This trend continued until independence, by which time the student bodies had become predominantly Indian, albeit in many cases greatly reduced in size.
[edit] Transition
By the 1880s, a mere 42 years after its founding, Nainital had become something of an exclusive English preserve, with the Indian presence in the town confined largely to a behind-the-scenes labour and service industry, or to the occasional prince. This state of affairs lasted for much of the Victorian era. The first signs of change came early in the 20th century, when Indian bureaucrats and professionals began arriving in town as part of the annual migration of the state government of the United Provinces to Nainital every summer, by 1901 its population had risen to 7609.[8]
The next big change came in 1925, when British civil servants began to receive subsidies for taking their annual vacations in England,[9] and, consequently, many stopped going to the hill stations in the summers. From then on until 1947 (excepting the war years), the British presence in Nainital (measured, for example, by home ownership) continued to decline and was gradually replaced by a burgeoning Indian presence.
[edit] Nainital Today
[edit] In and around Nainital
The Naina Devi Temple was destroyed by the landslip of 1880 and later rebuilt. It is located on the northern shore of Naini Lake. The presiding deity of the temple is Maa Naina Devi represented by two Netras or eyes. Flanking Naina Devi are the deities of Mata Kali and Lord Ganesha.
The church of St. John in the Wilderness was established in 1844 and is located on the north end of town (Mallital), about half a mile north-west of the Naina Devi temple. The church was so named by Daniel Wilson, the Bishop of Calcutta, who, after falling ill during a visit to Nainital in 1844 to lay the foundation of the church, was obliged to sleep in an unfinished house on the edge of the forest. (See excerpt from Josiah Bateman on the Literary references to Nainital page.) A brass plaque on the altar is inscribed with names of the victims of the Landslip of 1880.
Governor's House also known Raj Bhavan and formerly, Government House was built in 1899 and designed in the Victorian Gothic domestic style (also called "domestic Gothic") by the architect F.W. Stevens. Originally built as the summer residence of the governor of the North West Province, it later became the summer residence for the Lieutenant Governor of the United Provinces. Currently, Raj Bhavan is the official guest house for the governor of Uttarakhand and for visiting state guests. The complex consists of a two-storied mansion with 113 rooms, a large garden, a swimming pool, and golf links. Obtaining prior permission is must for visiting.
Snow View is situated at an altitude of 2,270 m (7,448 ft) and located atop the Sher-ka-danda Ridge (north by north-east of the town centre), is easily reachable by cable car.Charges for cable car is Rs. 100 per person, Rs. 60 for child. Charges are for stay for one hour at the point. Timings are 10.00a.m. to 5.00p.m. On a clear day, it offers spectacular views of the snowbound high Himalaya, including Nanda Devi, Trisul, and Nanda Kot. The best time of the year for viewing the mountains is late October and November. (See excerpts from Joseph Fayrer on the Literary references to Nainital page.)
Naina Peak also known as China or Cheena Peak. Naina peak is the highest peak in the town, with an altitude of 2,615 m (8,579 ft). and at a walking distance of 6 km (4 mi) from the north end of the town (Mallital). From atop the peak, one can not only see a broad swath of the snow clad high Himalaya, but also obtain a panoramic view of Nainital town itself. The summit is an invigorating hike from Nainital town; in addition, for the less energetic visitors, ponies can be hired in Mallital or on Snow View.
Tiffin Top also known as Dorothy's Seat (Tiffin = light meal eaten during the day). This terraced hill top (2,292 m (7,520 ft)) on Ayarpatta hill is a 4 km (2 mi) hike from the town centre and commands a nice view of the neighbouring country side. Dorothy's Seat is a stonework picnic perch on Tiffin Top built as a memorial to an English artist, Dorothy Kellet, by her husband and admirers after her death in a plane crash.
The High Court of Uttarakhand formerly known as The Old Secretariat. Mukteshwar (2,286 m (7,500 ft)) is a picturesque town 52 km (32 mi) north-east of Nainital, is home to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute. It also offers an unhindered view of the high mountains of the western Himalaya, including Nanda Devi, Trisul, and Nanda Kot.
Bhimtal Lake is named after the second Pandava brother Bhima in the Mahābhārata who was known for his prodigious strength. The lake, which is larger than Naini Lake, is approximately 22 km (14 mi) from Nainital at an altitude of 1,370 m (4,495 ft). There is an island in the lake with a popular restaurant on it. There is also a 17th century temple complex, the Bhimeshwar, alongside a 40 ft (12 m) high dam at one end of the lake.
Sattal, literally Seven Lakes, is at a distance of about 23 km (14 mi) from Nainital in the Lower Himalayan Range at an altitude of 1,370 m (4,495 ft). It is a cluster of small interconnected lakes in the midst of an old oak forest. On approaching Sattal, the first lake encountered is the Nal-Damyanti Lake; next it is the Panna or Garude lake; and finally there is a cluster of three lakes: Ram, Laxman, and Sita lakes.
Khurpa Tal, literally Trowel Lake, is an attractive lake about 10 km (6 mi) by road (or a 5 km (3 mi) hike) from Nainital at an altitude of 1,635 m (5,364 ft). It is popular with anglers and is surrounded by terraced fields (or farms), from which it presumably gets its name.
Naukuchia Tal, literally, Nine-Cornered Lake, is 26 km (16 mi) from Nainital and 4 km from Bhimtal at an altitude of 1,220 m (4,003 ft). The lake is almost 1 km (1 mi) long, 0.5 km (0.3 mi) wide and approximately 40 m (131 ft) deep. It is the deepest of the lakes in the greater Naintal area. According to legend, if one takes in all nine corners in one glimpse, one can disappear in a cloud of smoke. (See excerpts from J. W. M'Crindle on the Literary references to Nainital page.)
Hanumangarhi, also known as Hanuman Garh, is located at an altitude 1,951 m (6,401 ft). The temple complex is about 3.5 km (2.2 mi) from the Tallital (South End) bus stop. The presiding deity of the temple is Lord Hanuman, the vanara god of the Ramayana, and he is depicted tearing open his chest to reveal Rama and Sita in his heart. Hanuman Garhi is also known for its spectacular views of the setting sun. Ranikhet is a hill station and cantonment town in Almora district.
Bageshwar is a city and a municipal board in Bageshwar district.
Almora is a cantonment town in Almora district.
Kausani is a place situated in the Bageshwar district.
Pithoragarh is a city and a municipal board in Pithoragarh district
Pantnagar Airport, the nearest airport (65 km).
[edit] Educational and Research Institutions
[edit] The Schools
For well over a century, Nainital has been known for its many schools. Four schools from the British period continue to exist today: Sherwood College,[10] established 1869; All Saints' College,[11] established 1869; St. Mary's Convent High School established 1878; and St. Joseph's College established 1888. In addition, a number of new schools have been established since independence: Birla Vidya Mandir, established 1947; Sanwal School, established in the 1940s in Mallital; Sainik School, established 1966; St. Amtuls Public School, established 1983; Parvati Sah Prema Jagati Saraswati Vihar, established 1983; and Oakwood School, established 1989. Chait Ram Sah Thulgharya Inter College (CRST) Nainital Mallital;Bhartiya Saheed Sainik Vidhlay(BSSV) Nainital.
[edit] Kumaon University
Nainital is home to one of the two campuses of Kumaon University[12] (the other being Almora). The university was founded in 1973 when it incorporated the Dev Singh Bist (DSB) Government College (commonly called "the Degree College"), which had been founded in 1951 by Thakur Dan Singh Bist in memory of his late father, with the mathematician Dr. A.N. Singh as its first principal.
[edit] ARIES (State Observatory)
The 50-year old State Observatory at Nainital was reborn in 2004 as ARIES, the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational-Sciences, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. The Observatory, which had come into existence in Varanasi in 1954, was moved the following year to Nainital, under its more transparent skies. In 1961 it was moved once again to its present location—Manora Peak (1,951 m (6,401 ft)) —a few km south of the Nainital town. ARIES's main objective is to provide national optical observing facilities for research in astronomy, astrophysics, and the atmospheric sciences.
[edit] Libraries
There are a number of libraries in the Nainital area. Among them are the Durga Lal Shah Municipal Public Library, on the Mall, founded in 1934;[13] the Uttarakhand Academy of Administration, Library and Documentation Center, Mallital;[14] the ARIES Observatory Library;[15] and the Kumaon University Library, Nainital.[16]
[edit] Environmental Degradation
In recent years, academics, geologists, concerned citizens and the judiciary have become alarmed at the rate of new construction in Nainital and its effect on the Naini lake. As a result, efforts have been undertaken to check the deterioration of the lake and its surrounding ecosystem. De-silting of the lake and afforestation of the catchment area have been initiated; however these measures have not been sufficient to cope with the ever increasing pressure on its fragile ecosystem. The number of tourists, and with them the number of vehicles entering the town, is rapidly increasing and this, if not checked, could turn Nainital into a disfigured and despoiled town.
For example, it has been noticed that hundreds of fish die in Naini Lake every winter, the last such event having occurred in January 2006. Naini Lake is 20 m (66 ft) deep, but, according to experts, the level of oxygen in the hypolimnic layer (the bottom, colder, stagnant, and constant temperature layer) is much lower than is required to sustain fish—and this is mostly due to pollution, which includes illegal dumping of garbage. The problem gets exacerbated during winters when the polluted and nearly anoxic (i.e. lacking oxygen) water from the bottom, moves up to the surface on account of the lower temperature of the surface water. Fish die due to low oxygen content in this altered surface water. According to Rakesh Kumar, once District Magistrate of Nainital, "The main problem is trying to syphon off the water from the hypolimnic layer, 6 m (20 ft) from the bottom of the lake. Once that is done, we can increase the oxygen content in the lake using aeration methods. That is the only permanent solution."
In recent times some enlighened citizens have come forward to halt the degradation of this beautiful town. Since 2007 every 18 September is now observed as 'Clean up Nainital Day', in rememembrance of devastaing landslide of 18 September 1880, which consumed 151 lives. On this historic day students and other sections of society join hands to clean the town. Further, a women's group 'Maitri', does this cleaning work voluntarily now on every 18th. Taking cue from this, the Municipality and District administration have started the scheme of 'Mission Butterfly' for the solid waste management and have appointed 'Lake Wardens' from the civil society to keep an eye on the polluters.
[edit] Nainital in Literature
Among the major authors who referred to Nainital in their writings were Rudyard Kipling, Munshi Premchand, Yashpal, Jainendra Kumar, Rahul Sankrityayan and Jim Corbett.
[edit] Famous people with links to Nainital
- Elsie Inglis, physician and social reformer
- Jim Corbett, hunter of man-eating tigers, author, conservationist and namesake of Jim Corbett National Park
- Govind Ballabh Pant, statesman and leader of India's independence movement, first Indian Premier of British India, the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and the first Home Minister of India
- Hastings Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay, first secretary general of NATO
- Percy Hobart, British major general and military engineer
- Orde Charles Wingate, British general and commander of the Chindits in Burma during World War II
- Soham Swami, guru and yogi
- Niralamba Swami, guru and yogi
- Swami Sri Lilashahji Maharaj, guru and yogi, guru of Sant Sri Asaramji Bapu
- Swami Swarupananda, first president of Advaita Ashrama and direct disciple of Swami Vivekananda
- Sam Manekshaw, Indian Army Chief of Staff during Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
- Som Nath Sharma, India's first Param Vir Chakra award winner
- Narayan Dutt Tiwari, Indian leader and politician, former Governor of Andhra Pradesh, former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, and former Finance Minister of India.
- Krishna Chandra Pant, former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India
- Rajendra K. Pachauri, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
- Vandana Shiva, philosopher, environmental activist and eco feminist
- Sudhir Kakar, renowned psychoanalyst
- Anup Jalota, singer
- Amitabh Bachchan, Bollywood actor
- Naseeruddin Shah, Bollywood actor
- Kabir Bedi, Bollywood Actor
- Danny Denzongpa, Bollywood actor
- Nirmal Pandey, Bollywood actor and singer
- Dilip Tahil, Bollywood actor
- Chandra 'Channi' Kumar Arora, former hockey international and coach
- Manish Pandey, cricketer who plays for Karnataka and Bangalore
- Lalit Modi, Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman
- Manasvi Mamgai, Miss India World 2010
[edit] Notes and references
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Nainital |
Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Naini Tal. |
- ^ Nainital District The Imperial Gazetteer of India, volume 18, pp. 322-323. 1908
- ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Nainital
- ^ Census of India
- ^ File:View of Mallital, without the present Naina Devi Temple, Nainital, 1865.jpg British Library.
- ^ File:View of Nainital, from the South East (Tallital side), 1865.jpg British Library.
- ^ (Pilgrim 1844)
- ^ a b c (Murphy 1906)
- ^ Naini Tal This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain..
- ^ (Kennedy 1996)
- ^ Old Sherwoodians
- ^ All Saint's College, Nainital
- ^ Kumaun University
- ^ Singh, Sarina (2005). Lonely Planet: India (Nainital). ISBN 1740596943. Page 425.
- ^ The World Bank India: Depository Libraries, 2006.
- ^ Astronomical Networking Libraries
- ^ Kumaon University
- Bateman, Josiah (1860), The Life of The Right Rev. Daniel Wilson, D.D., Late Lord Bishop of Calcutta and Metropolitan of India, Volume II, John Murray, Albemarle Street, London.
- Corbett, Jim (1944 (2002)), Man-Eaters of Kumaon, Oxford India Reprint
- Corbett, Jim (1948 (2002)), The Man Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag, Oxford India Reprint
- Corbett, Jim (1954 (2002)), The Temple Tigers and More Man-Eaters of Kumaon, Oxford India Reprint
- Fayrer, Joseph (1900), Recollections of my life, William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh and London
- Imperial Gazeteer of India (1908), Imperial Gazeteer of India, Volume 18, pp. 322-323., Oxford University Press, Oxford and London
- Kennedy, Dane (1996), The Magic Mountains: Hill Stations and the British Raj, University of California Press, Berkeley, Los Angeles, and Oxford. 264 pages.
- Kipling, Rudyard (1889), The Story of the Gadsbys, Macmillan and Company, London
- Kipling, Rudyard (1895), Under the Deodars, Macmillan and Company, London
- McLaren, Eva Shaw (1920), Elsie Inglis: The Woman with the Torch, Macmillan and Company, New York
- M'Crindle, J.W. (1901), Ancient India: As Described in Classical Literature, Archibald Constable & Company, Westminster
- Murphy, C.W. (1906), A Guide to Naini Tal and Kumaun, Allahbad, United Provinces
- Penny Illustrated Paper, October 2, 1880, London, 1880
- Pilgrim, (P. Barron) (1844), Notes on Wanderings In the Himmala, containing descriptions of some of the grandest scenery of the snowy range, among others of Naini Tal, Agra Akhbaar Press, Agra
[edit] External links
- Official Website for Nainital - NAINITAL TOURISM: WELCOME TO THE PARADISE CITY
- Nainital travel guide from Wikitravel
- Nainital - The City Of Lakes
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The Lakes
http://travel.paintedstork.com/blog/2008/10/binsar-and-kumaon-himalayas-i-lakes-and.html
Alighting Ranikhet Express in Kathgodam on the way to Binsar, it is evident that we are up to something beautiful. Foothills rise abruptly from the edge of the last train station, adorning thick greenery on their slopes. Rising peaks, dipping temperatures and pleasant wind welcome us into their territory as we drive up the hills, leaving the town and the clear waters of Golu River behind.
The first surprise greets us as we drive past a mountain pass: Bhimtal lake suddenly appears unannounced round a bend, with the road skirting the bank of the calm and green waters of the large lake. Driving round the lake and taking a short detour from the highway, we head to Naukuchiatal Lake, our first destination for the day. The largest and deepest lake in the region, it derives its name from the nine corners that confine its waters. From the edge of the lake where I stand, only few of those nine corners are visible, as the lake stretches away from me and disappears into a bend on the opposite end. Green hills surrounding the lake keep the wind at bay, letting the still waters of the lake reflect the encircling greenery. As I sit and scan the length of the lake, a loudening trotting sound makes me aware of horses running along the lake shore. I wish to be up on the back of one of them, but our stay here is brief and we have a long way to go before we get to Binsar.
Naini Lake, Nainital
The breakfast at Club Mahindra Resort on the lake shore has us replenished from the long journey from Delhi, and gets us ready for the drive ahead. Atul, the manager at the resort tells me that people go swimming in the lake, making me wish I had more time to spend here. Adding to my longing is the news of commencement of paragliding sessions only the day before we arrived.
Tourists on boats at Naini Lake, Nainital
Images of Bhimtal and Naukuchiatal linger in the mind as we drive away. But nearby Nainital, which we visit on our way back is a complete contrast. Urban sprawl of the town dominates the hills around the lake. Hotels crowd the lake-shore and occupy every inch of free space available. The shrinking lake doubles up as sewage dump for the town, and its waters have gone dark and visibly polluted. But all that apart, there is an undeniable charm that pulls in crowds to Nainital's lakeside town. Its foggy environs create an appeal, and the sail-boats and row-boats that spread along the lake surface give it an air of romance.
The Hills of Kumaon
Kosi River
The drive to Binsar takes us through ever-green vegetation in the lower region that gives way to pine forests and shrubbery as we go higher. A dip in temperature is apparent as we climb up. The road from Kathgodam to Almora meanders up along the bank of Kosi river (This is not the Kosi that flooded Bihar earlier this year). Its waters are clear and inviting, and is so dark green that it could very well merge into the vegetation around it. Her flow appears gentle but is deceptive. On the day we drive back from Binsar, we put ourselves to test against the flow, as we stop for lunch by a riverside restaurant and use the time to dive into river and swim against its current. Can't think of a better way to come out refreshed.
Almora's urban sprawl almost comes as a shock after long hours of driving in the countryside seeing green mountains and only small villages that appear along the valley once in a while. We run into urbanscapes, traffic trouble and blocked roads – things that we have been trying to run away from. But it doesn't take long to put Almora behind and enter pine forest that stretches endlessly. The scent of pine is not apparent in this early winter but a faint perfume rises in the air once in a while. Clear blue skies, tall conifers spreading along the mountains, a carpet of green grass and meandering roads – recipe for a perfect drive. Once in a while, the road rides on the high ridges revealing deep valleys on either side and giving a feel of a high as I look below. It was six good hours on the road before we made it to Binsar.
रचने वालों का बयान
इस बीच कौसानी में देश के जाने माने साहित्यकारों का जमावड़ा लगा और साहित्य खासकर कविता पर ढ़ेर सारी चर्चाएं हुई। मेरे साथी रोहित जोशी आपको उस चर्चा से रुबरु करा रहें हैं। लाभ उठाइयेगा।
रोहित जोशी,
अपने प्राकृतिक सौंदर्य के लिए सुपरिचित कौसानी इस बीच महादेवी वर्मा सृजन पीठ कुमायूॅ विश्वविद्यालय द्वारा आयोजित 'पन्त-शॅैलेश स्मृति' कार्यक्रम से भी चर्चा में रहा। उत्तराखण्ड शासन के संस्कृति विभाग के सहयोग से आयोजित इस कार्यक्रम में देश के विभिन्न भागों से आए सौ से अधिक लोगों ने प्रतिभाग किया। कवि सुमित्रानंदन पन्त की 'विथिका' से ठीक सामने मध्य हिमालय को झांकती त्रिशूल, नंदादेवी, नंदाखाट, नंदाघुंघटी,व इनसे कुछ दूर पंचाचूली की चोटियां और इन चोटियों की तलहटी पर छोटे-बड़े पहाड़ों, व विस्तृत घाटियों मंे उगी विविध वनस्पतियों और नदियों के साथ लुड़कते पानी व यहां बसे हिमालयी जन को देख साहित्यकार आनन्दित थे। जहां एक ओर इस नजारे ने साहित्यकारों को कवि सुमित्रानन्दन पन्त के रचनाकर्म की प्रकृति के रहस्य से परिचित कराया, वहीं उन्हें बैजनाथ, गरूड़, कपकोट, बागेश्वर व कौसानी से दूसरी ओर फैली सोमेश्वर की विस्तृत घाटियों मंे रचे बसे हिमालयी समाज में कथाशिल्पी शैलेश मटियानी की कहानियों व उपन्यासों के बिज भी बिखरे दिखाई दिए।
कार्यक्रम के उद्घाटन समारोह में मुख्य अतिथि उत्तराखण्ड के राज्यपाल श्री बी एल जोशी तथा विशिष्ट अतिथि उत्तराखण्ड सरकार के संस्कृति,पर्यटन,तीर्थाटन, मंत्री प्रकाश पन्त थे व इस अवसर पर कुमायूॅ विश्वविद्यालय के कुलपति प्रो0 सी पी बर्थवाल भी मौजूद थे। इस सत्र की अध्यक्षता मद्रास विश्वविद्यालय के पूर्व हिन्दी विभागाध्यक्ष प्रो0 एम0 शेषन ने की। वरिष्ठ कवि लीलाधर जगूड़ी, और महादेवी वर्मा सृजनपीठ के निदेशक प्रो0 एल0 एस0 बटरोही ने भी अपने वक्तव्य रखे । प्रो0 देव सिंह पोखरिया ने समारोह में आए अतिथियों एवं साहित्यकारों का आभार व्यक्त किया।
कार्यक्रम का आयोजन विचार विमर्श, कविता पाठ, व कविता चर्चा के रूप में किया गया। लेकिन विमर्श व चर्चा का यह भव्य आयोजन बुनियादी रूप से कितना गम्भीर था यह कार्यक्रम के आयोजक व पीठ के निदेशक प्रो0 एल0एस0 बटरोही के वक्तव्य में कही उनकी बातों व उस पर अन्य के मूक हो जाने व प्रतिक्रिया न करने से ही समझ आ जाता है। प्रो0 बटरोही ने कार्यक्रम्र के लगभग शुरूआत में ही अपने वक्तव्य में कहा कि ''यह गलत धारणा पनप रही है कि कलाएं सत्ता की प्रतिपक्षी होती हैं। हम इस धारणा को तोड़ना चाहते हैं। साहित्य सत्ता का प्रतिपक्षी नहीं बल्कि सत्ता की सहयोगी भूमिका में होता है। इस लिए साहित्यकारों मंे भी सत्ताधारियों के प्रति पूरा सम्मान होना चाहिए।'' लेकिन त्रि-दिवसीय कार्यक्रम के अन्त तक भी किसी साहित्यकार ने साहित्य के सम्मुख उठे इस गम्भीर प्रश्न के रूप मंे बटरोही की इन बातों के पक्ष-विपक्ष में कोई बातंे नहीं रखी।
वरिष्ठ कवि लीलाधर जगूड़ी ने बीज वक्तव्य 'उत्तराखण्ड के रचनाकारों के संघर्ष और सौन्दर्य की दुनिया' विषय पर रखा। उन्होंने वर्तमान दौर को सांस्कृतिक संकट का समय बताते हुए कहा कि कलाऐं सबसे अधिक संकट के दौर से गुजर रही हैं। उन्होंने सुमित्रानन्दन पन्त, शैलेश मटियानी के साथ ही चंद्रकुंवर बर्थवाल और श्रीदेव सुमन का भी उत्तराखण्ड के महत्वपूर्ण हिन्दी रचनाकारों के रूप में उल्लेख किया। बीज वक्तव्य के बाद सत्र की अध्यक्षता कर रहे प्रो0 एम शेषन ने खुशी व्यक्त करते हुए कहा कि आयोजन विभिन्न भारतीय भाषाओं को जोड़ने की दृष्टि से महत्वपूर्ण है। इस सत्र का संचालन प्रो0 उमा भट्ट ने किया।
पहले दिवस में उद्घाटन सत्र के बाद भोजनोपरान्त 'हिन्दीतर प्रान्तों में हिन्दी साहित्य और उत्तराखण्ड' विषय पर हिन्दीतर प्रान्तों से आए साहित्यकारों ने अपने वहां चल रहे हिन्दी रचनाकर्म व हिन्दी साहित्य की प्रतिनिधि रचनाओं के अपनी भाषाओं मंे अनुवाद की बात बताई। कन्नड़ साहित्यकार प्रो0 सुमंगला मुम्मीगट्टी,गुजराती की साहित्यकार डा0 नयना डेलीवाला, गुजरात विश्वविद्यालय अहमदाबाद की हिन्दी विभागाध्यक्ष प्रो0 रंजना अरगड़े उड़िया लेखिका शैलबाला महापात्र उड़ीसा से ही आए हुए अनुवादक दासरथी भुइयाॅं आदि ने अपने अपने अंचलों में हिन्दी में हो रहे रचना कर्म, अनुवाद व उत्तराखण्ड के हिन्दी साहित्यकारों पर हुए कार्य से परिचित कराया। इस सत्र की अध्यक्षता तेलगू की साहित्यकार प्रो0 पी0 मणिक्यम्बा ने की व संचालन प्रो0 बटरोही ने किया। प्रथम दिवस के अन्तिम सत्र 'पंत-शैलेश स्मरण' में वक्ताओं ने पंत तथा शैलेश के साथ के अपने अपने संस्मरणों को सुनाया। वरिष्ठ कथाकार व समयांतर के संपादक पंकज बिष्ट,चर्चित कथाकार क्षितिज शर्मा, कवि महेन्द्र मटियानी, शैलेश मटियानी की पुत्री डा0 शोभा मटियानी ने शैलेश के साथ के अनुभवों को बताया और कहा कि शैलेश युवाओं को प्रोत्साहित किया करते थे। इस सत्र के संचालक ओम प्रकाश गंगोला ने शैलेश पर एक लम्बा आलेख पढ़ा। सत्र की अध्यक्षता कर रहे साहित्यकार प्रदीप पन्त ने कहा कि शैलेश ने पाठकों की लोकप्रियता के बूते अपने को स्थापित किया।
कार्यक्रम का दूसरा दिन पूर्व नियोजित कार्यक्रम के इतर हिन्दी, गढ़वाली, जौनसारी तथा कुमाउनी कविताओं के नाम रहा। इस दिन तय कार्यक्रम के अनुसार हिन्दी काव्य पाठ के बाद इन्ही कविताओं पर काव्य चर्चा होनी थी। काव्य चर्चा के इस कार्यक्रम को तीसरे दिन आयोजित किया गया। लेकिन ज्यादातर कवि व कविता के चर्चाकार अपने तय कार्यक्रम के अनुुसार जा चुके थे। दूसरे दिन सबसे पहले हिन्दी कविता गोष्ठी का आयोजन हुआ। गोष्ठी की अध्यक्षता प्रो0 रंजना अरगड़े ने व संचालन डा0 सिद्धेश्वर सिंह ने किया। कवियों ने कविता पर संक्षिप्त में बोलते हुए अपनी कविताऐं प्रस्तुत की। शुरूआत में युवा कथाकार व कवि सुन्दर चन्द्र ठाकुर ने अपनी दो कविताओं 'अबोला' व 'दिल्ली की सुबह' सुनाई। युवा कवि व आलोचक जितेन्द्र श्रीवास्तव ने 'पहाड़ को जानना' कविता सुनाई। कवि व अनुवादक अशोक पाण्डे ने अपनी लम्बी कविता 'पहाड़' को सुनाते हुए वर्तमान हिन्दी में लिखी जा रही साहित्य कृतियों को विदेशी साहित्य की तुलना में बहुत पिछड़ा बताया। इसके बाद केदार सम्मान से सम्मानित कवि हेमन्त कुकरेती ने अपनी कविता 'कुछ बच्चे और कई बच्चे' पढ़ी। साहित्य अकादमी सम्मान से सम्मानित प्रगतिशील कवि वीरेन डंगवाल ने 'गंगा स्तवन' कविता पढ़ गंगा को पहाड़ की बेटी के नऐ रूप मंे स्थापित किया। उन्होंने भौंदू जी की सर्दियां कविता भी सुनाई। पद्म श्री लीलाधर जगूड़ी ने अपनी 'अधः पतन' कविता के साथ तीन और कविताऐं भी सुनाई। युवा व चर्चित कवि शैलेय ने अपने नऐ संग्रह 'या' से ही पड़कर 'हो सके तो प्लीज' व 'तुम्हारा जाना' कविताऐं सुनाई। सुनील हर्बोला ने 'जब गिरती है बर्फ' कविता से पहाड़ के श्रमवान मानव के दर्द को उकेरा। बिल्कुल नऐ कवियों मंे राजेन्द्र कैड़ा व स्वाती मेलकानी की ताजा प्रेम कविताओं व प्रयुक्त बिम्बों ने सबकी वाह वाही लूटी। हिन्दी कविता सत्र के बाद गढ़वाली कविता पाठ हुआ। गढ़वाली के प्रसिद्ध कवि व गीतकार नरेन्द्र सिंह नेगी ने इस सत्र की अध्यक्षता की व संचालन कवि नंदकिशोर हटवाल ने किया। हेमवती नन्दन भट्ट, गिरीश संुदरियाल, गणेश खुगशाल, मधुसूदन थपलियाल, नीना कुकरेती, कुसुम भट्ट ओम प्रकाश, निरंजन सुयाल, मदन मोहन, विरेन्द्र पवार, रतन सिंह जौनसारी आदि ने कविता पाठ किया। अध्यक्षता कर रहे कवि नरेन्द्र सिंह नेगी ने भी अपने काव्य की संगीत मय प्रस्तुति दी।
शाम को सुमित्रानन्दन पन्त की जन्मस्थली 'वीथिका' तक भ्रमण के बाद साहित्यकार ़िफर आयोजन स्थल पर एकत्र हुए जहां कुमाऊॅनी एवं शौका कविताओं का दौर चला। कार्यक्रम के इस सत्र की अध्यक्षता पत्रकार व कथाकार नवीन जोशी ने की व संचालन हेमन्त बिष्ट ने किया। वरिष्ठ कवि शेरदा अनपढ़, मथुरादत्त मठपाल, महेन्द्र मटियानी, देवकी महरा, डा0शेर सिंह पांगती, जगदीश जोशी, शेर सिंह बिष्ट रतन सिंह किरमोलिया,, मोहन, दीपक कार्की, आदि ने अपने कविता पाठ से कौसानी की सर्द भरी शाम में भी स्रोताओं को देर तक बांधे रखा।
तीसरे दिन समापन सत्र में हिन्दी, गढ़वाली, जौनसारी, शौका, तथा कुमाऊॅनी की कविताओं और साहित्य पर चर्चा की गई। भाषाविद् कैलाश चन्द्र लोहिनी, जौनसारी साहित्यकर्मी रतन सिंह जौनसारी, शौका साहित्य व संस्कृति केे जानकार डा0 शेर सिंह पांगती, सुरेन्द्र पुण्डीर, हेमन्त बिष्ट, गीता गैरोला, योगम्बर सिंह , नवीन चन्द्र आदि ने अपने अपने क्षेत्र पर चर्चा की। हिन्दी के कवि, कथाकार, और गहरे मर्मज्ञ डा0 कपिलेश भोज ने पिछले दिन पढ़ी गई कविताओं पर चर्चा करते हुए कहा कि 'लीलाधर जगूड़ी, वीरेन डंगवाल, अशोक पाण्डे सुनील हर्बोला आदि की कविताऐं पहाड़ के कठोर जीवन को तो दिखाती हैं लेकिन बाहर आ कर उबरने का रास्ता नहीं देती है और ना ही पहाड़ के उन संघर्षांे को छूती है जो पहाड़ में जारी हैं।' इस सत्र की अध्यक्षता कथाकार दयानन्द अनन्त ने की।
साहित्य के इस आयोजन में नैनीताल समाचार के संपादक राजीव लोचन साह, चर्चित कवि व समीक्षक महेश चन्द्र पुनेठा, डा0 दिवा भट्ट, जगमोहन रौतेला, समय साक्ष्य के संपादक दीपक पोखरियाल, पाखी के सह सम्पादक प्रेम भारद्वाज, बालप्रहरी के संपादक उदय किरौला, पहरू के संपादक हयात सिंह रावत, पत्रकार पी सी तिवारी बसंती पाठक, एच आर एल एन के मनोज पंत सुप्रिया रतूड़ी, मोहन सिंह रावत चित्रकार एम सईद, भावना कनवाल, नीरज पंत, ज्ञानप्रकाश तिवारी ,संतोषमिश्र सहित अनेक लोग उपस्थित थे।
http://naisoch.blogspot.com/2008/12/blog-post_1836.html
पंडित मुल्ला पादरी, बाड़-बाड़ धरम धुरीण...
कौसानी (बागेश्वर)। कविवर सुमित्रानंदन पंत की जयंती पर पंत वीथिका में काव्य गोष्ठी आयोजित की गई। जिसमें कवियों ने अपनी रचनाएं का पाठ किया। साथ ही सुमित्रानंदन पंत को हिंदी जगत का चितेरा कवि करार दिया। काव्य गोष्ठी का प्रारम्भ करते हुए मनोज खोलिया ने कहा कि यौस बखत क्यैं ऊणों, पराय आपण है जाणौं., शिक्षक गिरीश जोशी ने कहा कि मैंस भैर बे सफेद, भितेर बै काव है रोछ, कवि कैलाश डोलिया ने अपनी कविता को कुछ इस तरह पेश किया क्यै लिखौ अक्षर न्हाति, कलम छु पर स्याही न्याति, प्रवक्ता डा हेम चंद्र दूबे ने अपनी गजल पेश करते हुए जमीन के बाद पानी है, कथा ये आनी जानी है। पत्रकार चंद्रशेखर बड़सीला ने कवि पंत पर अपनी कविता पेश करते हुए कहा कि छायावादक बयार चली, कौसाणी को धार, कवि पंतज्यू नमन तुमुकैं करनू बारंबार। वरिष्ठ कवि व साहित्यकार गोपाल दत्त भट्ट ने अपना दोहा सुनाते हुए कहा कि पंडित मुल्ला पादरी, बाड़-बाड़ धरम धुरीण, जाति धरम का भ्यौउना, ठीटा जसा घुरीण। कवि कपिलेश भोज ने अपनी कविता में कहा कि कितना ही हो जड़ता का अंधेरा जबकि मोहन जोशी ने अपनी कविता कुछ इस तरह पेश की कितना ही हो जड़ता का अंधेरा। मोहन जोशी कौसानी पर अपनी कविता पेश करते हुए कहा कि छप्पन फलाड़ हरछिन कौसाणी, कवि पंत की छु जौ वीथिका निसाणी, शिक्षक मोहम्मद युसूफ ने अपनी गजल में कुछ इस प्रकार पेश की जिसने पैदा किया , दानिश मंद सपूत को, उन्हे सलाम करता हूं। वरिष्ठ कवियत्री देवकी मेहरा ने अपनी कविता में इस प्रकार कामना की द्वाप्तों मिकैं देवकि जसि बणें दिया, भौं आपणि मनकसि बणें दिया।
ब्रजेन्द्र लाल साह के रचना संसार का परिचय
ब्रजेंद्र लाल साह ने उत्तराखंड की लोक विरासत को सहेजने-सँवारने और देश-दुनियाँ तक पहुँचाने का अविस्मरणीय कार्य किया। लोक संस्कृति को एक नयी पहचान तथा सांस्कृतिक आंदोलन को एक नयी गति दी। लोक संस्कृति के विकास के लिये एक पूरी पीढ़ी तैयार की। उनके लिए लोक साहित्य मनोरंजन का साधन मात्र नहीं, बल्कि जन चेतना का वाहक था।
उन्होंने कुमाऊँ की पहचान बन चुके 'बेड़ू पाको बारामासा' सहित अन्य अनेक लोकगीतों को पुनर्रचित किया। दूरदराज के गाँवों से, अभावग्रस्त श्रमजीवियों के कंठों से फूटे दो हजार लोकगीतों को संकलित किया। दो सौ धुनों को आत्मसात किया और फिर इन पर आधारित कुमाउंनी तथा गढ़वाली रामलीला के चार सौ अस्सी गीत लिखे, जिन्हें विभिन्न मंचों पर प्रस्तुत किया गया। इन लोकगीतों और लोकधुनों का उपयोग दो अन्य नृत्य नाटिकाओं 'भस्मासुर' तथा 'तारकासुर' में भी किया। इनमें से 'भस्मासुर' की तो अब तक दस हजार से अधिक प्रस्तुतियाँ हो चुकी हैं।
इसी तरह उन्होंने लोकगाथाओं को सुन-समझ कर और गीत-नाटक में बदलकर राजुला मालूशाही, अजुवा बफौल, रसिक रमौल, जीतू बगड्वाल, वन्या, गंगनाथ, हरूहीत, रामी बौराणी, भोलानाथ, गोरीधना आदि के रूप में आलेखबद्ध कर माटी से मंच तक पहुँचाया। इन नाटकों के द्वारा अभावग्रस्त ग्रामीण जन-जीवन की विवशता, सामंती समाज व्यवस्था की निर्ममता तथा समाज की अन्य विसंगतियों को तो अनावृत किया ही गया, साथ ही जनपक्षीय शासन व्यवस्था की आवश्यकता तथा उसके दायित्व की ओर लोगों का ध्यान भी आकर्षित किया गया।
ब्रजेंद्र लाल साह ने 'लोक कलाकार संघ', 'पर्वतीय कला केंद्र' जैसे प्रसिद्ध सांस्कृतिक संगठनों के साथ मिलकर सांस्कृतिक आंदोलन को आगे बढ़ाने में अपना अप्रतिम योगदान दिया। नई पीढ़ी को पर्वतीय लोक संगीत का प्रशिक्षण प्रदान कर उनका सांस्कृतिक मानस तैयार किया। उनमें लोक को गहराई से जानने की ललक पैदा की। एक ऐसा रास्ता उन्हें दिखाया, जो अतीत से वर्तमान तक तो आता ही है, भविष्य की ओर भी ले जाता है। वे अपने आप में एक संस्था थे। शेखर पाठक ने सटीक लिखा है कि ''रचनात्मकता, प्रयोगशीलता, सीखने-सिखाने की ललक, निश्चलता, बात-बहस को महत्ता, और इस सबसे आगे लिखना, गाना, नाचना, हुड़का बजाना इतना सब संस्थाओं में ही होता है, व्यक्तियों में नहीं। पर उनमें था।''
ऐसे बहुमुखी प्रतिभासंपन्न व्यक्तित्व के जीवन और कर्म को समग्र रूप में देखने का स्पृहणीय प्रयास कपिलेश भोज ने उन पर अपना शोध ग्रंथ लिखकर किया तो इसको संपादित रूप में नई पीढ़ी के सामने लाकर 'पहाड़' की टीम ने। 'लोक का चितेरा ब्रजेंद्र लाल साह' नाम से प्रकाशित इस 'पहाड़ पोथी' में लेखक ने ब्रजेंद्र लाल साह के व्यक्तित्व और कृतित्व को तो विस्तार से उजागर किया ही है, उनके पूरे समय और समाज को भी गहराई से खंगाला है। एक तरह से कुमाऊँ के पूरे सांस्कृतिक आंदोलन की विकास यात्रा को देखा है जो अल्मोड़ा में विख्यात नर्तक कलाकार उदय शंकर द्वारा 'इंडिया कल्चर सेंटर' की स्थापना किए जाने के बाद मोहन उप्रेती एवं उनके कलाकार साथियों द्वारा 'यूनाइटेड आर्टिस्ट्स अल्मोड़ा' के गठन से प्रारम्भ होती है। उस आंदोलन की विशिष्टताओं और सीमाओं को इस पुस्तक में सामने लाया गया है। इसी क्रम में राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर चल रहे सांस्कृतिक आंदोलन की झलक भी प्रस्तुत की गई है। इस पुस्तक में कपिलेश भोज एक महत्वपूर्ण एवं जरूरी प्रश्न उठाते हैं कि पचास के दशक में लोक कलाकार संघ से जुड़े ब्रजेंद्र तथा उनकी पीढ़ी के प्रगतिशील संस्कृतिकर्मियों ने अल्मोड़ा शहर में जिस सांस्कृतिक आंदोलन का सूत्रपात किया था, उसका विस्तार गाँवों की ओर न होकर व अंततः दिल्ली महानगर में जाकर क्यों सिमट गया ? उनका यह प्रश्न जितना लोक संस्कृतिेकर्मियों के संदर्भ में प्रासंगिक है उतना ही साहित्यकारों के लिए भी। कपिलेश मानते हैं कि ब्रजेंद्र के बाद की पीढ़ी में गिरीश तिवाड़ी 'गिर्दा', बल्ली सिंह चीमा आदि ने जनांदोलनों से एकरूप होते हुए जन-जागृति की दिशा में कुछ कदम आगे तो जरूर बढ़ाये, लेकिन सांस्कृतिक आंदेालन के लिए आवश्यक सांगठनिक ढाँचे तथा सुनिश्चित कार्य योजना के अभाव में संभावनाओं के बावजूद ये भी गतिरोध नहीं तोड़ सके। लेखक की चिंता है कि वर्तमान में लोक-संस्कृति के संरक्षण व उसके उत्थान के नाम पर विभिन्न संस्थाओं द्वारा संचालित की जा रही गतिविधियो के पीछे न तो कोई व्यापक प्रगतिशील दृष्टि है और न ही वे बहुसंख्यक जनता को प्रभावित करने की स्थिति में हैं। आज तो उत्तराखंड का जन-जीवन अपसंस्कृति से आच्छादित हो चुका है। कुल मिलाकर संस्कृति निर्माण की ताकत जनता के हाथों से निकलकर संस्कृति उद्योग के हाथों में चली गई है। जनता सम्मोहित होकर उसे देख रही है। ऐसे में यह पुस्तक लोक साहित्य के बारे में जानने व समझने को प्रेरित करती है।
कपिलेश साह जी की इस बात से सहमत हैं कि लोक संस्कृति सामाजिक चेतना का सबसे संवेदनशील बिंदु है और इसलिए सामाजिक क्रांति का सशक्त माध्यम है। इस पुस्तक में भी हमें उनका यही दृष्टिकोण दिखाई देता है। लेखक ने यहाँ साह जी द्वारा संकलित, रचित व पुनर्रचित साहित्य में लोक के प्रतिरोध के स्वर तथा उस आकांक्षा व स्वप्न को रेखांकित किया है, जो समतामूलक समाज की स्थापना करना चाहता है। वे साह जी पर लिखते हुए किसी भावुकता या श्रद्धा में नहीं बहते। एक तरह से यह पुस्तक लोक संस्कृति पर प्रगतिशील दृष्टि से एक विमर्श की शुरूआत है। ब्रजेंद्र लाल साह द्वारा लिखित कुमाऊँ के लोक साहित्य एवं वहाँ के प्रमुख लोक-गायकों से संबंधित लेखों के विश्लेषण के बहाने पाठकों को यहाँ के लोक जीवन को जानने-समझने का अवसर मिलता है। साह जी की रचनाओं का पता भी चल जाता है और कुमाऊँ के लोक साहित्य की व्यापकता एवं गहराई का भी। लेखक ने यहाँ ब्रजेंद्र लाल साह के बहाने उनके समकालीनों और सांस्कृतिक संस्थाओं के योगदान का गहन विवेचन किया है। इस पुस्तक में हमें ब्रजेंद्र लाल साह के अतिरिक्त मोहन उप्रेती, मोहन सिंह रीठागाड़ी ,गोपीदास, बृज मोहन साह, गिरीश तिवाड़ी 'गिर्दा' आदि संस्कृतिकर्मियों के योगदान की झलक मिलती है। 'लोक कलाकार संघ' और 'पर्वतीय कला केंद्र' की भूमिका का उल्लेख भी यहाँ मिलता है। उस प्रक्रिया का भी पता चलता है कि एक बड़ा कलाकार बनने के लिए कितनी तैयारी एवं साधना की आवश्यकता पड़ती है ? कैसे स्वयं को वर्गांतरित कर लोक में घुलना पड़ता है ? इस पुस्तक से पता चलता है कि साह जी जो कुछ कर पाये, उसके पीछे उनका सरल-सहज, हँसमुख स्वभाव, विनम्रता, गहरी संवेदनशीलता, सहयोगी भावना, आशावादी-प्रगतिशील दृष्टिकोण, अन्याय-अत्याचार-शोषण के प्रति आक्रोश, दृढ़ इच्छाशक्ति, धैर्य, सहनशीलता आदि गुण रहे। कपिलेश मानते हैं कि अपने इन्हीं गुणों के कारण ही वे शहर के निवासी होते हुए भी ग्रामीण जनता में आसानी से घुल-मिल सके और लोक संस्कृति की दुर्लभ विरासत को आत्मसात कर सके। इसलिए यहाँ यह कहना भी गलत नहीं होगा कि विवेकानंद और कार्ल मार्क्स की विचारधाराओं से प्रभावित होने के साथ-साथ लोक के प्रति गहरी रागात्मकता के चलते ही सामान्य जन की पीड़ा के प्रति गहरी सहानुभूति, शोषक व उत्पीड़नकारी शक्तियों के प्रति आक्रोश तथा आम आदमी की दुःखदायी जीवनस्थितियों को बदलने की तड़प उनके समूचे साहित्य में अंतःसलिला की भाँति समा पाई। इस संबंध में साह जी अपने उपन्यास 'शैलसुता' के बारे में बताते हुए कहते हैं- जनमानस के गीतों को आत्मसात करने से पूर्व जन-जीवन को आत्मसात करना परम आवश्यक है। मुझे विभिन्न स्थितियों में अनेक ग्रामों में जन-साधारण के साथ घुल-मिलकर रहने का सुअवसर प्राप्त हुआ, तभी मैं लोकमानस और लोक-जीवन का अध्ययन कर सका और एक भ्रमणशील बंजारे का जीवन जीकर अनेक सुखद और दुःखद अनुभूतियों को अपने में संजो सका और वर्षों के अंतर्मंथन के बाद यह रचना प्रस्तुत कर सका।
आज जब बाजार प्रायोजित मास कल्चर (समूह संस्कृति) द्वारा लोक संस्कृति पर आक्रमण किया जा रहा है, उसे बाजार की वस्तु बनाया जा रहा है, लोक जीवन से काट तमाशा दिखाया जा रहा है, उसमें फूहड़ता भरी जा रही है तथा उसकी गतिशीलता और रचनात्मकता को कुंद किया जा रहा है तब लोक संस्कृति की ताकत को समझने के लिए यह पुस्तक बहुत उपयोगी हो जाती है। यह पुस्तक सांस्कृतिक आंदोलन की रिक्तता और दिशाभ्रम को तोड़ती है तथा संास्कृतिक आंदोलन में लोक साहित्य की भूमिका को चिन्हित करती है। बताती है कि लोक साहित्य का उद्देश्य जनता का मनोरंजन करना या अपनी सांस्कृतिक विरासत के प्रति जानकारी बढ़ाना मात्र न होकर सामाजिक अन्याय व शोषण-उत्पीड़न के प्रति संघर्ष चेतना विकसित करना तथा समतामूलक समाज की रचना करने के लिए प्रेरित करना होता है।
संबंधित लेख....
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- पैसे दो, खबरें लो
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- खबरदार! ठुलीगाड़ का पानी मत पीना
- इस बार 'इक्वाइन इनफ्लूइंजा' ने कहर बरपा किया घोड़ों-खच्चरों पर
- सरकारी धन की बर्बादी का नायाब नमूना है रामनगर का ट्रांसपोर्ट नगर
- हरेले के तिनड़े के साथ जी रया जाग रया
- उसे ले गए
- शिक्षा के पहरुए भी हो सकते हैं बच्चे
- वन ग्रामवासी अब संगठित हो रहे हैं
- रॉयल राइफल्स के फौजी हमजोली
- लो साहब गुजर गये शादियों के भी दिन !
- कॉर्बेट पार्क में एक अभिनव प्रयोग
- अब तो पानी के बारे में सोचना ही पड़ेगा
- भू माफियाओं को अब नहीं सहेंगे पहाड़ के लोग
Looking for wildlife tour in India so visit on- Corbett National Park
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