BOOKING OPEN 2BHK/3BHK FLATS at Gurgaon,...
1
Ayodhya Nath Kerni Chiryayi is located in North-West of District Headquar- ters Udhampur at a distance of 22 km. The road leading to Muttal, Sarnole and Jangal Gali passes through this village. A Boys High School and Girls Middle school are located on the road side. A dispensary functions from double storeyed building located on a hillock. It is generally noticed that there is a great hue and cry for potable water every where. The constant depletion in ground water table, lack of recharge to mountain aquifers in Himalyan and Shivalik regions, large scale tapping of natural water resources by artificial means are the alarming factors for scarcity. Nature has blessed Chiryayi with availability of enough natural water resources and none of them have lost discharging capac- ity. There are three Baulis existing near the schools of the water which students enjoy cold and sweet water for drink- ing during the school hours. This point is also known as Girihar, falling under village Chiryayi. All the springs and baulis located at Girihar are believed to have been con- structed by the maid servants of queen Charak. There is a small hilly pocket of approx 900 meters radius in the eastern portion of Girihar known as Ghagga. There are temples of Lord Shiva, Rama and other gods. The natural spring water pours into a round shaped tank and out flow is connected with a stone gorgle. There are big trees near tem- ples and around. Chinar, Chamba, Banyan, Ashoka and many other varieties serve the area as canopy. There are three more big baulis at Ghagga called as Chambe wali bauli, Manjali bauli and Bari bauli. Prior to Maharaja Gulab Singh there were more than three thousand small principalities and tiny jagirs in Jammu and Kashmir. Like wise there was jagir of Jij Rajputs comprising of village Chiriyai and some other adjoining vil- lages probably during fifteenth century. King Ghaggar Singh was the ruler of this jagir. Ghagga is named after that local king. The place where his palace was located is called Upar- ali Sarkar. There was a dilapidated hut of a saint known as Brahamchari during the first quarter of nineteenth century. He happens to be a revered guru ji of Maharaja Gulab Singh. It is believed that Maharaja visited this spot many times to attain the blessings of Brhamchari. Even now a Bhandara is organized by the villagers once a year to commemorate the memories of Brahamchari. Thousand of devotees participate in the Bhandara. There was a cave named as Chaundiyan Khoo in vil- lage Samole where lived two sadhus popularily called as guru chela. The guru never met or addressed any visitor. The visitors used to meet only chela when ever they visit- ed that cave. It is given to understand that king Amar Singh along with some members from Chiriyayi village visited those sadhus and requested them to shift to a secluded, beautiful hill pocket located above Ghagga known as Gyankot. Accommodation including an underground room and Sadhus shifted to Gyankot. King Amar Singh got 70 kanals land allotted in his name and same was attached to Gyaneshwar Mahadev temple of Gyankot. There was plen- ty of spring water available and large number of trees was planted. There were ashoka trees, Banyan trees, mangoes trees etc. Some rarest trees like Kabuli Toot, Napthine trees were also planted. The mystery about sadhus is believed that Tantya Tope was living in the guise of sadhu. It is also given to understand that he escaped from hanging in 1859. Chhajju Ram Shastri a veteran scholar and retired teacher of village Chiryayi states that during his student life in 1930's there was an old man of 110 years who well remembered 1857 Freedom movement and all subsequent major devel- opments of the country. He also knew those sadhus at Gyankot. Perhaps with the fear of losing their identity those sadhus left Gyankot and further whereabouts were not known. Later on Swamy Nityanand a scholar and yog guru also stayed at Gyankot for a considerable time and after- wards shifted to Painthal. The natural water resources and trees are the beauty of Gyankot. At present there are more temples constructed and a priest is living at Gyankot. There was a famine like situation during the beginning of seventeenth century in some portions of Rajasthan. Some people alongwith their families shifted to Ghagga (Chiryayi). They were provided food and shelter by local king. They stayed here for a considerable time. They were very grateful to local king for showing humbleness towards them. They requested the king that they were specialists in stone work. Therefore some task should be assigned to them to prove their skills. Above stated three Baulis i.e Chambe wali bauli, Manjali bauli and Bari bauli seem to be contemporary and were constructed by them. Natural water from round shaped tank was made to flow through the stone gorgle of Chambe wali bauli. There were Chamba flower (Sculpyts) trees near the Bauli. At present this bauli is com- pletely ruined. The water has been diverted to flow to oth- er side. Manjali bauli has separate spring water. Ground water gushes out in sufficient quantity in Manjali bauli. The tank of this bauli was connected in a way that water may flow to Bari Bauli through a lion mouthed gorgle fixed in a stone wall of of 8 mtrs height. The stone wall was made of chiseled stone having two small doors and two large doors to cross over from one side to the other. The water fall was arranged to pour into a tank of 40'X40' size with the depth of 20'. All the sides of tank were provided stone steps from within. The three sides were covered with stone walls of height of 5' and above these walls leaving the 4' space again strong and wide stone walls were provided with chiseled stone. There were round shaped and beautifully designed two show pieces of beautifully carved stones erected on both front side walls of Bauli. There are a large number of carved stone murals fixed on the stone walls of Bauli. There are Sun gods, serpants, different avtars and other symbols of scenic beauty. A stat- ue showing posture of man carrying Hukka and other man smoking tobacco has been depicted on the stone slab. Bari Bauli is in a bad State. The tank of Bauli is filled with garbage and stones. Weeds have grown up in the tank and in surrounding area. The wall portion, finest specimen of architecture, from where water was made to fall into tank is also damaged. Archaeological Survey of India has declared these baulis i.e. Chambe wali Bauli, Majali Bauli and Bari Bauli as Protected Mounments but nor repairs or maintenance has been carried our so far. A survey by a team of State Tourism Department was conducted during June 1993 but no further action was taken on the recom- mendations endorsed on the report. Recently during the month of August 2013 teams detailed by state tourism department have also visited the spot and convinced the locals that they will carry out the necessary repairs of these baulis to give them the original shape. They have also assured that they will further explore the possibilities of tourism by creating certain infrastructural assets at Chiriyai. About three kilometer strip from Sundrani temples to Dokhada via Muttal have tourist potentials. Natural boun- ties, scenic beauty and many natural water springs along the road side have the attraction for tourists. If some tourist huts are constructed, the devotees visiting Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine can be diverted to spend a restful day . Laying of grassy plots and flower beds with a little masonry work may add to its beauty and comfort. Suman K. Sharma The year 1664 is drawing to a close. Forty- six year old Emperor Abul Muzaffar Mohiuddin Mohammed Aurangzeb Alamgir is firmly in the saddle to hold unquestioned sway from Patna to Kabul and Kashmir to Madurai. He has put behind him such drastic actions as toppling of the reign of his father Shahjehan, the ex-ruler's incarceration in the Agra fort and the effective elimination of three of his brothers, their sons and one of his own sons from the scene. Recu- perating, however, from a near fatal disease in Delhi's Red Fort, Aurangzeb is not in the best of his health. Princess Roshan Ara Begum, his favourite younger sibling, persuades him to embark on a trip to Kashmir for a change of air. Astrologers are summoned to work out a sayat - auspicious date and time - for the start of jour- ney. Among the Emperor's followers is a French adventurer named Francois Bernier. Let us ride himpigggyback to get a first-hand experience of the royal tour to India's paradise on earth. But would Bernier (1625-1688) have free access to the Grand Mughal's establishment? There should be little doubt on this account. For twelve years he has been Aurangzeb's person- al physician. Can anyone get closer to the Sov- ereign than that? It is a different story that in the name of professional qualifications, 'Doctor' Bernier possesses only a three months' diplo- ma in medicine and is not authorized to practise in his own land. But why should we care? Here, in India, our host has unrestricted access to the person of someone who is the lord and master of one fourth of the world's population! Bernier is also a protégé of Danishmand Khan, Aurangzeb's foreign minister and governor of Delhi. Another qualification that this widely trav- elled man possesses is his canny intelligence and concise language that he uses to convey his observations to the posterity. In fact, it is his Travels in the Moghal Empire that would serves us as our ticket to the historical sojourn. Preparations for the 18-month long trip delay us for a couple of days. Bernier, a 150 mohur- a- month staffer of the royal court, ranks with a 2-horse cavalry officer (in Mughal hierarchy, a person's status is reckoned on the basis of the number of horses he is supposed to have at his disposal), he should be decently equipped and accoutered. He acquires a strong Persian camel, two Turkoman horses, a groom, a cook and another servant to walk before his horse carrying a flagon of water; buys tentage, clothes, three bagfuls of utensils, provisions and so forth. The bag and baggage is put in a large bag, which is further secured in a very big and strong dou- ble bag made of leathern thongs. The whole thing has become so unwieldy that it takes four strong men to place it on the back of the camel made to sit on its haunches. We embark on the journey at last. Danishmand Khan has been sending message after message to Bernier to join him without further delay. Passing through the lanes of Delhi we are astonished to see that the city wears a ghostly look, with hardly a man in sight. It transpires that most Delhites have gone away in their Emper- or's trail who left the city precisely at 3 o' clock in the afternoon of 6th December, 1664, adher- ing to the sayat pronounced by the soothsayers. But it seems that arrangements for the royal jamboree are still incomplete as the Alamgir has to spend the following six days in his resort at Shalimar and another two days on the road. The first major halt, Lahore, is 263 miles (423 kilo- meters) away, about fifteen-day journey. Thanks to the hindsight, you know it would take us more than two months to reach there. The four-fold time lag still remains a remarkable feat of logis- tics. Consider the numbers first. If Bernier has three followers, the Emperor's followers, num- ber anywhere between a lakh and three lakhs fifty thousand - comprising thirty-five thousand strong cavalry bodyguard, ten thousand infantry, heavy artillery, light artillery, ameers, umrahs, mansabdars, lesser officers of the court, the haram, maids-in-waiting, eunuchs, families of the soldiers, banias, servants, grooms, camel riders, mahavats, sundry camp followers - that explains why the city of Delhi was left empty when we left it. Add to this the mammoth brass guns, light artillery pieces, other weapons and ammunition, tentage, baggage, equipment, the royal bazaar that has to be hauled on countless elephants, camels, mules and men-porters. Then there is the system of paishkhanas. From the Emperor himself down to the lowest of mansabdars, no one in authority counte- nances the least discomfort or a breach of the set routine, whether they are in the capital or on the road. Aurangzeb considers it his kingly duty to hold durbar in aam-khas and ghusl delibera- tions every single day, and it is mandatory on the part of all officers to be in attendance or for- feit a day's pay for every absence. There he sits on his takhte-rawdn - field throne. He is a hand- some man with large eyes on an intelligent face, full bodied, but without an extra ounce, resplen- dent in his royal splendor. His insistence on punctilious adherence to court routine necessi- tates not one but - hold your breath - two sets of camps identical to each other to the minutest details. While the monarch and his followers are in residence at one camp, a paishkhana is put in place at the next stage of the journey and when His Majesty chooses to leave the place, the camp is wound up and carried forward to sec- ond next stage as the paishkhana. The royal camp is a city by itself spread over an area of a square mile. After His Majesty's quarters are set up in all their gold and brocade dazzle dot in the centre of the location, and the ranking personages assigned their tents in accordance with their status, the remaining space is left for the common followers. Even per- sons with some influence like our own friend Bernier have to fend for themselves. It is a free for all - requiring brute force and persuasive skills in equal measure to find a suitable plot to pitch one's tent. At night, a hundred-foot high Aakashdiya - lamp in the sky - guides the stray wayfarers to the camp. As always, food is no problem for the high and mighty. For the ameers and the like it comes from the royal kitchen. Bernier himself thrives on the generosity of his agha, Danishmand Khan, who makes sure that the firang is provid- ed with the best of everything. But everyone else is not that lucky. Eatables from the bazaar are unpalatable and gritty (don't trust too much in all that talk of the Mughlai dishes - those are for the elite). Best option is to buy dry rations and cook your own food. The staple fare here is khichri, which in the evocative words of Bernier, is a mess of rice and other vegetables, over which, when cooked, (is poured) boiled butter. Take dahi also, it will keep your tummy out of trouble. Potable water is a luxury (forget your Aqua- fina or Bisleri bottles - you are a 17th century traveller on the Grand Trunk Road). His Majesty and his courtiers take nothing but purest of Gan- gajal, which is cooled with shora - saltpetre (potassium nitrate). But how about us? Look at that servant of Bernier's who walks ahead of his horse with a surahi in his hands. The tin container holds Gangajal, courtesy of Danish- mand Khan again. The servant has instructions to keep the red cotton cloth wrapped round the surahi constantly wet so that the moisture would keep the water cool inside and keep off the dust from entering the container. It is a pity that so many of our co-travellers are sick with Guinea worms and other infestations as they have to slack their thirst with murky water that they chance upon on the highway. We reach Lahore on 25 February 1665. It is a prominent city with lofty buildings. The Emperor goes hunting and holds darbars. There is much bustle in the region and in exact- ly a week, we start off for the next leg of the jour- ney towards Bhimber (now in PoK). It is get- ting hotter and the only generous quantities of lemonade can prevent a sun-stroke. Going through all the travails of the journey and literally eating the dust on the way, you can- not help wondering why you came here at all. Bernier might have been under a compulsion. But like you, he had to satisfy his curiosity as well - the curiosity of an outsider. Besides, there were other compensations as well. He could not have witnessed such a great pomp any- where else as travelling with the Great Mughal. And then there was the attraction of the Emper- or's haram on the move. The lofty elephants, the razzle-dazzle of gold, the adornments of the grand ladies and their escort of eunuchs, maids and other female servants - it is a spectacle that far exceeds the imagination of a Bollywood or a Hollywood film producer…But be cautioned you men with roving eyes. In Bernier's own words - Truly, it is with difficulty that these ladies can be approached, and they are almost inacces- sible to the sight of man. Woe to any unlucky cavalier, however exalted in rank, who, meet- ing the procession, is found too near. Nothing can exceed the insolence of the tribes of eunuchs and footmen which he has to encounter, and they eagerly avail themselves of any such opportunity to beat a man in the most unmerciful manner. I shall not easily for- get being once surprised in a similar situation, and how narrowly I escaped the cruel treatment that many cavaliers have experienced : but determined not to suffer myself to be beaten and perhaps maimed without a struggle, I drew my sword, and having fortunately a strong and spirited horse, I was enabled to open a pas- sage, sword in hand, through a host of assailants, and to dash across the rapid stream which was before me. Travelling at the bone-breaking speed of 12 miles (about 20 km) a day under a relentless sun, with blisters on his body, the European in Bernier curses the day he embarked on the jour- ney. We arrive at Bhimber, 72 miles from Lahore, in the second week of March. From here, the first halt on the foothills leading to the Valley, the riff raff will have to stay back, and only those with assigned duties will be allowed to proceed further. For His Majesty has ordained that the paradise on earth would not be over-crowded. But thanks to Monsieur Bernier, we would go all the way to Kashmir in Aurangzeb's train, following the Mughal Route. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2013 INTERNET EDITION : www.dailyexcelsior.com/magazine BOOKING OPEN 2BHK/3BHK FLATS at Gurgaon, Noida, Noida Extension, Greater Noida Cont: 9419101229, 94191-76665 ENTRUST REALTORS & CONSULTANTS www .jammuproperty .com TRAVELLING IN AURANGZEB TRAIN CHIRYAYI BAULIS IN BAD SHAPE Chiryayi Baulis : A neglected heritage Aurangzeb with his courtiers
Transcript of BOOKING OPEN 2BHK/3BHK FLATS at Gurgaon,...
Ayodhya Nath Kerni
Chiryayi is located in North-West of District Headquar-ters Udhampur at a distance of 22 km. The road leading toMuttal, Sarnole and Jangal Gali passes through this village.A Boys High School and Girls Middle school are located onthe road side. A dispensary functions from double storeyedbuilding located on a hillock. It is generally noticed that thereis a great hue and cry for potable water every where. Theconstant depletion in ground water table, lack of rechargeto mountain aquifers in Himalyan and Shivalik regions,large scale tapping of natural water resources by artificialmeans are the alarming factors for scarcity. Nature hasblessed Chiryayi with availability of enough natural waterresources and none of them have lost discharging capac-ity. There are three Baulis existing near the schools of thewater which students enjoy cold and sweet water for drink-ing during the school hours. This point is also known asGirihar, falling under village Chiryayi. All the springs andbaulis located at Girihar are believed to have been con-structed by the maid servants of queen Charak.
There is a small hilly pocket of approx 900 meters radiusin the eastern portion of Girihar known as Ghagga. There aretemples of Lord Shiva, Rama and other gods. The naturalspring water pours into a round shaped tank and out flow isconnected with a stone gorgle. There are big trees near tem-ples and around. Chinar, Chamba, Banyan, Ashoka and manyother varieties serve the area as canopy. There are three morebig baulis at Ghagga called as Chambe wali bauli, Manjalibauli and Bari bauli. Prior to Maharaja Gulab Singh there weremore than three thousand small principalities and tiny jagirsin Jammu and Kashmir. Like wise there was jagir of Jij Rajputscomprising of village Chiriyai and some other adjoining vil-lages probably during fifteenth century. King Ghaggar Singhwas the ruler of this jagir. Ghagga is named after that localking. The place where his palace was located is called Upar-ali Sarkar. There was a dilapidated hut of a saint known asBrahamchari during the first quarter of nineteenth century.He happens to be a revered guru ji of Maharaja Gulab Singh.It is believed that Maharaja visited this spot many times toattain the blessings of Brhamchari. Even now a Bhandara isorganized by the villagers once a year to commemorate thememories of Brahamchari. Thousand of devotees participatein the Bhandara.
There was a cave named as Chaundiyan Khoo in vil-lage Samole where lived two sadhus popularily called asguru chela. The guru never met or addressed any visitor.The visitors used to meet only chela when ever they visit-ed that cave. It is given to understand that king Amar Singhalong with some members from Chiriyayi village visited
those sadhus and requested them to shift to a secluded,beautiful hill pocket located above Ghagga known asGyankot. Accommodation including an underground roomand Sadhus shifted to Gyankot. King Amar Singh got 70kanals land allotted in his name and same was attached toGyaneshwar Mahadev temple of Gyankot. There was plen-ty of spring water available and large number of trees wasplanted. There were ashoka trees, Banyan trees, mangoestrees etc. Some rarest trees like Kabuli Toot, Napthine treeswere also planted. The mystery about sadhus is believedthat Tantya Tope was living in the guise of sadhu. It is alsogiven to understand that he escaped from hanging in 1859.Chhajju Ram Shastri a veteran scholar and retired teacherof village Chiryayi states that during his student life in 1930'sthere was an old man of 110 years who well remembered1857 Freedom movement and all subsequent major devel-opments of the country. He also knew those sadhus atGyankot. Perhaps with the fear of losing their identity those
sadhus left Gyankot and further whereabouts were notknown. Later on Swamy Nityanand a scholar and yog gurualso stayed at Gyankot for a considerable time and after-wards shifted to Painthal. The natural water resources andtrees are the beauty of Gyankot. At present there are moretemples constructed and a priest is living at Gyankot.
There was a famine like situation during the beginningof seventeenth century in some portions of Rajasthan.Some people alongwith their families shifted to Ghagga(Chiryayi). They were provided food and shelter by localking. They stayed here for a considerable time. They werevery grateful to local king for showing humbleness towardsthem. They requested the king that they were specialistsin stone work. Therefore some task should be assigned tothem to prove their skills. Above stated three Baulis i.eChambe wali bauli, Manjali bauli and Bari bauli seem to becontemporary and were constructed by them. Natural water
from round shaped tank was made to flow through the stonegorgle of Chambe wali bauli. There were Chamba flower(Sculpyts) trees near the Bauli. At present this bauli is com-pletely ruined. The water has been diverted to flow to oth-er side. Manjali bauli has separate spring water. Groundwater gushes out in sufficient quantity in Manjali bauli. Thetank of this bauli was connected in a way that water mayflow to Bari Bauli through a lion mouthed gorgle fixed in astone wall of of 8 mtrs height. The stone wall was made ofchiseled stone having two small doors and two large doorsto cross over from one side to the other. The water fall wasarranged to pour into a tank of 40'X40' size with the depthof 20'. All the sides of tank were provided stone steps fromwithin. The three sides were covered with stone walls ofheight of 5' and above these walls leaving the 4' space againstrong and wide stone walls were provided with chiseledstone. There were round shaped and beautifully designedtwo show pieces of beautifully carved stones erected onboth front side walls of Bauli.
There are a large number of carved stone murals fixedon the stone walls of Bauli. There are Sun gods, serpants,different avtars and other symbols of scenic beauty. A stat-ue showing posture of man carrying Hukka and other mansmoking tobacco has been depicted on the stone slab.
Bari Bauli is in a bad State. The tank of Bauli is filled withgarbage and stones. Weeds have grown up in the tank andin surrounding area. The wall portion, finest specimen ofarchitecture, from where water was made to fall into tankis also damaged. Archaeological Survey of India hasdeclared these baulis i.e. Chambe wali Bauli, Majali Bauliand Bari Bauli as Protected Mounments but nor repairs ormaintenance has been carried our so far. A survey by ateam of State Tourism Department was conducted duringJune 1993 but no further action was taken on the recom-mendations endorsed on the report. Recently during themonth of August 2013 teams detailed by state tourismdepartment have also visited the spot and convinced thelocals that they will carry out the necessary repairs of thesebaulis to give them the original shape. They have alsoassured that they will further explore the possibilities oftourism by creating certain infrastructural assets at Chiriyai.About three kilometer strip from Sundrani temples toDokhada via Muttal have tourist potentials. Natural boun-ties, scenic beauty and many natural water springs alongthe road side have the attraction for tourists. If some touristhuts are constructed, the devotees visiting Mata VaishnoDevi Shrine can be diverted to spend a restful day . Layingof grassy plots and flower beds with a little masonry workmay add to its beauty and comfort.
Suman K. Sharma
The year 1664 is drawing to a close. Forty-six year old Emperor Abul Muzaffar MohiuddinMohammed Aurangzeb Alamgir is firmly in thesaddle to hold unquestioned sway from Patnato Kabul and Kashmir to Madurai. He has putbehind him such drastic actions as toppling ofthe reign of his father Shahjehan, the ex-ruler'sincarceration in the Agra fort and the effectiveelimination of three of his brothers, their sonsand one of his own sons from the scene. Recu-perating, however, from a near fatal disease inDelhi's Red Fort, Aurangzeb is not in the best ofhis health. Princess Roshan Ara Begum, hisfavourite younger sibling, persuades him toembark on a trip to Kashmir for a change of air.Astrologers are summoned to work out a sayat- auspicious date and time - for the start of jour-ney. Among the Emperor's followers is a Frenchadventurer named Francois Bernier. Let us ridehimpigggyback to get a first-hand experience ofthe royal tour to India's paradise on earth.
But would Bernier (1625-1688) have freeaccess to the Grand Mughal's establishment?There should be little doubt on this account. Fortwelve years he has been Aurangzeb's person-al physician. Can anyone get closer to the Sov-ereign than that? It is a different story that in thename of professional qualifications, 'Doctor'Bernier possesses only a three months' diplo-ma in medicine and is not authorized to practisein his own land. But why should we care? Here,in India, our host has unrestricted access to theperson of someone who is the lord and masterof one fourth of the world's population! Bernieris also a protégé of Danishmand Khan,Aurangzeb's foreign minister and governor ofDelhi. Another qualification that this widely trav-elled man possesses is his canny intelligenceand concise language that he uses to conveyhis observations to the posterity. In fact, it is hisTravels in the Moghal Empire that would servesus as our ticket to the historical sojourn.
Preparations for the 18-month long trip delayus for a couple of days. Bernier, a 150 mohur-a- month staffer of the royal court, ranks with a2-horse cavalry officer (in Mughal hierarchy, aperson's status is reckoned on the basis of thenumber of horses he is supposed to have at hisdisposal), he should be decently equipped andaccoutered. He acquires a strong Persiancamel, two Turkoman horses, a groom, a cookand another servant to walk before his horsecarrying a flagon of water; buys tentage, clothes,three bagfuls of utensils, provisions and so forth.The bag and baggage is put in a large bag, whichis further secured in a very big and strong dou-ble bag made of leathern thongs. The whole
thing has become so unwieldy that it takes fourstrong men to place it on the back of the camelmade to sit on its haunches. We embark on thejourney at last. Danishmand Khan has beensending message after message to Bernier tojoin him without further delay.
Passing through the lanes of Delhi we areastonished to see that the city wears a ghostlylook, with hardly a man in sight. It transpires thatmost Delhites have gone away in their Emper-or's trail who left the city precisely at 3 o' clockin the afternoon of 6th December, 1664, adher-ing to the sayat pronounced by the soothsayers.
But it seems that arrangements for the royaljamboree are still incomplete as the Alamgir hasto spend the following six days in his resort atShalimar and another two days on the road. Thefirst major halt, Lahore, is 263 miles (423 kilo-meters) away, about fifteen-day journey. Thanksto the hindsight, you know it would take us morethan two months to reach there. The four-foldtime lag still remains a remarkable feat of logis-tics. Consider the numbers first. If Bernier hasthree followers, the Emperor's followers, num-ber anywhere between a lakh and three lakhsfifty thousand - comprising thirty-five thousandstrong cavalry bodyguard, ten thousand infantry,
heavy artillery, light artillery, ameers, umrahs,mansabdars, lesser officers of the court, theharam, maids-in-waiting, eunuchs, families ofthe soldiers, banias, servants, grooms, camelriders, mahavats, sundry camp followers - thatexplains why the city of Delhi was left emptywhen we left it. Add to this the mammoth brassguns, light artillery pieces, other weapons andammunition, tentage, baggage, equipment, theroyal bazaar that has to be hauled on countlesselephants, camels, mules and men-porters.
Then there is the system of paishkhanas.From the Emperor himself down to the lowestof mansabdars, no one in authority counte-nances the least discomfort or a breach of theset routine, whether they are in the capital or onthe road. Aurangzeb considers it his kingly dutyto hold durbar in aam-khas and ghusl delibera-tions every single day, and it is mandatory onthe part of all officers to be in attendance or for-feit a day's pay for every absence. There he sitson his takhte-rawdn - field throne. He is a hand-some man with large eyes on an intelligent face,full bodied, but without an extra ounce, resplen-dent in his royal splendor. His insistence onpunctilious adherence to court routine necessi-tates not one but - hold your breath - two sets of
camps identical to each other to the minutestdetails. While the monarch and his followers arein residence at one camp, a paishkhana is putin place at the next stage of the journey and whenHis Majesty chooses to leave the place, thecamp is wound up and carried forward to sec-ond next stage as the paishkhana.
The royal camp is a city by itself spread overan area of a square mile. After His Majesty'squarters are set up in all their gold and brocadedazzle dot in the centre of the location, and theranking personages assigned their tents inaccordance with their status, the remainingspace is left for the common followers. Even per-sons with some influence like our own friendBernier have to fend for themselves. It is a freefor all - requiring brute force and persuasive skillsin equal measure to find a suitable plot to pitchone's tent. At night, a hundred-foot highAakashdiya - lamp in the sky - guides the straywayfarers to the camp.
As always, food is no problem for the highand mighty. For the ameers and the like it comesfrom the royal kitchen. Bernier himself thriveson the generosity of his agha, DanishmandKhan, who makes sure that the firang is provid-ed with the best of everything. But everyoneelse is not that lucky. Eatables from the bazaarare unpalatable and gritty (don't trust too muchin all that talk of the Mughlai dishes - those arefor the elite). Best option is to buy dry rationsand cook your own food. The staple fare hereis khichri, which in the evocative words ofBernier, is a mess of rice and other vegetables,over which, when cooked, (is poured) boiledbutter. Take dahi also, it will keep your tummyout of trouble.
Potable water is a luxury (forget your Aqua-fina or Bisleri bottles - you are a 17th centurytraveller on the Grand Trunk Road). His Majestyand his courtiers take nothing but purest of Gan-gajal, which is cooled with shora - saltpetre(potassium nitrate). But how about us? Lookat that servant of Bernier's who walks ahead ofhis horse with a surahi in his hands. The tincontainer holds Gangajal, courtesy of Danish-mand Khan again. The servant has instructionsto keep the red cotton cloth wrapped round thesurahi constantly wet so that the moisture wouldkeep the water cool inside and keep off the dustfrom entering the container. It is a pity that somany of our co-travellers are sick with Guineaworms and other infestations as they have toslack their thirst with murky water that theychance upon on the highway.
We reach Lahore on 25 February 1665. Itis a prominent city with lofty buildings. TheEmperor goes hunting and holds darbars.There is much bustle in the region and in exact-
ly a week, we start off for the next leg of the jour-ney towards Bhimber (now in PoK). It is get-ting hotter and the only generous quantities oflemonade can prevent a sun-stroke.
Going through all the travails of the journeyand literally eating the dust on the way, you can-not help wondering why you came here at all.Bernier might have been under a compulsion.But like you, he had to satisfy his curiosity aswell - the curiosity of an outsider. Besides, therewere other compensations as well. He couldnot have witnessed such a great pomp any-where else as travelling with the Great Mughal.And then there was the attraction of the Emper-or's haram on the move. The lofty elephants,the razzle-dazzle of gold, the adornments of thegrand ladies and their escort of eunuchs, maidsand other female servants - it is a spectacle thatfar exceeds the imagination of a Bollywood ora Hollywood film producer…But be cautionedyou men with roving eyes. In Bernier's ownwords -
Truly, it is with difficulty that these ladies can
be approached, and they are almost inacces-
sible to the sight of man. Woe to any unlucky
cavalier, however exalted in rank, who, meet-
ing the procession, is found too near. Nothing
can exceed the insolence of the tribes of
eunuchs and footmen which he has to
encounter, and they eagerly avail themselves
of any such opportunity to beat a man in the
most unmerciful manner. I shall not easily for-
get being once surprised in a similar situation,
and how narrowly I escaped the cruel treatment
that many cavaliers have experienced : but
determined not to suffer myself to be beaten
and perhaps maimed without a struggle, I drew
my sword, and having fortunately a strong and
spirited horse, I was enabled to open a pas-
sage, sword in hand, through a host of
assailants, and to dash across the rapid stream
which was before me.
Travelling at the bone-breaking speed of 12
miles (about 20 km) a day under a relentless
sun, with blisters on his body, the European in
Bernier curses the day he embarked on the jour-
ney. We arrive at Bhimber, 72 miles from
Lahore, in the second week of March. From
here, the first halt on the foothills leading to the
Valley, the riff raff will have to stay back, and
only those with assigned duties will be allowed
to proceed further. For His Majesty has
ordained that the paradise on earth would not
be over-crowded. But thanks to Monsieur Bernier, we would
go all the way to Kashmir in Aurangzeb's train,following the Mughal Route.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2013 INTERNET EDITION : www.dailyexcelsior.com/magazine
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TRAVELLING IN AURANGZEB TRAIN
CHIRYAYI BAULIS IN BAD SHAPE
Chiryayi Baulis : A neglected heritage
Aurangzeb with his courtiers
