Vijay Where Have You Gone
The strings of the santoor lie loose, The notebook bearing five-hundred compositions is covered with dust, Where is the music that filled these rooms, Where has the santoor maestro gone? His absence was first withstood puritanically now it has begun to hurt, Where has the captain gone, leaving a vast unfinished work, Where has […]
Elementor #4656
Sources Nilmatpurana Written in 6th – 7th (Oldest extant text) Kalhana’s Rajatarangani Written in 1149 – 1150 Jonaraja’s Rajatarangani Covers 1150 – 1459 Jaina Rajatarangani by Srivara Pandit Covers 1459 – 1486 Rajavalipataka by Prajyabhatta Covers 1486 – 1512 Chaturtha Rajatarangani by Suka Covers up to the arrival of Asaf Khan (Shah Jehan’s, 1628-1657, Prime […]
Kashmir: Trip To The Hallowed Land
Nobility And Perseverance – A Tribute To Kanwal Muthu
(1942 – 2022) Kanwal Muthu, whom we knew as Nanaji at home, was born as a pure soul, unruffled by the worldly concerns, unmindful of personal gain. As we were close in childhood, I saw to my amazement as well as to my concern, how he connected with people without fear and favor. […]
Daddy’s Life – Excerpt From Inclinations And Reality
Following writing about my father is from my autobiography, Inclinations and Reality, published in 2010: My father and uncle Papaji emerged as the towering personalities and gurus of our family after the untimely passing away of my grandfather. A pair of siblings could not have been more dissimilar. My father, called Babuji by family […]
Ghalib’s Most Famous and Popular Shers Translated and Discussed
Maharaj Kaul translates and discusses Mirza Ghalib’s (1797 – 1869) most popular and famous shers: Ghalib Sher 20: go hāth ko junbish nahīñ āñkhoñ meñ to dam hairahne do abhī sāġhar-o-mīnā mire āge Translation: although there is no movement in the hand but eyes have power let the wine glass and flagon remain before […]
Tribute To Dilip Kumar
Dilip Kumar Is No More: It is a deep personal loss to me that Dilip Saab, one of the heroes of my life, passed away a few hours ago.I discovered him in my mid-teens when I was living in Srinagar, Kashmir. During those years there was not much going on in a teenager’s life except reading […]
Where Are You Art?
It was hard to believe when you left us, A shock to our existences, A joy-wrencher, a peace-snatcher. For years you walked on earth with tough-feet, And carried high-ambition, But soft ways and words you used with the world. Though in rough business, Your concern for humanity never wavered, Family was your […]
Kamal’s Journey Against Time
She was a ray of lightSourced by an unknown and unknowable fire within -Unencumbered by surroundings and society,She lit a room full of people by her intense enigmatic smileAnd imbued little things with sensitivity and style,Today time gives proof that it was unable to dull her lusterAnd diminish her spirit. Suffern, New York, February 31, 2015www.kaulscorner.commaharaj.kaul@yahoo.com Note: This poem was written about […]
When I Met Kailash Mehra the First Time
I do not remember when I first heard about Kailash Mehra the singer the first time, but I remember thinking about her seriously in 1990’s when her musical CD Bal Maryo came out. It was a fabulous collection of Kashmiri songs, including the classic bedardi chani, which also is her favorite song of […]