Sir Aurel Stein

Sham S. Misri

Sir Marc Aurel Stein was the great Hungarian scholar. He translated the Rajatarangini which was written by  Kalhan, 12th century Kashmiri Brahmin, regarded as Kashmir's greatest historian . Sir Aurel Stein was a "great pilgrim, a  great scholar and a great adventurer and a visionary who explored Central Asia. He  was a European scholar. He showed his great aptitude and took lot of pains to translate the most famous book on the history of Kashmir the Rajatarangini  at a time when everybody in Europe was thrilled by the discovery of Sanskrit: Stein represented the European consciousness.  When he arrived in India, his "great master" Prof. Buhler, had already explored and catalogued "the Sanskrit manuscript wealth of India". Coming from Hellenic tradition, Stein, who was in search of the track of Alexander the Great, was fascinated in particular by one manuscript in which Buhler had motivated his interest - the Rajatarangini. This great book of Rajatarangini  was an important text from many points of view. It helped people understand, how just before Islam secured a strong foothold in the north, things were shaping in India. It (the Rajatarangini) projected the Indian, and the Hindu, point view. "It is a traffic which has never been really studied in depth. The Hindu Shahi (of Afghanistan) had very close connections with Kashmir. The languages of Kashmir happen to share very richly with the languages of Kafiristan and other parts of north and united India." But even as Stein was investigating the Rajatarangini, his mind was set on the track of Alexander. As the Afghans did not encourage him, and with Dr. Buhler provoking him to study Rajatarangini, Stein came into contact with a Sanskrit Pundit to help him, he undertook the entire work of editing and translating and interpreting the Rajatarangini -- his edition of the work ultimately appearing in 1900." Ever since, it is the only or the main edition of the Rajatarangini. The Sharda text of Kalhana's chronicle "has been preserved somewhere, and understood clearly. It is believed that the book Rajatarangini was written sometime during the 10th-11th century based on the kings and kingdoms mentioned in it, all of whom are known to have existed prior to this date.

Apart from the Rajatarangini, Stein's greatest contribution is in "unraveling the sands of Central Asia", and his first expedition to Khotan was a "tremendous revelation.” He brought for the first time to the Western world the idea that we need not only to look at Kashmir for the earliest catch but to Central Asia, The earliest Indian manuscripts, were from Central Asia, all predating the Japanese manuscripts. Some rare manuscripts  were also found from this very region, belonging to even earlier then the 2nd century B.C.

         The accidental discovery of a Sanskrit manuscript in Kucha by Lt. Col. Bower is another story. Lt. Colonel Bower had gone to find out the criminal who had assassinated a British army official. He was accompanied by some other officials. While they were trying to locate the criminal, they located an ancient temple. There was a cow standing there and just as they opened the door, the cow crumbled to dust and from the stomach of this cow came out the Sanskrit manuscript which was later known as the Bower manuscript. It was the first proof to the fact that Sanskrit manuscripts are very ancient and these could exist in Central Asia. This was one of the major inspirations for Sir Aurel Stein to reach Central Asia and find out these. So, Sir Aurel Stein extended the history of Sanskrit and the cultural interflow of the ancient world. Sir Aurel Stein's "major achievement", is discovery of manuscript of Tun-Huang. "These manuscripts are being studied  very carefully. They give an insight into the evolution of the Chinese political strategies in Central Asia".

Can Zooplankton make a submarine disappear?

Sham S. Misri

Small and microscopic animals, and single cell forms that are found floating on ocean waters are called zooplanktons. Masses of drifting zooplanktons can hide larger objects, even submarines.

Sonar was invented to help warships find enemy submarines. It also helped sailors to judge how far the ocean bottom was beneath their ships. Sound waves are sent out under water, and the sonar records how long it takes an  echo to bounce off an  object and back to the receiver. Using the same principal as the natural sonar of Dolphins, this instrument allows scientists to map the sea floor and fishermen  to find schools of fish.

During  the  world war two, navy ships picked up peculiar readings in the deep Atlantic and Pacific oceans . Hazy images showed upon their sonar screens that looked like the ocean bottom rising far above the ocean floor. At first scientists thought they might be the tops  of underwater mountains. Observing them carefully, the scientists realized they were not the tops of underwater mountains; but something like- ‘moving under water clouds.’

Navy scientists did not know what  created these” false bottoms ,” but they realized they could make ideal hiding places for enemy submarines. Because this sound – reflecting  layers scattered the sonar  signal returning to the  ship, this unusual ocean feature was named  the  “ Deep scattering layer” or DSL for short.

Scientists at Institution of Oceanography later discovered that these layers moved as deep as 700-2400 feet during the day and rose almost to the surface at night. Scientists found that the    DSL floated closer to the surface on cloudy days than on Sunny days. Whatever was responsible for creating these layers must be alive!

Because of their possible use  in submarine warfare , both the Japanese and the Americans kept  information about these deep scattering  layers secret  until after the war. But it took even longer to solve the mystery. Scientists dragged nets through  the water but they came up mostly empty.  It wasn’t  until  faster , deep water nets  and deep sea cameras were invented that researchers finally could prove  what was making these layers.  They found that they consist mainly of small , jellyfish like zooplankton called siphonophores , krill, and deep sea fish that probably feed on the plankton. These animals occur in such vast numbers  that their bodies reflect  back the sonar (sound ) waves- so zooplankton could actually hide a submarine.

Can owl be the king

Sham S. Misri

One day all the birds, the parrot, the cuckoo, the peacock, the eagles , and the pigeon held a meeting. The peacock said, “Each one of us feels as if we are without a king."

The swan said, “ Let the eagle  be our king”.

"But he is the king only in the name. We hardly see him or meet him. If he does not serve us, what is the use of such a king?”  “Now it is high time we select a new king,” said the peacock.

All other birds agreed with the suggestion of the peacock. The peacock then said, “I think we should crown the owl as the new king. He has got a scary face; his face can scare away even the mightiest enemy.”

All  the birds welcomed the idea of making the owl their new king. Now the coronation of the owl had to be done. A big throne was made. The parrots had to chant the prayers and the cuckoo had to sing a song. Finally, it was the time of the owl to ascend the throne. The owl walked proudly towards the throne. As he was about to sit on the throne he heard a crow cawing loudly. “What is going on here?”

“The owl is being crowned as the new king.”

The crow said in harsh words, ”How can the owl be made the king?” He cannot see in broad daylight. He is not fit to be the king”

The owl was stunned. He could recognize the cawing of the crow. He felt like attacking him. But he thought, “I can rush in the direction from which I hear the cawing and attack the crow. But the clever crow will fly away. He will take advantage of the fact that I cannot see during the day and thus peck me with his beak during the day.”

“And now I am the future king ” Said the owl to himself. “It will not be fit for me to be angry and rush to attack the crow myself, except the crow all other animals support me. Therefore, I should ignore the crows protest.”

But the  crow  continued his protest saying, ”Think about it, is  the owl fit to be the king.? Look at his features. He has a crooked nose, big eyes, a broad head, and he looks so ugly!”

“The eagle is our king,“ said the crow. “He is so famous, so helpful, “  All the birds now agreed what the crow said. One by one all of them flew away quietly. The owl could now only hear the noise of the flapping of the wings. After some time the noise died down,  It was quiet all again.

“What about my coronation?” thought the owl.

After waiting for some time the owl said,” Why is everybody quiet?”

The crow said, “Every bird has flown  now to their nests.”

The owl said, ”O crow, “Why did you do this to me,?  Why did you not allow me to be the king of birds? from today you are my enemy”, said the owl angrily .

“Caw, Caw, Caw, Cawed the crow happily and flew away.

Sona Chui Kar Panien Kaim:

(Sona you do your work)

Sham S. Misri

Not long ago one of the notorious thieves of Kashmir was Madhav Bhista. In his gang there were two other thief friends. Madhav Bhista was their ring leader because of his noval ideas of stealing. He had one good quality. He would rob the rich people and distribute the money among the poor and needy people. Madhav Bhista had a friend, his name was Sona. One day a rich family of Srinagar had to perform the marriage of their daughter. All the preparations for the girl’s marriage were done. The parents of the bride had purchased the clothing, gold ornaments and other costly utensils as gifts to be given to the girl at the time of her marriage. When the marriage date came, everybody was busy on the eve of this rich man’s daughter’s Mehandi Raat function. So many friends and relatives had come to attend the function. After having dinner they were having other celebrations; there were songs and music and some dance on the occasion. While all this was going on, a handsome smart boy(disguised thief) joined them, and sat among the ladies. He immediately began to sing along with these ladies. He took one instrument Tumbaknari in his hand and began to sing aloud the following lines:

“Chie Chookh Haeri Ta Bu chus Bona,

  Sona Chie Kar Panien Kaem.”

Which means!

‘You are upstairs, and I am downstairs,

Sona You do your work’.

This tune and these Kashmir lines echoed the air. It was repeated several times in different voices and rhymes for a long time.

After an hour or so there was some hooting of the owls from one side of the house. On hearing this peculiar noise, all the guests who were present there got confused. The youthful handsome boy who was singing along with other women folk of the host, stood up, and left the audience and went away.

 An hour later, the hostess went up into the store room to get something. To her astonishment she saw the entire dowry and gold of the bride missing.   She cried and cried aloud, but it was all in vain.

Kashmiri’s say when somebody is busy with his own work and there is none to take care of the things, even when the neighbors are also not there, we say:  “Amis Chu Gamut Sona Chie Kar Panien Kaem.”

Which means, he is behaving like:  “Sona you do your work “

The Frogs and the Stone God

Sham S. Misri

In a pond there lived many frogs. Just near the pond there was an old temple where there were round smooth elongated stones, some black and some white.  Some of the frogs would go to the temple and would worship an elongated stone that was in the temple considered the stone as their god.  The frogs would go to this stone and pray.

One day, one young frog thought, “Why have these frogs been praying to this stone for generations? What’s so special about this stone anyway?”
So one day when all the frogs were praying before the stone god, this young frog jumped over the stone. Everyone was shocked.  To see the young frog jump over the stone!”
”Yes!” the young frog exclaimed. “So how can that be God? Why have you been worshipping this stone for so long? If that was God, how could I have jumped over it?”
And then the frogs said, “Yes, it’s true what he’s saying. We’ve been so foolish! So, our dear young frog, then you please tells us what should we worship?”
”You should worship an entity who is so tall that you cannot jump over him.”
”Oh? Who is that?”
”I have seen one big, white bird with a long beak. The stork. He’s very tall. A frog cannot jump over a stork.”
”Oh very good! Let’s go to the stork.”
So they all went to the stork and began to pray. The stork thought, “Aah! For so long I’ve had to hunt for frogs to eat, but now they’re all coming to me. Very nice.” So he ate them all one by one.

The Blind Man and the Cow

Sham S. Misri

A blind man was trying to find his way to his father in law’s house. Being blind, he got lost.  While walking here and there he heard some flute being played. There was a cowherd boy there. So he called out, “Cowherd boy, I am trying to find the house of such and such man. Can you give me direction? Maybe you can lead me.” The cowherd boy said, “I’m sorry, I’m herding these cows. But I tell you that one of these cows is of the same address where you want to go. So this cow will go there automatically if I let her go from the herd. You just have to hold her tail.  Saying this cowherd put the tail in the man’s hand. Immediately the cow began to run. The cow dragged the poor blind over the rough ground she could find; She even gave the man a good kick in the head. The blind man still didn’t let the cow go. By the time he reached the father in law’s house his clothes were torn. He was seen with blood stains on his head. It so happened that the policeman was standing there. When the policeman saw a cow running madly, and, one naked man being dragged behind the tail, he took his stick, and shouted at the blind man, “A cow thief, and a cow thief!” The blind man got a sound beating.

The Power of a woman’s will!

 Sham S. Misri

Long ago, there lived a king. He wanted  to set up a public arena, in which, he wanted old methods  of punishment.

    The arena of the king was built. It had many  galleries, and mysterious chambers.  When a person was accused of a crime, a public notice was given. On an appointed day the accused person would be brought in the king's arena. On that day, the people  would  assemble, and the king would sit high in his court, on one side of the arena. He would then give a signal, and  a door would open.  The accused person would then enter into the arena, from the opposite side. There would be two doors, exactly alike, and side by side. It was the mere luck of the person on trial to walk directly to these doors and open one of them. He could open either door he pleased. He was subject to no guidance but left to only chance. If he opened the one, there came out of it a hungry tiger, which immediately sprang upon him and tore him to pieces as a punishment for his guilt. That moment the case of the criminal was thus decided. The audience would then  move slowly  to their homes. This way the people would  mourn  greatly , for  the young and fair, or so old and respected, saying , should  they have merited so dire a fate.

     But, if the accused person opened the other door, a beautiful  lady would come out, and to this lady he was immediately married. This was given to him as a reward of his innocence. The king allowed no interfere with his this scheme of justice and reward. These exercises, took place immediately, and in the arena. A priest, would come and the wedding was promptly solemnized. The people would make merry and the innocent man, led his bride to his home. This was the king's method of doing justice.

The criminal could not know out of which door the lady would come; he could open either, without having the slightest idea whether, in the next instant, he was to be devoured or married. On some occasions the tiger came out of one door, and on some, out of the other.

The king thought that this type of  decisions of  his court trial  was not only fair, but  the accused person was instantly punished if  found  guilty, and, if innocent, he was rewarded on the spot.

    The king had a daughter. She was loved by him very much. Among his courtiers was a young man. The king’s daughter fell in love with him. This love affair moved on happily for many months.  One day the king came to know about it. The king did not fail in his duty to bring him to the arena. The youth was cast into prison, and a day was appointed for his trial in the king's arena. This was an important occasion, and the king, as well as all the people, got interested in the development of this trial. Such a case had never occurred before. No person ever dared to love the daughter of the king.

     Now, the  fiercest tiger was selected for the arena. A beautiful young girl was selected in order that the young man might have a bride. Everybody knew  the deed with which the accused was charged. He had loved the princess. Nobody  could deny  the fact and the king would take pleasure in watching the course of events.

     The fixed day arrived. The people gathered in the great galleries of the arena. The king and his court were in their places, opposite the twin doors, those fateful portals, so terrible in their similarity.

     All was ready. The signal was given. A door opened, and the lover of the princess walked into the arena. He was tall, beautiful, and  fair. No wonder the princess loved him! What a terrible thing for him to be there!

As per the custom, the youth advanced into the arena and he  bowed to the king. His eyes were fixed upon the princess, who sat close to her father. From the moment the order had been that her lover should decide his fate in the king's arena, she had thought of nothing, night or day, but this great event. The princess, who had all the power, knew about the secret doors. She knew in which of the two rooms that lay behind those doors, stood the cage of the tiger; and in which waited the lady. The power of a woman's will, had brought the secret to the princess.

She also knew who the lady was. It was one of the fairest girls who had been selected as the reward of the accused youth, should he be proved innocent of the crime. But the princess hated her. The girl was lovely, but she had dared to raise her eyes to the loved one of the princess. She hated the woman who blushed and trembled behind that silent door.

     When her lover turned and looked at her, and his eye met hers, he saw, that princess knew behind which door was  the tiger, and behind which stood the lady. He had expected her to know it as he had understood her nature. The only hope for the youth was based upon the success of the princess in discovering this mystery; and the moment he looked upon her, he saw she had succeeded.

     Then, his quick and anxious glance asked the question: "Which?" It was as plain to her as if he shouted it from where he stood. The question was asked in a flash; it must be answered in another.

     She raised her hand, and made a slight, quick movement toward the right. No one but her lover saw her. He turned, and walked across the empty space. Every heart stopped beating, every breath was held, and every eye was fixed upon that man. Without the slightest hesitation, he went to the door on the right, and opened it.

    It leads us to a puzzle, the decision of the question depended upon that hot-blooded, princess. Her soul was full of hate  and jealousy for the girl.  She had lost him, but who should have him?  How often, had she covered her face with her hands as she thought of her lover opening the door on the other side of which waited the cruel  tiger!

    When she saw his joyful delight as he opened the door of the lady! Her soul burned in agony when she saw him rush to meet that woman, with her sparkling eye of triumph.

The lady saw the boy coming to her, followed by a priest, she was happy. When the princess saw them walk  together, she was in tears, her  shriek was lost and drowned!

     The princess’ decision had been indicated in an instant, but it had been made after days and nights of suffering. She had known she would be asked, she had decided what she would answer, and, without the slightest hesitation, she had moved her hand to the right.

     Her first decision was to save her lover. Next she would plan how to snatch her lover her lover from the lady.
(Next story tomorrow)

The coyote: American jackal

Sham S. Misri

The coyote  is  also known as the American jackal.  Its scientific name is  Canis latrans, means "barking dog". The color of the coyote's fur varies from grayish-brown to yellowish-gray on the upper parts, while the throat and belly tend to have a buff or white color. The black-tipped tail has a scent gland located on it.  Coyotes shed once a year, beginning in May with light hair loss, ending in July after heavy shedding. The ears are large in relation to the head, while the feet are small in relation to the rest of the body. Coyotes typically grow to 30–34 inches in length, excluding a tail of 12–16 inches. On  an average, the weight is  from 6.8–21 kg.

Coyotes sometimes mate with domestic dogs, usually in areas where the coyotes are plentiful. The resulting hybrids are called coy dogs. They maintain the coyote's predatory nature, making them a more serious threat to livestock than pure-blooded animals. Coyotes usually breed only once a year, while coy dogs will breed year-round, producing many more pups than a wild coyote. Differences in the ears and tail generally can be used to distinguish coy dogs from domestic dogs or pure coyotes.

When a coyote calls its pack together, it howls at one high note. When the pack is together, it howls higher and higher, and then they yelp and make very shrill sound. Coyotes are carnivores. They mainly eat small animals such as prairie dogs, ground squirrels, mice, birds, snakes, lizards, deer, and livestock. They also eat large insects and other large invertebrates. The coyote prefer fresh meat. Fruits and vegetables are a significant part of the coyote's diet in the autumn and winter months. Coyotes actively hunt cats, and leap shorter fences to take small dogs.

Coyotes shift their hunting techniques in accordance with their prey. When hunting small animals such as mice, they slowly hunt through the grass, and use their acute sense of smell to track down the prey. When the prey is located, the coyotes stiffen and pounce on the prey in a cat-like manner. Coyotes commonly work in teams when hunting large animals such as deer. When attacking large prey, coyotes attack from the rear. Occasionally, they also grab the neck and head, pulling the animal down to the ground. Coyotes are persistent hunters, with successful attacks sometimes lasting as long as a day.

Coyotes inhabit nearly every neighboring U.S. state and Alaska. They  have moved into most of the areas of North America and are often observed in garbage bins. They are difficult to tame, except when raised from a very young pup, and even then, much of their wild temperament shows when they reach puberty. Coyotes, has perhaps, never been domesticated. They Coyotes are an important furbearer animal.

When coyotes are about two years old, they select a mate and stay with that mate for life. The name coyote comes from the Aztec word coyote. The Aztecs were people who began living in Central America some 700 years ago. The coyote's keen intelligence and senses help it adapt to many different habitats: forests, deserts, mountains, suburbs, cities, and even golf courses.

Coyotes are native only to North America. Female coyotes select den sites and give birth from 1 to 12 pups in spring. Both parents care for the pups. Parents chew food and swallow it. Then they bring it up again to feed the pups.

An Appointment with Death

Sham S. Misri

A rich merchant once wanted to entertain his friends. Among the many servants he had, he told one to go to the market and buy a few things so that they could entertain their friends in the evening.
The servant was very happy. He took some money from the master and went to the market. When he was busy trying to buy a few things from the market, someone pushed him from the back. When that happened, the servant turned around and saw who it was. He was very afraid to see a man wearing black clothes. It was’ the god of death’ in person standing there. The servant said, “I don’t want to die.” And he ran back to his master. The master was surprised to see him running back from the market without anything. Then, the master said, “What’s the matter with you? Why are you so much afraid?” The servant replied, “Master, please excuse me. As I went to the market and was trying to buy a few things; somebody pushed me, and when I turned around I was horrified to see death in person standing there in the market. Please save me, I don’t want to die.”
The master could not understand these things. “All right, go to the stable and get one fast horse, and ride to the neighboring village. Very shortly you will reach there and you will be completely safe there.”
The servant was very happy. “That’s a good idea. Master is very kind for a change.” He went to the stable, took a horse and started for the village. Within two hours he reached the village and he was very happy to go.
When the servant left, the master thought, “What is this death personified?” So he went to the market to see. He looked around, and saw death lurking in a corner. He called death over, and death came near the master. He asked, “Why are you loitering here?” Death said, “It’s my job to loiter here. I pick up a few living people, and one day I’ll pick you up also.”
”Forget about me,” the master said, “but tell me, why did you push my servant?”
The Death replied, “I did not push your servant, but I was surprised to see him in a village, because I have an appointment with him there in that village in the afternoon.” I had instructions to pick him from there only.

Layak Choor (thief) Ti Madhav Bhista

Sham S. Misri

Layak Choor (thief), Madhav Bhista, and Subhan Bhouch were three famous thieves of Kashmir. It is said that Layak Singh was a Sikh, who was famous by the name of Layak Choor. He lived at Kathi Darvaza, near famous Hari Parbat temple.
For further reading and the collection of more stories visit Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AVN2W4I

Visit to Heaven

Sham S. Misri

Akbar was the great King of India. Among his ministers was a very wise man whose name was Birbal. He was a pretty smart fellow I guess! The barber of King Akbar was the bad guy. He wanted Birbal to die. The clever barber had a plan. He told King Akbar, “I Wonder if your ancestors are fine. We will have to send someone like Birbal to Heaven to find out" The King knew that Birbal would be clever enough to find a way to escape. So, the king Akbar told Birbal to go to heaven and find out the welfare of his ancestors. Birbal dug an underground passageway from his house to a pine tree. The next day he had to lie under a haystack near the pine tree. The haystack would be burnt and Birbal would be sent to Heaven. On the day Birbal crept under the haystack and went to his house by the underground tunnel. When he reached home he thought of a plan to punish the barber. He went to King Akbar the next day and said, "Dear King Akbar, I'm back from Heaven. I just noticed that the people there have long hair and need a barber. Let us send a royal barber to them to have their hair cut. This he said pointing to the barber. The barber understood this quickly, and said, “Birbal is cleverer than me.”

Who broke Lord Ganesha’s tooth?

Sham S. Misri

Parshuram was a great  follower of most powerful God lord Shiva. Once he wanted to  see Lord Shiva. That time,  Lord Ganesha  was keeping a vigil and  did not permit Parshuram to meet Shiva. A fight took place between them.It is said that, Parshuram threw his weapon and broke the left tooth of Lord Ganesha. When Ganesha’s mother, Parvati,  heard about this she got upset and enraged. Then, when she came to know that Parshuram had broken the tooth of her son Ganesha, she decided to cut both the arms of Parshuram as a revenge for her son. The moment Parvati was about to do this Lord Shiva appeared. Shiva then told Parvati to hold back as Parshuram was his true devotee, a fan, and like his son. Parvati agreed, and pardoned him. Thus Parshuram was left unharmed being the devotee of Shiva.

Books by the Author(s)

Lal Ded Of Kashmir Saint Poetess: A Catalogue of Lal Vakhs

Kashmir Shaivism and Modern Science

Kashmir - A Concise History: Mahabharata Epoch 3067 BCE to Modi Era 2016 A.D

The Aryan Invasion Theory - A Subterfuge: A Scientific Look

Tibet: Earthly Paradise

Kali Maa: The Dawn of Woman and Beyond

Maa Ganga: Mythology, Mystery and Science

The Ten Departures of Kashmiri Pandits

Tales from Kashmir, Part-1

Tales from Kashmir, Part-2

Tales from Kashmir, Part-3

Tales from Kashmir, Part-4

Tales from Kashmir, Part-5

The Wandering Pandit

Wonderful Stories for Children, Book-1

A Peep Into America's Past

Silkworm Breeding Made Easy

Collected Poems of Pt. Krishen Joo Razdan, By J. N. Misri, Vol. 1, 2,3,4,5 and 6[Edited and Published]

Travels Through America And Canada

When I Met Her

The Ultimate Fishing Rod

Kashmir: The Book of Anecdotes

Tour to 5 Countries in Europe

Cleopatra-Harmachis-Part-1-Love-Lord

Cleopatra and Harmachis - Part-2: The Finding of Treasure

Why Albert Einstein stopped wearing socks

Sham S. Misri

Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879, in Germany.  He was three or four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read. He had some trouble remembering his address.  Einstein immigrated to the United States in 1933. He was a genius and a great physicist and a mathematician. Einstein had a son from his second wife, Cousin Elsa. He died on April 18^th 1955.

 Einstein was a late talker, his parents were worried. At last, at the supper table one night, he broke his silence to say, "The soup is too hot." Greatly relieved, his parents asked why he had never said a word before. Albert replied, "Because up to now everything was in order."

Once, a Church in Manhattan planned to put up statues of the eight most famous scientists who ever lived, according to their liking. Einstein was included. When asked how it felt to be an "immortalized" living scientist in this way, Einstein answered, "From now on, and for the rest of my life, I must be very careful not to commit a scandal."

Once during the 1930s, Einstein said, "If my relativity theory is verified, Germany will proclaim me a German and France will call me a citizen of the world. But if my theory is proved false, France will emphasize that I am a German and Germany will say that I am a Jew."

Once, Einstein was asked by his hostess at a social gathering to explain his theory of relativity.  Einstein said,

"Madam, I was once walking in the country on a hot day with a blind friend, and said that I would like a drink of milk."

"Milk?" said my friend, "Drink I know; but what is milk?"

"A white liquid," I replied.

"Liquid I know; but what is white?"

"The color of a swan's feathers."

"Feathers I know; what is a swan?"

"A bird with a crooked neck."

"Neck I know; but what is this crooked?"

"Thereupon, I lost patience. I seized his arm and straightened it. "That's straight," I said; and then I bent it at the elbow. "That's crooked."

"Ah!" said the blind man, "Now I know what you mean by milk!"

IN 1931 Charlie Chaplin invited Albert Einstein, who was visiting Hollywood, to a private screening of his new film City Lights. As the two men drove into town together, passersby waved and cheered. Chaplin turned to his guest and explained: "The people are applauding you because none of them understands you and applauding me because everybody understands me."

One of Einstein's colleagues asked him for his telephone number one day. Einstein reached for a telephone directory and looked it up. "You don't remember your own number?" the man asked, startled. No," Einstein answered. "Why should I memorize something I can so easily get from a book?"  In fact, Einstein claimed never to memorize anything which could be looked up in less than two minutes.

"When I was young I found out that the big toe always ends up making a hole in a sock," Einstein once recalled. "So I stopped wearing socks."

Books by the Author(s)

Lal Ded Of Kashmir Saint Poetess: A Catalogue of Lal Vakhs

Kashmir Shaivism and Modern Science

Kashmir - A Concise History: Mahabharata Epoch 3067 BCE to Modi Era 2016 A.D

The Aryan Invasion Theory - A Subterfuge: A Scientific Look

Tibet: Earthly Paradise

Kali Maa: The Dawn of Woman and Beyond

Maa Ganga: Mythology, Mystery and Science

The Ten Departures of Kashmiri Pandits

Tales from Kashmir, Part-1

Tales from Kashmir, Part-2

Tales from Kashmir, Part-3

Tales from Kashmir, Part-4

Tales from Kashmir, Part-5

The Wandering Pandit

Wonderful Stories for Children, Book-1

A Peep Into America's Past

Silkworm Breeding Made Easy

Collected Poems of Pt. Krishen Joo Razdan, By J. N. Misri, Vol. 1, 2,3,4,5 and 6[Edited and Published]

Travels Through America And Canada

When I Met Her

The Ultimate Fishing Rod

Kashmir: The Book of Anecdotes

Tour to 5 Countries in Europe

Cleopatra-Harmachis-Part-1-Love-Lord

Cleopatra and Harmachis - Part-2: The Finding of Treasure

Changpa: The Nomads

Sham S. Misri

The Changthang is a high altitude vast flat land  surrounded by mountains, valleys, and big lakes. The people of the Changthang are nomadic, and are known as 'Changpa' (northern people, the Tibetians,  and the Ladakhi). For centuries they have lived in this high altitude landscape. Their live stock consists of yak, horses,  sheep, and pashmina goats locally known as Changra goats.

The climate of Changthang is harsh. The summers are warm but short and thunder storms can occur at any time of year, often with hail. The winters are cold. Unlike many other nomadic pastoralists, the Changpa do not move from one climatic region to another. They move shorter distances in the range of about 10–40 miles. Migratory routes are established and followed year after year, staying in the same encampments each year, often in camps that have stone walls. The Changpa camps at altitudes ranging 3600-4500 meters. In this extreme environment the winter temperatures can drop as low as minus 50 ⁰ C. The “Changpa” are not a single homogeneous community. Groups are divided by their places of origin, each having its own chief and its specific grazing areas. While local variations exist, essentially all groups share the same way of life. Ladakh is a part of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is the Ladakhi Changpa who is the main suppliers of raw Pashm to Kashmir. Here I am talking of Ladakh Changpa.

    The Ladakhi Changpa, have their own rich store of oral history, myth, and legend. Many rock carvings have been found throughout the region, and the wall paintings in Ladakh monasteries, are valuable source of information. The Changpa are followers of Tibetan  Buddhism, most belonging to Red Hat (Drupka) sect. Traditionally each family sends one son to monastery to become a monk.

The Changpa believe that their livestock are sacred animals bestowed upon them by the gods. They gently comb the Pashm from their goats, taking care not to hurt the animals. Among the Changpa the wealth is defined in terms of sheep, goats, yak, and horses. Those who have more than 1000 animals are considered rich.  Among the Changpa, yak used to have the highest status of any livestock, but with their decreasing number, the sheep are considered animals of high status.

Sheep, along with yak , have always held a positive ritual value among the Changpa, but goats, which were regarded as inferior, even inauspicious, were not so favored. It was rare for goats to be dedicated to gods, demons, and spirits. Further, it is said that shepherds preferred sheep to goats. Sheep move slowly and so the shepherds are able to keep pace with them, but goats tread quickly and are therefore, difficult to tend. It is claimed that while the shepherds talk gently to the sheep, they are always relentlessly swearing  at their goats, because they have to run to keep up with them. Goats also feature in verbal insults and when the Changpa abuse each other, they say, ”may your goat fall sick”, or “may all your goats die.”  Changpa groups move camp about eight to ten times in a year. There are no hard and fast rules as to how long they should stay at one place; each move, the Changpa say, takes place when the resources of a particular area are exhausted. The journey to a  new campsite starts early in the morning, before sunrise. Personal belongings, household utensils, are packed in saddle bags or steel trunks the day before. A little before sunrise the tents are taken down and folded. As the shepherds leave with the sheep and goats for day’s grazing, the yak are rounded up and loaded. The beddings, carpets, and blankets are laid across their backs, followed by saddlebags, steel trunks, tent poles, and  kitchenware, for making tea. Then the horses are readied in their leather saddles over which bright, colorful hand woven saddle covers are draped. It is customary for Changpa to be well dressed for the occasion, the men wear their felted cowboy or brocade hats; the women their turquoise-studded head dress. It takes a few hours before the  Changpa    are ready to move. The caravan extends over one or two kilometers, and within it the pack animals of each tent are kept close together. The yaks are driven in the front, followed by the women and children. Dogs dart moving. The men take up the rear, leading the horses. They leave behind them a flat stretch of land, a few stone walls, and smoke rising from the embers of hastily doused fires.

Usually ,each nuclear family lives in one large tent. Close to this, is a small tent for the elderly parents. At some encampments the tent sites are hereditary, at others they are allotted by a system of lottery. Areas higher up in the campsite, and closer to the stream are more in demand . The tents are strung in a line along the valley, and always positioned with their doors facing east. The Changpa say the doors must open towards the rising sun. At some campsites there are stone pens beside the tents. At some other campsites the animals are kept in the open a short distance away.

The livestock usually sleep in a circle, with the goats in the centre and sheep on the outside. The Changpa claim that in this way the sheep keep the goats warm.

Ladakhi Changthang has many monasteries. In the past it was in the vicinity of these monasteries that Changpa would store the extra goods they did not require when on the move. Initially they used small caves, or dug pits in the ground, but over the years a few two room mud or stone structures have been built. It is here where the aged and infirm Changpa live.

The Changpa’s day starts early. The women are the first to rise. They prepare the fire, make the tea, and recite their prayers as they rhythmically shake the goatskin bag to churn the butter inside. Then, the shepherds take the sheep and goats to graze in the valleys and mountains. They return a short while before the sunset. The shepherds are usually young boys and girls  who start herding from the age of eight or nine. While herding they spend most of their time in prayers and spinning wool, or making rope. One shepherd accompanied by a dog, herds a flock of 200 animals, often walking 8-10 kilometers a day. Changpa’s have specific areas demarcated for grazing, and the herders are forbidden to take their livestock beyond the boundaries. Sometimes, the boundary of each grazing area is marked by stones piled up to height of two to three feet. The chief makes periodic visits to check or restack them. Other boundaries follow natural landmarks such as streams, rivers, and ridges. Most Changpa communities have a system of penalties and fines in case grazing rules are violated.

Trade has played an important role for the Changpa as they are not able to produce all the goods they consume. Salt, meat, live animals, wool, and unprocessed cashmere are traded for basics such as grain, cooking pots, and other metal implements, as well as more modern goods.

Books by the Author(s)

Lal Ded Of Kashmir Saint Poetess: A Catalogue of Lal Vakhs

Kashmir Shaivism and Modern Science

Kashmir - A Concise History: Mahabharata Epoch 3067 BCE to Modi Era 2016 A.D

The Aryan Invasion Theory - A Subterfuge: A Scientific Look

Tibet: Earthly Paradise

Kali Maa: The Dawn of Woman and Beyond

Maa Ganga: Mythology, Mystery and Science

The Ten Departures of Kashmiri Pandits

Tales from Kashmir, Part-1

Tales from Kashmir, Part-2

Tales from Kashmir, Part-3

Tales from Kashmir, Part-4

Tales from Kashmir, Part-5

The Wandering Pandit

Wonderful Stories for Children, Book-1

A Peep Into America's Past

Silkworm Breeding Made Easy

Collected Poems of Pt. Krishen Joo Razdan, By J. N. Misri, Vol. 1, 2,3,4,5 and 6[Edited and Published]

Travels Through America And Canada

When I Met Her

The Ultimate Fishing Rod

Kashmir: The Book of Anecdotes

Tour to 5 Countries in Europe

Cleopatra-Harmachis-Part-1-Love-Lord

Cleopatra and Harmachis - Part-2: The Finding of Treasure

Niyam Paray Sinnz Fulie (blossoms)

Sham S. Misri

Long ago, in Sonawari block of Kashmir, there lived a man. His name was Niyam Paray. He was a farmer and used to sow different types of seeds in different seasons. He would harvest the crops and sell that and earn the money for his living.   

Niyam Paray had a daughter who had 

For further reading and the collection of more stories visit Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AVN2W4I

Prime Minister Nehru reads Pajama!

Sham S. Misri

In 1960, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India visited Kashmir, the land of his ancestors. He was accompanied by his only daughter Indira Gandhi, and her two sons. On the suggestions of chief Minister, he was invited by the Principal of Govt. Women’s college to watch a drama. Just before the curtain  was  up, Pandit Nehru suddenly stood up . A hush descended  on the auditorium.  Has anything gone wrong?  Everyone  held  his breath.  Pandit Nehru walked  back down the aisle  and was looking for someone. Moments later, he returned   with his cabinet colleague who had been asked to sit in the rear of the auditorium; thinking that he was not so –VIP. Later on, someone vacated  a seat and Lal Bahadur Shastri sat  down next  to Nehru.  On Nehru’s other side sat Indira, and next to her,  her two sons.  Who would have guessed that the audience watching the drama consisted of four Prime ministers of India that day!

Pandit Nehru, the Prime Minister  of India  liked the drama. He had come to Kashmir to rest and recover in the gardens of Royal Spring of Chasma Shahi.  He was staying at the Government Guest house. Some children managed  to meet Mr. Nehru at his Government Guest House in Kashmir. These lucky children shook their hands with Pandit Nehru. These children had never imagined  that they would ever have  a private audience, least of all be within handshaking distance with Pandit Nehru.

The children still nervous, their tongues firmly glued to the roof of their mouths, still standing in front of first Prime Minister of India. “What is your greatest ambition?” Nehru asked, to help them recover.

Mrs. Gandhi who was sitting nearby smiled and asked these children if they would like some lime juice drink. In a dying gesture one of the children thrust  her autograph book into Pandit Nehru’s hand, and he opened what turned out to be the family laundry book!

Pandit Nehru, the hero of freedom movement of India, read aloud, “Two pajamas-Papaji, three shirts….” Both father and daughter burst out laughing. But he graciously signed the autograph book!

Books by the Author(s)

Lal Ded Of Kashmir Saint Poetess: A Catalogue of Lal Vakhs

Kashmir Shaivism and Modern Science

Kashmir - A Concise History: Mahabharata Epoch 3067 BCE to Modi Era 2016 A.D

The Aryan Invasion Theory - A Subterfuge: A Scientific Look

Tibet: Earthly Paradise

Kali Maa: The Dawn of Woman and Beyond

Maa Ganga: Mythology, Mystery and Science

The Ten Departures of Kashmiri Pandits

Tales from Kashmir, Part-1

Tales from Kashmir, Part-2

Tales from Kashmir, Part-3

Tales from Kashmir, Part-4

Tales from Kashmir, Part-5

The Wandering Pandit

Wonderful Stories for Children, Book-1

A Peep Into America's Past

Silkworm Breeding Made Easy

Collected Poems of Pt. Krishen Joo Razdan, By J. N. Misri, Vol. 1, 2,3,4,5 and 6[Edited and Published]

Travels Through America And Canada

When I Met Her

The Ultimate Fishing Rod

Kashmir: The Book of Anecdotes

Tour to 5 Countries in Europe

Cleopatra-Harmachis-Part-1-Love-Lord

Cleopatra and Harmachis - Part-2: The Finding of Treasure