World famous “‘Langoor’ Mela” starts in Amritsar / Rashmi Talwar / Kashmir Images

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World famous “‘Langoor’ Mela” starts in Amritsar

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR 26 September 2022—

Few are aware that the holy city of Amritsar is “world famous” for the annual “Langoorwala Mela” at the Hindu shrine Durgiana Temple, architecturally built as the replica of the revered Sikh shrine – the Golden Temple, in Amritsar. Durgiana Temple with a similar, gold-covered dome, the circumambulation around the temple and causeway path to the sanctum sanctorum of the main shrine, sitting in a similar pool of Nectar is exactly like the Sikh Golden Temple and a mere few kilometers apart, located in the ancient walled city of Amritsar.

What Eid is to Kashmir, “Durga Puja” to West Bengal and “Dandiya celebrations” to Gujarat, the langoor-wala Mela or fair is to the Holy City of Amritsar.
Every year on the occasion of the onset of winter- on the ‘Navratras’- (9-Holy Days), thousands from across the country and abroad arrive at the ancient “Bara Hanuman Prachin (ancient temple) Mandir” on the premises of Durgiana Temple here, to participate in the internationally famous Mela to make a wish for a child or for thanksgiving.

The unique mela is a rare feast for the eyes, in the Holy city that sees children dressed as ‘Langoors’ – a species of monkeys, dancing to the tune of drums in a procession passing through different parts of the city. This time over 5,000 ‘Langoor’s’ symbolizing the army of Lord  Hanuman – the Monkey Lord, are participating as a thanksgiving to  Lord.

Lakshmi Kanta Chawla, president Durgiana TempleCommittee, said over 200 volunteers will undertake the management of the mela.

More than 3000 ‘Langoor’ costumes are sold annually while many languor outfits are given for rent. Childless couples, irrespective of ‘religion’ or caste, seek blessings of Lord Hanuman( from epic Ramayan ) for the birth of a child and on wish fulfillment dress their child as  ‘Langoor’, in gratitude to the Almighty.

 In bright red silver-striped outfits, with silver and golden trimmings, conical-shaped caps, faces, arms, smeared with fuller’s earth, and make-up like ‘‘Langoor’s’ complete with long tails and silver-colored staffs in hand, children dance to drum beats for all nine days. lately, monkey masks too, have also become popular.

Bimal Arora, finance secretary Durgiana Temple committee informs –“The temple boasts of a “rare” idol of Lord Hanuman in sitting position which is only found in two other temples in the world, at Prayagraj and Hanuman Garhi”.

Legend has it that the twin sons of Lord Rama – Luv and Kush of epic Ramayan who were born close to Amritsar in a mud hut of Rishi Valmiki the author of the Ramayan,  called the “Ram Tirath” lived in exile with their mother, Sita Mata till their youth. The twins captured the ‘Ashwamedha horse’- or the horse of victory, let loose after “Ashwamedha Yajna” performed by Lord Rama (the twins’ father and King of Ayodhaya) to stake his claim over all land territories where the Royal horse set afoot. —Lord Hanuman, who unknowingly came to defend the captured horse from the two young sons of Lord Ram, was taken prisoner by the twins and tied to a Banyan tree which is believed to be the offshoot of the same tree located on the Temple premises eons past. Later the truth about the children’s parentage was revealed here.s As a ritual, childless couples believing auspicious spirits lovingly tie a red sacred thread or ‘Mauli’ around the majestic bark of this ancient banyan tree seeking a boon of a child.

Interestingly the city of Lahore and Kasur in Pakistan are named after Luv and Kush respectively, and the fact is even mentioned in the official records of Pakistan.

Remarkably, the pledge to make a ‘Langoor’ can carry on for life, and an eighty-year-old ‘Langoor’ and a few months old baby could be dressed as ’Langoors’ to fulfill the vows of parents or grandparents. A strict regime of custom is followed by parents or a guardian of ‘Langoor’ – to sleep on the floor, observe fast, shun footwear, eat vegetarian food uncut with a knife, and recite verses from Ramayana during the entire 9-day period.
The ‘Langoors’ on their part remain barefoot all 9-days and sleep on the floor. The mela concludes on Dussehra festival when ‘Langoor’s’ finally take off their ‘Langoor’ outfits near the banyan tree. Childless mothers gifted with a child, untie the thread on the ancient tree on the fulfillment of their wish.

In popular belief, the unique festival has been celebrated for centuries.

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BAJRANGI BAHIJAAN DRESSED LANGOORS AND BLACK FACED LANGOORS

The woman who saw Queen Elizabeth II, at arm’s length.. / Rashmi Talwar / Kashmir Images

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Reena Chhibber saw Queen Elizabeth in 1961, New Delhi

The Woman who saw Queen Elizabeth II, at arm’s length……

Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR 9^th September 2022—–

Britain’s longest-serving monarch Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on Thursday 8^th September 2022, visited India three times in the year 1961, 1983, and 1997. Her first was a landmark visit, of a reigning Monarch to a commonwealth nation, 15 years after India’s Independence. That made her the first Monarch to visit the former colony in the year 1961 with her husband Duke of Edinburgh Phillip. She was invited by India’s first President Dr. Rajinder Prasad and presided over the Republic Day Parade as Guest of Honour on the 11^th Republic Day of India.

An Indo-Pak Partition victim from Rawalpindi, Reena Chhibber  (90) at the time about 30 years old who was residing in Delhi then, talking from Pune to the author, described the moment of “27^th January 1961”.

She recalled – “Each year on 27th January after India became a Republic in January of 1950, a program was held at Raj Bhawan’s Theatre, where selected personalities were invited for cultural program. In 1961 we were at the theatre and Queen Elizabeth II of England was the Guest of Honour at India’s Republic Day Parade. She attended this program which had few people. As I came out with my friend, the Queen was sitting in a moving Horse Buggy right outside the gate. She was at an arm’s distance from me. She looked at me and I waved my hand at her. The Queen radiantly smiled back and waved a white-gloved hand at us. She was wearing a ‘fluffy Hat’. It was her aura and grandeur that we remembered and discussed for many many nights thereafter.”

Reena had recently visited her birthplace in Rawalpindi, marking the 75^th year since she had last seen her home at the time of partition and had to move to India along with her family when she was just 15 years old. Reena had witnessed many historical moments including the flag hoisting of the first flag of Independent India on 15^th August 1947, at Simla. She had met many important personalities including the first Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru.

 The Queen during this 1961 tour also addressed a massive crowd at Ramlila Grounds, Delhi, where thousands came to listen to her address. The Monarch was gifted an exquisite sculpture of Kutab Minar carved in Ivory while her husband Prince Philips was gifted a silver Candelabra. Subsequently, the Royal couple including the Queen’s Husband- The Duke of Edinburg Prince Philips also toured Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, Bangalore, and visited the Taj Mahal in Agra. The couple paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi and planted a pine sapling at the Samadhi of the Father of the Nation, at Raj Ghat Grounds.

The Queen with Prince Philips visited Amritsar on her 3^rd visit to India in 1997. A day earlier on 13 October 1997, the Queen referred to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in a state banquet address. “It is no secret that there have been some difficult episodes in our past — Jallianwala Bagh, which I shall visit tomorrow, is a distressing example,” she said. 

Seen by the author on 14^th October 1997, Her Majesty’s visit to the Jallianwalla Bagh Memorial – a remembrance of the indiscriminate killing of people on the bloodied Baisakhi day of 13^th April 1919- meant a lot to the hurt psyche of the people of Amritsar. Though the Queen never apologized for the massacre, she and her husband placed wreaths at the memorial. The massacre at Amritsar spurred a renewed spirit of Freedom for India from the British. 

Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philips known to make many gaffes made an infamous and insensitive remark at the memorial site in 1997, questioning the number of casualties in the massacre in 1919 by British Gen O’Dwyer and his men, and commented that it was ‘less’ than mentioned on the memorial stone.

Special permission was granted to the Queen and Royal consort Prince Philips to walk in socks at the Golden Temple parikrama or circumambulation around holy Sarovar or pond outside the sanctum sanctorum of the holiest Sikh Shrine.

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DATED 10th September 2022

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187th Newborn arrives in Amritsar Cradle / Rashmi Talwar/ Kashmir Images

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187th newborn baby girl arrives in the Amritsar Cradle

Rashmi Talwar

Amritsar 3^rd September 2022—

Amritsar’s cradle Scheme under the Red Cross called ‘Pangoora Scheme’ welcomed its newest member of a newly-born baby girl. The baby was just a few hours old when abandoned by unknown people a few days back.

Randhir Singh official Red Cross informed “Around 10.15 pm on August 25, a newborn baby was found in the cradle at the out-gate cradle or the Pangoora. The little cradle has a bell hanging on top. When the child is placed in the cradle, the bell is rung.  The baby was first rushed to nearby Parvati hospital here for medical examination and was found to be underweight and was therefore under care for a few days.  Later, she was brought to Pangoora.

Mrs Gurpreet Sudan Chairperson, Red Cross Society, the wife of Deputy Commissioner DC Harpreet Sudan, visited the baby girl, completed the process, and sent her to the Swami Ganga Nand Bhuriwale Foundation and put the baby up for adoption under the LAPA scheme.

‘Pangoora Scheme’ was started in 2008 in Amritsar by its then Deputy Commissioner

KS Pannu. Since then 187 children arrived at Pangoora, out of which 156 were girls and 31 boys. Pangoora, is a rescue-cum-shelter care home for abandoned infants.

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