(By: R C Ganjoo)*

Pulwama and Anantnag, the two terror-affected districts in South Kashmir for the past many years, also have some inspiring stories about spirituality to tell. Murran is one such village in Pulwama district where Pandit Badrinath Bhat, a nonagenarian still lives with his family.  Despite several threats and upheavals, Pt. Badrinath never left Kashmir and his home even during the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley in 1990.

A retired Principal from a government school, Pt. Badrinath Bhat is a devotee of Kashmir’s one of the   greatest saints, Nidhan Kak, and feels comfortable in his native village with his own children and grandchildren.  Incidentally, Bhat is in possession of a pair of walnut-wood sandals (Khadau) of Yogi Nidhan Kak and he worships wooden sandals everyday lying in his Puja room. Nidhan Kak was born at village Sallar, a famous village of the Danchanpora Pargana (now District Anantnag) in mid-nineteenth century.

 During a conversation with Badri Nath Bhat, this retired Principal had a lot to share about the political and spiritual account of both Anantnag and Pulwama districts. He narrated the story of how Sikh rule ended and was replaced by Dogra rule in Kashmir.

Nidhan Kak blesses Maharaja Gulab Singh

Quoting village elders, Badrinath Bhat  said Maharaja Gulab Singh  had entered the valley of Kashmir in November 1846 via Pir Panchal route, but on his way to Srinagar, was feeling disturbed. Gulab Singh was in search of spiritual strength behind him to achieve the throne of Kashmir.

He arrived at Ramoo, a famous village on the Mughal route, one mile away to the west of Harapora, where Nidhan Kak, the Yogi, was living in a cottage. The Yogi was a great saint of high spiritual order. His fame had spread around the adjacent villages to Harapora, Murran, Deeri, Ramoo and  in the whole belt of Murran area.

Gulab Singh came to know about Nidhan Kak and was eager to seek his blessings. At village Harapora, Maharaja changed his royal dress, but the yogi knew that Gulab Singh would be the saviour of the Kashmiris who had suffered continuously at the hands of Pathans and others.  According to Badrinath Bhat, Yogi Nidhan Kak blessed Gulab Singh, who later left with a great confidence to  conquer Sheikh Imam-ud-Din (1845-1846), who was appointed Governor of Kashmir after his father’s death by the Sikh ruler of Punjab.

Nidhan Kak’s sojourn from Sallar to Murran to Harapora

Sallar village has remained a high seat of ancient Kashmir culture and Shaivism. It is believed that Nidhan Kak was initiated into Yoga in this village by one local saint.  Later, in his thirties, he left for village Murran of Pulwama district to stay with a famous landlord family of Bhats. Nidhan Kak served Bhats as a domestic cook and simultaneously practised Sadhana for higher spiritual levels. One day, a woman of the Bhat family, during night hours, noticed their servant’s room was illuminating. She informed her husband about the same. To the surprise of the couple, Saint Nidhan Kak was sparkling even in pitch dark. Next morning, the Bhat family placed Nidhan Kak with all reverence on a seat. Now Nidhan Kak realized that time had come to leave for his hermitage, which he might have already chosen at village Harapora.

Harapora is a kilometer away from Murran, where Nidhan Kak spent days in a solitary spot surrounded by all species of wild shrubs and trees. Later, the Yogi set up his cottage on the bank of Hara-nag. There is a pit few feet deep inside the cottage and the Yogi used to remain rapt in his yogic posture in this pit. Presently, the Ashram is abounded with Chinar and “bran” trees and are believed to have been planted by Nidhan Kak himself.

   Nidhan Kak’s most devoted disciple was Swami Ram Krishen from Rainawari, Srinagar. It is said that in 1855, in the month of Magha, Nidhan Kak, left for Haridwar for his Ganga Yatra. He had informed his disciple about the exact date of his return to the Ashram. It was Magh Dashmi, the Bhimsen Dashmi; but the Yogi did not return even up to Aikadashi, (Bhimsen Kah). He waited and waited, but his guru did not return and the disciple, Ram Krishen, understood that he would never return, so he decided to cremate the belongings of Yogi. He did it on the Bhimsen Aikadashi in front of the Yogi’s cottage.

Settlement of Kashmiri Pandit families by Maharaja

It is said that Maharaja Gulab Singh got annoyed with Ram Krishen for not informing him about the passing away of the Yogi. The Maharaja left the throne in 1856 and passed away in 1858. Maharaja Gulab Singh had settled some Kashmiri Pandit families at Harapora and Deeri. The Harapora Pandits were called Babus (They were basically Kouls). They served the Ashram during the days of the Yogi and continued until the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley. The Yogi himself settled some Muslim families in Harapora and handed over to them the land granted to Ashram by the Maharaja. After the 1990 migration of the Pandits from the valley and surrounding villages of Harapora, only a few Pandit families of village Murran and some Muslim families of Harapora looked after Yogi’s Ashram.

Damage to Nidhan Kak’s cottage

  During the peak militancy years (1990 to 1996), the Yogi’s cottage suffered huge damage. Pandit Badrinath Bhat with the active cooperation of some devotees from Murran renovated the cottage and brought it to its original shape in May 2007. They also raised beautiful fencing around the Ashram premises.

The walnut sandals of the Yogi were removed by Badrinath Bhat and put in his “Pooja room” in 1996. He worships them there. Pandit Badrinath Bhat, since his childhood days was devoted to Nidhan Kak. He says he learnt from his elders like Govind Kak of Murran, Sham Lal Deeri, Maharaj Krishen Deeri, Mohd. Akram Harapora, Lassi Bhat of Harapora, and gathered information from many other elders of Murran, Harapora, and Deeri. Govind Kak was an Ayurveda Vaidya of Murran who miraculously cured patients with the indigenous herbs. He too was a saintly person, very much devoted to Nidhan Kak. He lived up to one hundred years and passed away in 1948. It was he who had shared the historical account of Maharaja Gulab Singh’s visit to Harapora and Murran to Badrinath Bhat.

*R. C. Ganjoo is a senior journalist and columnist having more than 40 years’ experience of covering issues concerning national security, particularly Kashmir. He has worked with several prominent media groups and his articles have been published in many national and international publications. He has co-authored two books– “Operation Khatma’’ and “Farooq of Kashmir’’.

(The views, observations and opinions expressed in the above write up are strictly author’s own. Omission if any is regretful and Kashmir Rechords is open to any correction.)