The first Moghul

Kuldip Dhiman

Reviewed for The Tribune, November1, 2009
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20091101/spectrum/book5.htm

Empire of the Moghul: Raiders from the North
By Alex Rutherford.
Headline Review.
Pages 436. Rs 495.

WHEN Babur was barely 12, his father died in a freak accident. Hardly had Babur got over the shock, he had to prepare himself to take over the reigns of Ferghana or else he would be dethroned by his uncles or cousins. Just retaining Ferghana would not be enough, though. His father had told him on several occasions: "We owe Timur a debt. He was a great man, my son. His blood is your blood. Never forget it. Be like him, if you can. Live up to your destiny and let it be greater than mine."

And Babur would never forget the words of his father. So, at an age, when you play in the fields, Babur found himself burdened with the responsibilities of a ruler as his father had not left a very secure kingdom for him. The problems were not only external, for his uncles, cousins, and other hopefuls were only too keen to topple him and seize power.

In Alex Rutherford's Empire of the Moghul: Raiders from the North, we find Babur trying to consolidate his position and regain some of the lost lands. His first job was to attack Samarkand. It was a long campaign lasting seven months, and it proved to be expensive and he realised that while he was engaged in the seize, Fergana had been usurped by his detractors. And as he charged back to recover it, his troops deserted in Samarkand. The whole experience found Babur losing both Samarkand as well as Fergana. The young king was beginning to realise the harsh realities of life, and he would need all the talents of his great ancestors. For instance, to realise his ambition, he would have to make alliances with his cousin Mahmud, who would help him seize Samarkand in order to win a bride for himself. Their motives were different, but the ruthlessness the same.

In this action-packed historical novel, which is first of a series of five novels that he is writing on Moghul emperors, Rutherford, magnificently recreates the rise of Babur from the Mediterranean, through Afghanistan, and finally India, where he founded the Moghul dynasty. The novel is meticulously researched, and the author claims to have visited every location described in it. The result is a dramatic and picturesque presentation of history that keeps you turning page after page although you might be familiar with major historical facts. History books give facts, but it is historical fiction that puts life into the characters and events. Rutherford's lively prose and sharp psychological insights make us feel and care for the characters we meet in the book. Apart from the major players, Rutherford very passionately creates the others like Wazir Khan, Babur's mentor and protector; Kutlugh Nigar, his mother; Khanzada, his sister, and Roxanna, his father's concubine.

In the deft hands of Rutherford, Babur emerges as a strong and ambitious man who he is ruthless at times but also kind and gives in to weaker passions sometimes. And although he might have earned a name for himself in history books as winner of several battles, we see him not so victorious on the personal front because there the sword does not work. The mighty conqueror finds himself unable to elicit any love from his first wife, Ayisha. "He had never seen her smile—not once. A smile might have softened her and, in turn, softened his feelings towards her. Instead, lying with her seemed almost like sleeping with a warm corpse—no response, no passion, no engagement, just those unblinking dark eyes seemingly focused on the middle distance as he spent himself in her unresisting body."

This is one battle Babur might have loved to win the most.

Quantum Consciousness or God?

Kuldip Dhiman

God is not Dead: What Quantum Physics Tells us About our Origins and How We Should Live
By Amit Goswami.
Jaico.
Pages 310. Rs 295.

Aristotle showed us that whenever we ask the "why" question, four explanations or causes could be given. They are: material cause, formal cause, efficient cause, and final cause. If we take the example of a chair, wood is its material cause. Formal cause shows us what a thing is; in other words, it identifies it—we might think in terms of the shape of the chair. The efficient cause is the reason for the object to be. In case of the chair, the efficient cause is the carpenter. And the final cause explains why the chair was made, or what was the purpose (teleology) behind making it. Chairs are made so that people can sit on them.

With the rise of modern scientific thinking, the last two causes are no longer considered because they would suggest that the world was created by a supreme being. This is not acceptable to modern materialistic science. As scientific thinking began to hold the imagination of thinkers, Friedrich Nietzsche made his bold proclamation a century ago: "God is dead".

Amit Goswami declares the opposite in God is not Dead, and he uses the presuppositions of quantum physics to justify his claim. To be sure, Goswami is not a saffron-clad swami dabbling in quantum mechanics to pass off his religious beliefs by using scientific terminology. He is a theoretical nuclear physicist and member of The University of Oregon Institute for Theoretical Physics for the last 40 years.

Goswami argues that scientific materialism cannot give us a complete explanation of the world as there are aspects of the phenomenal world that are impossible to address within the materialist framework of science. Where, then, lies the solution? The solution, says Goswami, could be found in quantum physics — the science of the subatomic realm.

Very briefly, in Newtonian physics, objects are determined things, but in quantum physics, objects are possibilities from which consciousness chooses. The stress in Newtonian physics is on objectivity, that is, the person conducting the experiment is just an impartial observer; he does not interfere in the experiment in any way. But when we enter the world of subatomic particles, subjectivity becomes important as it influences the physical processes.

For instance, light waves sometimes act like particles and particles sometimes act like waves depending upon how they are observed, this is called wave particle duality. Further, matter can go from one spot to another without moving through the intervening space—this is called quantum tunnelling. Instead of the certain world of macro level physics, in quantum mechanics, the entire universe is nothing but a series of probabilities that depend upon a sentient observer. And once subjectivity enters, consciousness cannot be treated as mere by-product of biological processes, because it actively shapes the outcome of the experiment.

In the micro realm, objects remain as waves of possibility until they are brought into manifestation through the act of observation. Quantum objects are waves of possibility of consciousness. "Consciousness, not matter," says Goswami, "is the ground of being, in which matter exists only as possibilities. Through the act of quantum measurement or observation, consciousness converts possibility into actuality, by collapsing waves into particles or things, at the same time splitting itself into a subject that sees and objects that are seen `85. In other words, quantum thinking allows us to treat mind and matter, internal and external experiences on equal footing, extending causal efficacy and importance of both."

But how does this prove the existence of God? When we observe the world, our consciousness chooses among the quantum possibilities to collapse an actuality of experience. This way, we create our own reality. It must, however, be remembered, that we do not create reality in our ordinary state of consciousness, but in a non-ordinary state of consciousness called unified consciousness or universal consciousness. And it is this unified consciousness that could be called God, but this God is not some patriarchal figure sitting up in the sky controlling the affairs of the world.

Goswami further argues that neither Darwinian random evolution nor Creationism can explain the origins of life, but the evolution guided by unified consciousness. There are the fossil gaps, for instance, which cannot be understood in any other way but by thinking of intelligent design through quantum evolution. Evolution is not a gradual process, rather it undergoes quantum leaps at times. The missing links prove that in the past, we have had epochs of evolution in which quantum leaps of creativity took place.

Using these basic assumptions of quantum theory, Goswami shows us that we can answer questions relating to soul, mind, creativity, reincarnation, paranormal phenomena, ESP, dreams and more importantly, mystic experience. In fact, he interacted with several mystics to understand the mysteries of reality.

This book is an interesting addition to scientific literature. Goswami writes clearly and argues intelligently, and is among a handful of Indians who can write on science. But without belittling the author's effort, it must be said that the concept of applying quantum theorising to understand the metaphysical and spiritual realm is not altogether new.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090816/spectrum/book2.htm

Spare the rod, but not the discipline

Corporal punishment is to be deplored, not regimentation.

By Kuldip Dhiman

Another child is beaten up, another teacher is penalised, and the debate is suddenly alive: whether we ought to spare the rod or not. And this debate, like most others, swings from one extreme to the other. While my parents often told my teachers, "If he misbehaves, don't tell us, just thrash him thoroughly"; most parents now would take the school authorities to court for 'touching' their little ones.

Those who propose to banish corporal punishment in schools, suggest as alternatives positive behaviour techniques like communication, reasoning, conferences with students for planning acceptable behaviour, parent-teacher conferences about student behaviour, use of staff such as school psychologists and counsellors and above all love and affection. Good suggestions, but hardly practicable in an over-populated country like ours where in many areas the schools are overcrowded, understaffed, teachers are poorly paid, and often there is no school building at all.

It is believed that corporal punishment leaves emotional scars on children's mind, and they grow up to be violent and unruly adults. Those who hold this line might be surprised to know that recent studies show that the percentage of people who had committed violent crimes has been almost identical among those who were spanked and those who were not. While I am not a supporter of corporal punishment, I argue that we must evaluate the problem rationally rather than jump to conclusions out of mere emotional responses. As is often the case, whenever we hear about a case of corporal punishment, we often blame the teacher without hearing her or his version of the story, just as in a case of a traffic accident involving a car and a cycle, the car driver is presumed guilty and beaten up even if the cyclist was at fault.

But what is corporal punishment in the first place? While it is recognisable in extreme forms like caning and whipping, what about milder forms? More and more forms of punishments are being defined as corporal punishment these days, so much so that one day even scolding a child for misbehaving might be classified as corporal punishment.

While love, communication and reasoning are to be preferred to the rod, we must not forget that in most cases, our classrooms are packed with about sixty to seventy children. The hapless teacher cannot be expected to reason with those who habitually not only misbehave, but also bully him and other children in the classroom. A patient teacher might try love and affection once, twice, or even thrice, but on the fourth occasion is likely to loose his cool. Don't parents themselves beat up their children after trying other milder methods? Why should it be any different with the teacher who does not have to deal with two or three, but over sixty children all day! Besides, it is often difficult and time-consuming to reason with a child of secondary school level. If the teacher tried to reason with every single errant child, he would have no time left to teach. And experience shows that children do like some degree of firmness on the part of the teacher, and they have scant regard for a teacher who is lenient.

In most cases of corporal punishment, it is often not clear who is to blame, the teacher or the child or the parents. Because adults and children influence each other, argues developmental psychopathologist Michael Rutter, it is not always clear whether an adult's hostility is the cause or the effect of a child's misbehaviour. Family disruption and conflict and ineffective parenting do contribute to and aggravate many childhood problems, but many of these problems are also rooted partially in genetic endowment and grow out of a complex transactional process in which children affect and are affected by their elders and their wider social environment. It is high time to move beyond the simple view that parents and teachers alone are to blame for children's behavioural problems.

While corporal punishment should certainly be deplored, regimentation and discipline must be enforced at all costs. After all why do we send children to school? So they could learn to work with others, learn social customs, learn to cooperate and compete with peer groups.

But discipline must not be confused with coercion, for discipline could be instilled in children without coercion. Experts like Robert E. Larzelere, suggest that disciplinary responses could begin with less severe tactics, such as reasoning, but proceed to firmer tactics when the initial methods achieve neither compliance nor an acceptable compromise. This is consistent with many studies showing that a combination of reasoning and punishment is more effective than either one alone and with new evidence that this sequence enhances the effectiveness of milder disciplinary tactics.

Every child is unique, some are naturally well-behaved by disposition, while others need to be disciplined, and there are those who only understand the language of the cane. It would be unwise to treat all of them with one method. In the case of children belonging to the third category, school authorities could have a long hard talk with the parents instead of beating the child black and blue themselves.

Ayurveda and healthy life

After getting a doctorate degree in reproduction biology in India, Dr Vinod Verma studied neurobiology in Paris University. She later started exploring the ayurvedic system, and is now working hard to make its usefulness known to people. Excerpts from an interview with Kuldip Dhiman

The pace of life has changed drastically, creating all sorts of health problems. What cure does ayurveda have for lifestyle ailments such as obesity?

Dr Vinod Verma feels that ayurveda is the mother of all other medical systems

Well, health problems are there because we have forgotten the age-old tradition of ayurveda, which is not merely a medical system but this enormous wisdom is for leading a healthy and happy life with total well-being of the body and the mind. Emphasis on achara-vyavahara (lifestyle) is the primary wisdom of ayurveda. One should live with desha and kala (space and time).

I have made a mantra in my book, Ayurvedic Food Culture and Recipes, for teaching the fundamentals of ayurvedic nutrition—eating what, when, how and how much. All these factors have to be learnt individually and should be co-related. The whole ayurvedic food culture or other aspects cannot be learnt in a day. Otherwise, there was no need for me to write so many books.

Bad food with chemical fertilisers, artificial colours and flavour, bad quality fats, too much salt and sugar are some of the causes of over-weight and obesity.

Each individual should learn about the fundamentals of ayurvedic lifestyle and make an effort to remain healthy

Weight can vary due to constitution and structure of the body. One should take care of the shape and form of the body. There should be no extra hanging flesh. Let me give some suggestions for the benefit of your readers for balancing weight. Do surya pranam 12 times (it takes 10 minutes) after drinking a glass of hot water in the morning, or go for a half-an-hour walk. One should eat strictly three times a day, and absolutely nothing in between. Fill the stomach two-thirds, as ayurveda suggests. One-third of the stomach should be left for digestive juices. Never sit down after main meals. It is advised to walk at least 100 steps after the meal, or get involved in other activities that need body movements.

Eat your dinner at least two hours before going to bed, and lastly, drink a glass of hot water after getting up in the morning and before going to bed at night. Following these nutrition principles of ayurveda, not only will you be able to control your weight, but you will also get rid of minor stomach problems.

Does ayurveda have cure for psychological ailments like depression, stress, anxiety?

Ayurveda has cure for psychological and mental ailments. But the way your question is formulated, you have a mindset of modern medicine, which has a capsule-and-injection culture. In ayurveda, the treatment means a lot of other things besides aushadhi (medicine) — nutrition, external application of heat and other ointments, yogasanas and pranayama, japa for spiritual therapy, etc. If we compare the modern methods of therapy and ayurvedic treatment with food, the former is fast food, which gives rise ultimately to bad health, and the latter is a gourmet meal prepared with great effort and love, and has a rejuvenating effect on your body.

We live in a highly competitive world. As a result, there is a tremendous pressure on children to do well academically. Have you got any tips for sharpening the brain cells?

The stress and pressure are not only managed by sharpening the brain cells. One equally needs a good training in sattvic (pure) thoughts, which today's parents are not providing. For promoting memory, one should powder the following products and take a tablespoon of these with hot milk everyday: cashew nuts—5 parts; pepper—1 part; pippali—1 part; coriander—1 part; mullethi—1 part; saunf—1 part. There are many other products also in ayurveda but this is a simple home remedy people can make themselves.

You are involved in research. Tell us about it, and how it will help people in general.

My research involves gathering practical wisdom of ayurveda from all sources in the country and making it available to the common people for the benefit of health, promoting strength and preventing ailments. There exist so many simple solutions to complicated problems. To give you a simple example, I have cured many people of their nagging stomach problems by making them follow the eight principles of ayurvedic food culture.

All this is only possible with the personal efforts of each individual. Vaidyas and doctors are meant for emergencies and to treat ailments, and not for your headaches, cough and cold.

Each individual should learn about the fundamentals of ayurvedic lifestyle, make a conscious effort to remain healthy, enhance strength by taking rasayanas, make all efforts to prevent ailments, eat organic, well-prepared wholesome food with variety of herbs and spices, detoxify the body from time to time with some special products, do the inner and outer cleansing of the body, and make sure that the mala is excreted properly.

Is ayurveda scientific?

Yes, absolutely. It is very specific about pharmacology of products, their effect on the body, balancing of a drug, dose and frequency. In fact, it is the mother system of all the other medical systems of the world. It is a pity that some sadhus and religious cults are trying to use it to their own advantage and present its distorted version to the world. They ask people to be vegetarian, not eat onions and garlic, and so many other things like that. Ayurveda describes thousands of properties of garlic. Charaka has described 64 kinds of wine, and has given description of every possible meat.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090314/saturday/main3.htm

Belur: Sheer poetry in stone

by Kuldip Dhiman

HEAVENLY guardian angels welcome you as you enter the ornate doors of the temple; a bevy of voluptuous apsaras and dancing girls tempt you with their sensual curves; scenes illustrating the two epics are there to entertain and inform; the gaze of the principal deity overwhelms you as you enter the inner sanctum. These are the splendours of Belur and Halebid where the sculptors of the bygone age seem to have stretched the art of sculpture to its very limits.

They may not be as well known as the Khajuraho temples, but the temples built by the Hoysala Dynasty between AD 1050 and 1300 in Karnataka epitomise the artistic splendour of their time. The singular feature of these temples is the obvious shit of emphasis from architecture to sculpture. Granite appears to have become modelling clay in the hands of the sculptors of the magnificent statues that are on display. The first of the Hoysala temples, the Chennakesava temple of Belur and the Hoysalesvar temple of Halebid, are the very paradigms of Hoysala art. The construction of both these temples began in AD 1117.

The 38 splendidly carved bracket figures of the Chennakesava temple illustrate the concept of the ideal woman according to the social mores of the 12th century. These highly ornamented curvaceous and rather plump beauties, called Mandanikas, are clearly the pieces de resistance that the temple has to offer. This, however, does not mean that other figures that adorn the temple are in any way inferior. Apart from gods and goddesses and apsaras, there are rows and rows of highly decorated elephants. The guides at Belur and Halebid challenge you to find two elephants that are exactly the same. Then we have the exquisitely carved lathe-turned pillars of the main hall. Heavily bejewelled buxom dancing damsels adorn the four central pillars of the main hall. Surprisingly the temple does not have a superstructure (tower), thus making us wonder if it was left incomplete.

The Madhavaraya temple and the Kappechennigaraya temples are the other attractions in Belur. Although not as well known as the Chennakesava temple, the Madhavaraya temple deser-ves a visit. The pillars of this temple are most intricately carved. The central ceiling, according to Gerard Foekema, "may in fact be the most elaborate one in the whole of India.

In the huge garbhagrha there stands a giant cult-image of Kesava, the form of Visnu .... In an inscription on its pedestal, and in two other inscriptions regarding the erection and consecration of the temple, the deity is called Vijayanara-yana".

Now we move to the Hoyasalesvar temple of Halebid, just 15 km to the north-east of Belur, and 30 km from Hassan. It was constructed 10 years after the Chennakesava temple and was left incomplete in spite of 80 years' hard work that went into it. In reality this temple complex is made of two identical temples joined together. Gerard Foekema observes: "The lavish series of large images, stretched out over the full length of the back of the temple, is the most glorious achievement of the Hoysala sculptural art. It is unequalled in wealth and richness, and unequalled in size and extension. From the architectural point of view the temple is also unequalled but, sad to say, less successful".

This temple is also studded with finely crafted figures of gods and goddesses and dancing beauties. Then we have the relief sculptures depicting elephants, lions, swans, and scenes illustrating the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Another scholar observes: "Likewise, the four doorways of the temple, the lintels and guardian angels (dwarpalas) — all subjected to heavy ornamentation — give the impression of being the work of a master goldsmith rather than a sculptor".

Belur and Halebid are very well connected by road.

There are regular tourist coaches, and conducted tours from Bangalore and Mysore. Those wishing to explore the area leisurely might stay at Hassan and make daily tours to the temples. Hassan has a number of good hotels and restaurants.

Take twice or thrice the number of film rolls you expect to shoot because the marvellously sculpted apsaras of Belur and Halebid can make the most stingy person to overshoot.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/1998/98sep06/sunday/head6.htm

Drona’s very own temple

By Kuldip Dhiman

"THIS is the only temple in India which is dedicated to the great teacher Dronacharya," the priest of the Drona Shiva Temple, Shiv Baadi, declares emphatically. As you stroll through the woods, your mind begins to wander. Is this the home of the legendary Dronacharya?

Was this forest house his famous gurukula? Is this the spot where the great teacher trained Arjuna and the rest? Believers accept the priest's words without much ado; skeptics ask for evidence: Alas! there is none.

The legend says that Yayati, Guru Dronacharya's little daughter, was intrigued by the daily disappearance of her father. He would go into the forest and return after a few hours. When she could no longer hold her curiosity, she asked her father about his long absence. All of her questions were met with vague, evasive answers, but the little girl was adamant. She wanted to know the truth.

"I want to go with you, today", she said one day, blocking his way.

"No, my child' you are a little girl. I will take you along when you are a bit older."

But Yayati would not listen and in the end Dronacharya had to give in.

"My dear, your curiosity is understandable. I bathe in the Swaan river every day and then I proceed to the Himalayas, the abode of Lord Shiva. One must have the Lord's blessing and spiritual powers to undertake such a pilgrimage."

"Then, please teach me. You are after all the greatest teacher in the world."

Dronacharya held the little girl in his arms and asked her to recite Om Namo Shivaya. Yayati took her father's words seriously and began to chant the mantra everyday. Soon Shiva appeared, and on seeing that a little girl was chanting his name, he transformed himself into a little boy, and began to play with her. Yayati was very happy for having found such a lovable playmate.

One day, Dronacharya asked his daughter what she did in his absence. She told him about the little boy. Dronacharya was happy that at last his lonely daughter had found a companion to play with. A few days later, on his way to the Himalayas, Dronacharya realised that he had left something behind by mistake. When he returned home he saw his daughter playing with a little boy. It did not take long for Dronacharya to realise who the boy was. The great teacher bowed in reverence, and Shiva had to reveal his identity. Yayati could hardly believe her eyes. Shiva was extremely pleased with her devotion. He blessed her and said that her little village would be one of his favourite places.

Later Dronacharya installed a Shiva-linga on that very spot, and renamed the place Shiv Baadi. Although the present priest believes that 'the Shiva-linga we see today in the sanctum of the main temple is the same that Guru Dronacharya installed about 5,000 years ago', he has no historical evidence to support the claim.

Whether Guru Dronacharya lived here or not, the Drona Shiva Temple does look like an ancient gurukula. Perched on the top of a small hillock, and surrounded by a clump of dense trees, the temple transports you to another age.

But apart from its association with Dronacharya, the temple has nothing much to offer — in terms of its architectural design or aesthetic beauty. However, two rows of samadhis (graves) on the far side of the temple's courtyard look interesting. They are dedicated to sages Ganga-giri, Ichcha-giri, Tamesh-wargiri, Somagiri, Harigiri and many others. The priests tells us that 'these saints meditated here for years, and later buried themselves in the ground below and left this world. These samadhis are dedicated to them'. We see no inscriptions or dates on these graves, but they certainly look quite old. Behind the graves, you can see many. Shivalingas and other idols that were installed by various saints and followers. Just a few places away, is the cremation ground — a Shiva temple always has a place for cremation next to it, we are informed by the priest.

In sharp contrast to the aesthetically laid out samadhis, the main temple is admittedly an eyesore. It has no artistic, aesthetic, or architectural value worth mentioning. It is one of those plain white temple structures that have mushroomed all over the North. The practice of inscribing the names of donors on marble slabs deserves to be condemned because it adds 'visual pollution' It is graffiti of the worst kind. Can you imagine such ugly slabs on the walls and pillars of the Mahabalipuram Temple, or the Konark Sun Temple. To the right of the main temple, is another unadorned temple, constructed by Saint Baldevgiri about 70 years ago.

However, devotees, who pay little attention to aesthetic features, flock to Shiv Baadi in hundreds. Shivaratri is celebrated with great fervour. Another important occasion is the grand fair that is held on the second Saturday after Baisakhi. Located in Ambota village in Himachal Pradesh, Shiva Baadi is about 4 km from Gagret, if you are approaching from Hoshiarpur, and about 2 km from Mubarikpur, if you take the Chandigarh-Ropar-Nangal-Una road. Shiva Baadi can boast of one hotel that offers fairly good accommodation. To get more out of your trip, you could make Chintpurni your main destination, and spend a couple of hours at Shiv Baadi on your way back.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/1998/98dec19/saturday/head8.htm

The abode of Baba Vadbhag Singh

By Kuldip Dhiman

A SEQUESTERED spot in a deep ravine houses famous gurdwaras Dehra Sahib, Manji Sahib and Beiri Sahib. Millions of pilgrims gather here every year during Baisakhi and Holi. Life gets disrupted as the tiny hamlets of Nehri and Mairhi are flooded with devotees. All roads leading to Mairhi are blocked and vehicular traffic is held up for hours on end. As there are not enough sarais, dharamshalas and hotels, every inch of the hillside gets covered with tents.

The ancient gurdwaras Dehra Sahib, Manji Sahib and Beiri Sahib were founded by Baba Vadbhag Singh. The pilgrims also take a dip in the cool waters of the Darshani Khud, also called the Charanganga, which is supposed to ward off evil spirits. It is believed that when Baba Vadbhag Singh chose this beautiful, secluded spot to meditate, he learnt that the place was full of ghosts and evil spirits. The most powerful spirit was of Nahar Singh.

The spirit tried to overpower Baba Vadbhag Singh with its evil force, but was in turn captured by Baba. Nahar Singh surrendered and pledged to protect the valley from other evil spirits. Thus Baba Vadbhag Singh made Mairhi his spiritual home.

Baba Vadbhag Singh was born to Baba Ram Sodhi and Mata Raj Kaur when the atrocities inflicted by the invading Mughals were at their peak. Vadbhag Singh, even at the tender age of five, would listen intently as his mother read Gurbani and other holy scriptures. Realising that his son was a child prodigy, Baba Ram Singh appointed some of the most learned scholars to coach his son in all branches of knowledge, including the martial arts.

Baba'a parents got him married to Radhaji. After her untimely death, he was persuaded to marry Sanghliji. Although Baba Vadbhag Singh was inclined towards spiritualism, he was forced to wield the sword as wave after wave of Mughal invasions, especially those led by Ahmed Shah and Nassar Ali, had created havoc in the region. When Nassar Ali attacked Kartarpur, Baba Vadbhag Singh fought valiantly but had to take shelter in the hills because he had only a handful of soldiers as compared to over 10,000 soldiers of Nassar Ali.

Not content with shedding blood, Nassar Ali burnt Gurdwara Thamm Sahib to ashes, razed many temples to the ground, raped and converted Hindu women to Islam, and slaughtered cows. To defend the honour of his country and religion, Baba Vadbhag Singh organised a band of soldiers and, with the help of Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, Kapoor Singh, Adina Baig and others, attacked the mighty army of Nassar Ali. In the ensuing battle, Nassar Ali was captured and later burnt alive.

After the war, Baba wanted to retire to the hills in order to pursue his spiritual goals. While he bathed in the cool waters of one of the valleys, he saw the images of the 10 Gurus. Thus he decided to name it the Darshani Khud and the waters of this khud came to be called Dhauli Dhar or Charanganga.

Later he pitched the Nishan Sahib under a berry tree and began to meditate. But life was not easy as the valley was full of ghosts and evil spirits. The Baba had to fight with all of them. Due to his spiritual powers, he was able to defeat them.

The Baba constructed a gurdwara on a hill nearby and called it Dehra Sahib. Right across it is Manji Sahib, the place where the Baba used to meditate and relax. The Baba soon began to attract a large following and the place came to be known as Mairhi Sahib.

Mairhi is now in Una district of Himachal Pradesh. It takes about four and a half hours by car to reach Mairhi from Chandigarh. Any bus going towards Jawalamukhi, Dehra or Sujanpur will take you to Mairhi.

Fairly good accommodation is available at Mairhi. But during Holi, one must make prior bookings to avoid disappointment as the place is not well equipped to handle large crowds.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/1999/99jan16/saturday/head6.htm