From the Eyes of Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha : Jamali Kamali Mehrauli Delhi

From the Eyes of Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha : 

Jamali Kamali Mehrauli Delhi

(All the images are subject to IPR)

Near world famous Qutab Minar Complex Delhi , there is Mehrauli Archaeological Park which houses a number of old structures mostly belonging to Medieval period.  Structures before that  period might have been demolished or  destroyed completely by the foreign invaders.

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Jamali Kamali  is situated in Mehrauli Archaeological Park on Mehrauli Gurgaon road. It is a quite known structure and always attracts visitors. It is supposed to be a haunted place.

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Jamali Kamali  Mosque and Tomb comprise two monuments adjacent to each other . One is the mosque and the other is the tomb of two persons with the names Jamali and Kamali.

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Jamali was the  alias given to Shaikh Fazlu'llah. He was a renowned sufi saint. Belonging to Sunni merchant family he was indoctrinated to Sufism by Sheik Samauddin. He was a popular poet who travelled widely around Asia and the Middle East. He became court poet during Lodi Dynasty. His poetry mirrored Persian Mysticism of the times.

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Kamali was an unknown person but associated with Jamali. His antecedents have not been established.

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Their names were were tagged together as "Jamali Kamali" for the mosque as well as tomb and the whole complex is popularly known as Jamali Kamali.

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

The vast and attractive structure of Jamali Kamali attracts the visitors from a distance when one enters in Mehrauli Archaeological Park.

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Jamali Kamali has been built in red stones with marble embellishments. It is claimed to be forerunner in the design of Mughal mosque architecture in India. The walls of the structure are adorned with inlaid coloured tiles inscribed with Jamali poems.

Image (C) Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Hindutva & Foreign-born Cheerleaders of Hindutva

Hindutva & Foreign-born Cheerleaders of Hindutva

The 1995 Supreme Court judgement defined "Hindutva"as a "way of life"and nothing to do with "narrow fundamentalist Hindu religious bigotry".

Foreign Indologists like David Frawley and Koenraad Elst, journalist Francois Gautier and Pakistan-born Canadian Tarek Fatah are legitimizing the Hindutva version of nationalism  hurling ammunition against left-liberal discourse.

Image Courtesy: youtube.com

David Frawley describes himself as an American Hindu teacher. He married to Yogini Shambhavi Chopra and runs a web-based education centre on Ayurveda, Yoga-vedanta and Vedic Astrology from Santa Fe United States. Padma Bhushan Awardee David Frawley also goes by the name Pandit Vamdev Shastri. He feels that India is on the path to dharmic traditions. An importance is now being attached to Yoga and India's dharmic values and traditions both in the country and as a matter of foreign policy. Politics as 'karma yoga' is now being better acknowledged.

Image Courtesy: indiatvnews.com

Francois Gautier is a Delhi-based French journalist. Married to Namrita he has founded FACT-India which commissions films documenting human rights abuses in South Asia. Gautier claimed that French seer Nostradamus named the present Prime Minister in his predictions. Gautier is so much influenced by Hindutva & Indian traditional values that he even identified 50 enemies of Hindus.

Image Courtesy: microstat.in

Koenraad Elst is Belgian Orientalist who is popular on the think-tank circuit. He participated recently in the Swadeshi Indologist Conference held in Delhi. He has many admirers in the country with his study that claims the irrefutable presence of a temple in Ayodhya where the Babri Masjid stood.

Image Coutesy : youtube.com

Tarek Fatah is a Pakistan-born Canadian . He hosts a TV show "Fatah Ka Fatwa" on social issues plaguing Islam  on Zee TV. He takes stands on issues like triple talaq, renaming of roads, beef consumption etc. Fatah describes himself as an Indian born in Pakistan and a Muslim whose ancestors were Hindus.

Image Courtesy: tibet.net

Dalai Lama, while on a visit to Arunachal Pradesh, describes that  all of Asia is 'Chela (disciple)' of India and India's philosophy as highly advanced and western philosophy as kindergarten-like.

"Asia is 'Chela (Disciple)' of India" - 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso

"Asia is 'Chela (Disciple)' of India" - 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso

Buddhism is a religion of that encompasses a variety of beliefs, traditions and spiritual practices mostly based on the teachings of Lord Buddha. Buddhism originated in India around 6th century BC and spread through much of Asia. Buddhism is the world's fourth-largest religion.

Tibetan Buddhism preserves the Vajrayana teachings of 8th centuries India. It is practiced in regions surrounding Himalayas, Mongolia and Kalmykia.

14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso
Image Courtesy: dharmalog.com

On reaching Dirang (50 km south of Tawang) Arunachal Pradesh, one of the states of North East India on 6th April 2017  and addressing a select gathering at a prayer hall, Dalai Lama said that the whole of Asia including China owes a lot to India. He further said that Buddha Dharma and Buddha's teachings have come from ancient Indian civilization and it is from India that Buddhism reached Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos and then China, Vietnam and Tibet. 

Dalai Lama  described all of Asia as "chelas (disciple) of India" and India's philosophy as highly advanced and western philosophy as kindergarten-like.  

Who Is Dalai Lama ?

Who Is Dalai Lama ?

Dalai Lama trip to Arunachal Pradesh state of North East India has fuelled tension and also creates curiosity to know " Who is Dalai Lama?"

The Dalai Lama is a monk of the Gelug or"Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism. Gelug is the newest of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism founded by Je Tsongkhapa. The title 'The Dalai Lama' was created by Altan Khan in1578.

The Dalai Lama is a combination of the Mongolian word 'dalai' meaning 'ocean' and the Tibetan word 'lama' meaning 'guru, mentor, teacher'. The Tibetan word 'lama' corresponds to the better known Sanskrit word 'guru'.

The Dalai Lama is considered to be successor in a line of 'tulkus'. Tulkus are believed to be incarnations of 'Avlokitesvara', the Bodhisattva of Compassion - called Chenrezig in Tibetan.

The Dalai Lama has always been an important and influential figure of the Gelug tradition and also beyond sectarian boundaries. Since the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama his personage has always been a symbol of   unification of the state of Tibet, where he has represented Buddhist values and traditions.

There have been 14 recognized incarnations of the Dalai Lama :

1.  Gendun Drup

2.  Gendun Gyatso

3.  Sonam Gyatso

4.  Yonten Gyatso

5.  Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso

6.  Tsangyang Gyatso

7.  Kelzang Gyatso

8.  Jamphel Gyatso

9.  Lungtok Gyatso

10.Tsultrim Gyatso

11. Khendrup Gyatso

12. Trinley Gyatso

13. Thubten Gyatso

14. Tenzin Gyatso 

Ancient Lal Kot Fort Wall Mehrauli Delhi India

Video uploaded by Dr  Ajay Kumar Ojha

Lal Kot Fort was  constructed by  the Tomar ruler Anangpal I in 731 AD. It was expanded by Anangpal II. Later Prithviraj Chauhan expanded the fort in 12th century and named it Qila Rai Pithoragarh. This video clip by Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha, captures the ancient Lal Kot Fort wall seen  neglected in ruins in Mehrauli New  Delhi near Qutab Minar

Hidden Paradise Tawang, Tawang Monastery Arunachal Pradesh India

Hidden Paradise Tawang, Tawang Monastery  Arunachal Pradesh India

Image courtesy :nelive.in

Tawang is a mountain town situated  at an elevation of around ten thousand feet in the northwestern part of Arunachal Pradesh - one of the states of North East India. Tawang has a glorious heritage of arts and crafts. Craftsmanship is manifested in various trades like weaving, bamboo works and paintings, paper making, incense making, pottery etc.

Tawang has many beautiful and attractive places in its lap such as Sela Pass, Jang Water Falls Panggang-Teng Tso lake, Chagzam bridge, Bapteng-Kang waterfall, War Memorial, Urgelling Gompa, Khinmey Gompa.  

Hemis Monastery Leh  Jammu & Kashmir
Image Courtesy : Dr Ajay Kumar Ojha

Tawang monastery is the largest monastery in India and in importance second only to that of Lhasa, capital of Tibet.

It was in Tawang that 6th Dalai Lama, a Monpa, was born in the late 17th century. Tawang is the home to Monpas, whom many recognize as part of the Tibetan race,

The majestic Galden Namgyal Lhatse Gonpha, more popular as Tawang monastery, was built in 1681 according to the wishes of the 5th Dalai Lama. This gonpha belongs to the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism and is supposed to be the second largest place of worship after Potala. The eight metre high glided statue of Lord Buddha dominates the sanctum. Potala is the original seat of the Dalai Lama in Lhasa. The present Dalai Lama, too, belongs to this sect.

Tawang Monastery
Image courtesy :excitingindia.in

Before British India annexed Tawang, Buddhist province was part of Tibet. But Tawang is situated 47 km south of the McMahon Line which runs between Tibet and India and hence Tawang is integral part of India.

Tawang town has more than ten thousand people. A sizeable number of the people are Nepalis, Biharis and Assamese and thus Tawang is more integrated into Indian mainstream and has adopted Hindi as its lingua franca.

Every time the Dalai Lama visits Tawang , the monk is wounded with words. The Dalai Lama has been there many times in the past also. This visit , too, is no exception as far as sharp reaction across the border is concerned.

Spiritual Sojurns : 

Tibetan Spiritual Leader Dalai Lama's  Visit To Arunachal

1983: 

March 24 - May 6  

March 27-29           : Miao 

March 29- April 10: Tenzingang 

April 10-11              : Bomdila 

April 11-17              : Tawang

April 17-29              : Dirang

April 29 - May 4     : Bomdila

May 4-6                   : Itanagar

1996

December 7 - 16

December 8 - 11   : Miao

December 11 - 14 : Tezu

December 14 - 16 : Miring

1997

October 9-21

October 10 - 13   : Tenzingang

October  13 - 14  : Bomdila

October  14 - 15  : Dirang

October   15 -21  : Tawang

2003
April 29 - May 9
April 29 - May 1  : Tenzingang
May 1                    : Dahung
May 1 - 3               : Bomdila
May 3                     : Dirang
May 3 - 9                : Tawang

2003
December 11 - 17
December 11 - 13 : Miao
December 13        : Tuting
December 13 - 15 : Tezu
December 15         : Mechuka
December 15 -17   : Itanagar
December 17          : Chowkham 

2009
November 8 - 15
He commenced visit from Tawang on November 8 and was there for four days.