एक ख़त मेघों के नाम… ek khat meghon ke naam..

एक ख़त मेघों के नाम…

खिड़की दरवाज़े सब बंद हैं
गर्द के गुबार जो दौड़ते हैं रास्तों में
मोगरे का पेड़  दिन भर मुह छिपाए रहता है,
रात में  ही महकती है उसकी चांदनी

चंपा भी दूसरी तरफ फिरा रहता है,
सभी चुप है, कुछ मायूस से,
दरख्तों के साये सिमटे सिमटे से हैं,
नदी तालाब पोखर गुनगुनाते नहीं,
रंग फीके, लय माध्यम,ठहरी सी
सब कुछ सहम गया हो जैसे,
जैसे इंतज़ार किया हो जिसका सदियों
वोह आया न हो अभी तक,
उदासी की ये तपिश, रुला रही है सभी को,
लेकिन अश्क खारे  हैं, सींच नहीं सकते जीवन
दिन का खालीपन बीतता नहीं,
रात भी  बीमार है,सिसक रही है,
तुमहारी आवाज़  की कुछ बूंदे मिल जाएँ तो बच  जाये शायद ,
अब तुम आओ तो कुछ बात बने ...
-विन्नी


khidki darwaaze sab band hain,
gard ke gubaar jo dodhte hain raaston mein,
moogre ka pedh din bhar muh chipaye rehta hai,
raat mein hee mehktee hai us ki chandni,
champa bhi doosee taraf phira rehta hai,
sabhi chup hain, kuch mayoos se,
darakhton ke saaye simte simte se hain,
nadi taalaab pokhar gungunate nahin,
rang feeke, ley madhyam, dehree see,
sab kuch seham gaya ho jaise,
jaise intezaar kiya ho jiska sadiyon,
woh aaya na ho abhi tak,
udaasi ki yeh tapish, rula rahee hai sabhi ko,
lekin ashq khare hain, seench nahin sakte jeevan,
din ka khalipan beetta nahin,
 raat bhi bimaar hai, sisak rahi hai,
tumhari aawaaz ki kuch boonden mil jayen to bach jaye shayad,
ab tum aao to kuch baat bane..
~ Vinny
29/5/13

Sanchi

the many many wonders at Sanchi. The Buddhist vihara at Sanchi, famous for its Great Stupa is located atSanchi Town in Raisen District of the state of Madhya Pradesh, India, it is located 46 km north-east of Bhopal.

The 'Great Stupa' at Sanchi is the oldest stone structure in India and was originally commissioned by the emperor Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BCE. Its nucleus was a simple hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the Buddha. It was crowned by the chatra, a parasol-like structure symbolising high rank, which was intended to honour and shelter the relics. The construction work of this stupa was overseen by Ashoka's wife, Devi herself, who was the daughter of a merchant of Vidisha. Sanchi was also her birthplace as well as the venue of her and Ashoka's wedding. In the 1st century BCE, four elaborately carved toranas (ornamental gateways) and a balustrade encircling the entire structure were added, in the reign of the Satavanas. the complex had many structures, Chaityas, Viharas ans Stupas. two of the lesser stupas, contained the relics of Seriputra and Mogiyana, the Buddhas disciples. the complex situated close to the ancient city of Vidisha, would have housed a substantial Buddhist community in its hey day. its ruins tell a grand tale of a splendorous past...

A British officer in 1818, General Taylor, was the first known Western historian to document (in English) the existence of Sanchi (Sāñcī). Amateur archaeologists and treasure hunters ravaged the site until 1881, when proper restoration work was initiated. Between 1912 and 1919 the structures were restored to their present condition under the supervision of Sir John Marshall.

Today, around fifty monuments remain on the hill of Sanchi, including three stupas and several temples. The monuments have been listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1989.

this is perhaps a representation of the Emperor Ashoka Maurya, who is depicted in a state of shock, nearly collapsing, needing the support of his two wives, at the sight of the wilted Bodhi tree, the tree he revered more than anything else..

एक नयी ग़ज़ल ek nayi gazal

एक नयी ग़ज़ल

जिंदगी भर हमें बस एक यही मलाल रहा,
दिल ए  महरूम बहुत उदास, बेहाल रहा.

यूं  ज़माने भर के सुखन रहे वाबस्ता,लेकिन 
दिल में एक खलिश,एक आलम ए परेशां रहा. 

 हम फिरते रहे दश्त दश्त शहर  शहर 
न दिल में चैन न खुद का ख़याल रहा। 

बेखुदी में क्या खोया क्या पाया, रंज नहीं,

न दिन गिने, न हिसाब लिखा,न याद रहा. 

 तुम आये मेरे शहर और मिले भी नहीं,
यूं हमें भी कब तक़ल्लुफ़ का ख्याल रहा. 

दिल ए आश्ना की बात माने के न माने ,
जिंदगी भर मेरे आगे ये सवाल रहा. 

उसकी एक एक ख़ुशी पर जान वार दी,
उम्र भर अपना बस यही हाल रहा. 

हज़ार कोशिशें की हमने उम्र भर लेकिन,
दरिया ए इश्क़ के पार जाना  दुश्वार रहा. 

जिंदगी अब क्या सुनाएँ हम हाल अपना, 
तूने जिस हाल रखा, मैं उस हाल रहा. 
~ विन्नी 
२०/४/१५ 




Jindagi bhar hamen bas ek yahi malal raha,

Dil e mehroom bahut udaas, behaal raha

Yoon to zamane bhar ke sukhan rahe vabasta,lekin,

dil main, ek khalish, ek aalam e parishan raha.

Hum phirte rahe dasht dasht sheher sheher

Na dil main chain na khud ka khayal raha

Bekhudi main kya khoya, kya paya, ranj nahin

Na din gine, na hisaab likha, na yaad hee raha

Tum aaye mere sheher aur mile bhi nahin

yoon hamen bhi kab taqalluf ka khayal raha

dil e aashna ki baat maane ke na maane

jindagi bhar mere aage ye sawaal raha

uski ek ek khushi par jaan waar di,

umr bhar apna,bas yahi haal raha.

Hazar koshishen ki hamne umr bhar lekin,

Dariya e ishq ke paar jaana dushwaar raha.

Jindagi , ab kya sunayen hum haal apna

Toone jis haal rakha, main us haal raha.

~Vinny

20/4/15

Tum Naghma-o-Mah-o-anjum ho

Tum Naghma-o-Mah-o-anjum ho,
Tum soz-e- Tamana kya jano,
Tum Dard-e-Muhabbat kya samjho,
Tum dil ka tarpana kya jano.

Tum Rooth gae jab jab humsay, hum tumko mana hi letay thay,
Ik baar agar hum rooth gae,
Tum hum ko manana kya jano.

Takhreeb-e-Muhabbat Asaan hai,
taemeer-e-muhabbat mushkil hai,
Tum Aag lagana seekh gae,
Tum Aag bujhana kya jano.

Tum door kharay dekha hi kiye, aur doobne walla doob gaya,
Saahil ko tum manzil samjhe,
Tum lazzat-e-darriya kya jano........

Behzad Lucknawi

Abhanagri, or Abhaneri, the medieval capital of the Gujar Pratihara Kings

its the year 1120,and you are a resident of theThe village of Abhaneri  established by the Gurjar Pratihar king Samrat  Bhoj.the legendry Mihir Raja Bhoj, the fabled King Raja Chand, is now no more, he has been dead for a century, and the city,once the very epitome of civilization and culture has seen its glory fade.
the year has been good, that is to say that the harvest has been good, the Gods have been kind, the  baoli fills up with rain water every year and the Gods are placated at the annual festival in spring,held in honour of Harshat mata, the goddess of wealth and happiness whose temple is where the village gathers every eve. the temple and its forecourt, as well as the the two adjacent temples are the hub of the city, everything happens here,worship, commerce,  love and festivity, the goddess, in her happiness ensures that the village stays happy too.the baoli with its five story deep well, is where everyone meets and all sorts of stories transpire. There are three ways to reach the water using the steps, which are divided into stories. This colossal, delicately carved well is located in front of the Harshat Mata Temple. It was a ritual to wash the hands and feet at the well before visiting the adjoining temple. ...life is good and happy and peace reigns.. indeed the city is called Abhanagri, the city of glory...

dark clouds however are gathering in the distance. the wealth of the city has attracted scavengers, the hordes gather to loot and pillage.the might of the Gujar Pratihars has kept the invading, looting, molesting, armies of the Sultan of Ghazni at bay. but this year is different, one can sense that the city's defenses are gone and the horde threatens to attack again. the Sultan, Mohammad Ghazni, is particularly rapacious they say, and the wealth of the city is too big a temptation to ignore. you've served in the army before , have tasted blood and felt the weight of the sword, you know the strengths of the invading forces and are fearful of what awaits. what is to be done?

the king sends out a call to join the forces and some amongst the village do. honour is at stake, as is wealth and the lives of families, women and children. you weigh your options and with a heavy heart flee, your gold and your family with you, heading west and south ,as far away as you can...desperate...

you stay away three moons, you know that your city was attacked, you know all is lost, you mourn you despair...you come back to find the city in ruins, you've returned to devastation.the temples all three, razed to the ground, the Gods disfigured, the city empty of living souls, the stench of death everywhere. you hear that the women and the children were enslaved, carted off to far away Ghazni to be sold in the bazaars there, the men all dead..

you go back to your ruined hamlet..and begin picking up the pieces of your life...the city will never be what it was again..its time is past. you hear stories of the fate that your neighbors met, that there is now a stone installed in the bazars of Ghor indicating the place where 'dukhtar e hinds' (daughters of India) can be bought, to enslave, and you offer a daily prayer to the gods who saved you and your family from such a fate...life does go on, but it is never quite the same again

 Chand Baoli...

 

 

 the restored Harshat Mata temple, restored by the king of Jaipur, the dome is from recent times. ( Abhaneri is about 90 kilometers from Jaipur, in Rajasthan, in the District of Dausa.)

the richly carved stones, tell a story of prosperity..

this curious phallic figure, obviously associated with some sort of fertility rite, it depicts a dominant man, pllaus extended, and three women, one kneeling face down on the ground, the man bears down upon her...

this pavillion at the entrance of the baoli was added by the Mughal emperor Jahangir , who undertook the restoration and recharging of the step well