The Music Of The Song Of Life

I am happy to read that! I hear a sweet sounds of Violin... That`s splendid! Irina.

Indeed a beautifully Articulated piece.

Zeenatji,
Another terrific piece-- eeking with the song of life (or the tension from its yearning). Reading it was both a pleasure and a catharsis. Found myself wiping a tear now and then. Also, coldn`t help relating the story to a friends daughter`s immanent admission into nursery school here in Karachi, where I fear the Song will be `discplined` out of her.
Again, a lovely read. You go, girl!
rgds,
PM

Sweet !

... wonder what the poor Christmas Trees lined up for sale at the ``Dairy Queen`` (ice cream does not sell in winter !) at the end of our street are thinking - do they like being lighted up in a home for their last hurrah before being mulched ?

Here is the story for you about the 363 Bishnois that laid down their lives to save their trees in the year 1730 ...

---------------
It was a Tuesady, black Tuesday in Khejadli. 10th day of the bright fortnight of the month Bhadrapad (Indian lunar Calendar) in 1730 A.D.
Amrita Devi a mother of three daughters viz. Asu, Ratni and Bhagu bai was at home with her daughters. Suddenly, she came to know that many people had descended in their otherwise sleepy village. It was a party of Maharaja (local King ) Abhay Singhji, Ruler of Marwar (Jodhpur) state who wanted to fell green Khejdali (Prosopis cinraria) trees. Evidently, the king wanted the fuel to burn lime for the construction of his new palace. Since,there was a lot of greenery in the Bishnoi villages even in the middle of thar desert,the king ordered his men to get the woods from Khejadli.

Amrita Devi protested against King`s men`s attempt to cut green trees as it was prohibited in Bishnoi religion (See 29 Bishnoi Rules). The malevolent feudal party told her that if she wanted the trees to be spared, she should give them money as bribe. She refused to acknowledge this demand and told them that she would consider it as an act of ignominy and insult to her religious faith. She said that she would rather give away her life to save the green trees. It is at that stage she spoke these words:

``Sar Santey Rookh Rahe To Bhi Sasto Jaan``
(If a tree is saved even at the cost of one`s head, it`s worth it)

Saying these words, she offered her head!

The axes which were brought to cut the trees severed her head from her trunk. the three young girls Asu, Ratni and Bhagu were not daunted, and offered their heads too!

The news spread like wildfire.Villagers (Bishnois) gathered and sent summons to 83 Bishnoi villages to come and decide on the next course of action. Since the supreme sacrifice by those four had not satisfied the royal party, and the felling of green trees was continued, it was decided that for every green tree to be cut, one Bishnoi volunteer would sacrifice his/ her life. In the beginning, old people voluntarily started holding the trees to be cut in an embrace as in the Chipko movement of 20th Century in Uttar Pradesh (India).

In this way many valiant old person gave away their lives, but it failed to have the desired impact. Moreover, the Hakim (Royal party`s leader) taunted the Bishnoi`s that in this manner they were offering unwanted old persons. Soon, young men, women,including recently married ones and children were sacrificing themselves in a similar manner.

There was intense pandemonium. It completely shook the tree-felling party, headed by their leader Girdhar Das Bhandari (Hakim), and they left for Jodhpur with their mission unfulfilled and told the Maharaja about what had happened. As soon as he learnt it, he ordered stoppage of the felling of trees.

Alas, by that time, Three Hundred and Sixty Three (363) Bishnois,young and old, men and women, married and unmarried, rich and poor had already become martyrs.

Honouring the courage of the community, the ruler of Jodhpur, Maharaja Abhay Singh, apologised for the mistake committed by his officials and issued a royal decree, engraved on a copper plate ordering the following:

(A) All cutting of green trees and hunting of animals within the revenue boundaries of Bishnoi villages was strictly prohibited.
(B) It was also ordered that if by mistake any individual violated this order, he would be prosecuted by state and a severe penalty imposed.
(C) Even the members of ruling family did not shoot animals in or even near the Bishnoi`s Village

Although, Bishnoi`s paid a huge price for saving a few trees, this incident had inspired, and will continue to do so in future, many others to fight and protect trees and wild life. Recently, Nihal Chand Bishnoi had sacrificied his life for protecting wild animals in October 1996. A film ``Willing to Sacrifice`` based on his story won the main award of the Environment film at the 5th International Festivals of Films, TV and Video Program ENVIRON`99 Bratislava, Slovak Republic.

This is lovely!

Well woven story!

Needed a bit more masala I thought, but then again

too much masala and heartburn on CHOWK lately......


Ras

Beautifully written. I think you too are influenced too much by hans christian anderson like me.

Zeejah; I really enjoyed this! May we all be blessed with such beautiful deliverance as your Spruce.

Aamir

Very nice..veryy allegorical as always:),

Some Violins I think, play the song of life, not with the help of the wizard, but through the magic of itself.

sac...actually it wasnt...for the simple reason that i havent seen the movie or heard of it before you mentioned it...;)

This piece brought only one word to mind: Fairies.

As in the good sense, of course.

GalibZaman, sahee farmaya aap nai ...

jo taar sey nikli hai , voh dhunn subb ney sunee hai
jo saaz pey guzree hai , voh kis dil ko putaa hai.

The piece seems inspired by the movie `The Red Violin`.

later
-sac

refreshingly simple & elegant story in contrast to the sick-brained urban alienation kind of crap which the avante-garde kind of `literature` is spewed these days.

jo taar sey nikli hai , voh dhunn subb ney sunee hai
jo saaz pey guzree hai , voh kis dil ko putaa hai.

You know your own language well , your english or any other language you take up would be axiomatically great.

thanks .

Thank you, `American Express` ... I have never received a reply that is so poetic and musical in its own right... Thank you again...:)

Good one Zeejah. You like to carve out stuff from wood - puppets, violin. Keep it secret and don`t tell it to Rehanansari, otherwise he will request a cot that listens to breezes and rain drops and moves automatically to its little bit of common heritage - trees.