Swami Nand Babh
Table of Contents
   Kashmiri Saints
   Nand Babh
   Index
   Chapter I
   Chapter II
   Chapter III
   Chapter IV
   Chapter V
   Chapter VI
   Chapter VII
   Chapter VIII
   Chapter IX
   Chapter X
   Chapter XI
   Chapter XII
   Chapter XIII
   Chapter XIV
   Chapter XV
   Chapter XVI
   Parwana
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Koshur Music

An Introduction to Spoken Kashmiri

Panun Kashmir

Milchar

Symbol of Unity

 
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Chapter XVI

Some Miracles of Swami Nand Lal Ji Maharaj (Nand Babh)

by Janki Nath Tiku

When I was a young boy, I would hear different people talking  in glowing terms about the extraordinary mystic powers of Swami Nand Lal Ji Maharaj. I was thrilled to learn that he could predict, with precision, events and also change the course of future events for the benefit of an individual or individuals or humanity in general. Much against my wishes I could not see the Swami Ji from close quarters because I was scared of this man's violent physical actions, his whims, and his outlandish attire. Chance, which plays a significant role in human affairs, brought me ultimately very close to him once and I had the privilege of witnessing some of his occult powers surfacing either in symbolic language and action or some time in plain words which for ordinary beings like me were simply miracles.

In 1955 I applied for the post of a Forester. I performed well in the written test and the required physical endurance test. But to my utter disgust and dismay I was denied my due, and was given the job of a clerk in the Firewood Forest Division and I discharged my duties upto 1962. To secure justice I went from pillar to post and made many representations. In October 1962 I was appointed as a Forester and sent to Leh (Ladakh); but my joy of getting justice was short lived. To my utter shock I learnt in Leh that I had been appointed on the Forester's post against a leave vacancy. After three months I was  reverted back to my original post of a Depot clerk.

In Leh I would occasionally undertake field duty and stay with my Head Clerk, one Mr. J.N.Saraf. He suggested to me that we should visit the place where Nand Babh was staying those days. (This was the chance I have referred to earlier). Initially I hesitated, as I was scared of Nand Babh. Finally I yielded to my colleague's persuasion. Both of us reached the guest house where Mr. M.L. Jelkhani (Executive Engineer PWD) had arranged Nand Lal Ji's stay. It was 8.00 p.m. The hall wherein Nand Lal Ji was seated was crowded to capacity with Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims both. We could with great difficulty find a small space for ourselves near the door. We sat down and I fixed my eyes on Babh Ji with tremendous curiosity. After a while Babh Ji lit a cigarette and threw it in our direction. It landed in the lap of my "pheran". I told him being a non-smoker I could not take it. Then on his revised instructions I touched the cigarette with my lips, had a slight puff and passed it on to him. I could not understand at that time the significance of this cigarette episode.

At one stage I somehow managed to sit near Babh Ji's pillow Mr. M.L. Jailkhani appeared on the scene with water melon seeds and asked me to feed Babh Ji with them. As I had terrible reverential awe for Babh Ji, my hand started shaking. I thought if my fingers got into his mouth he would crush these with his teeth. Such was my fear. I managed to put the seeds into his mouth, keeping my fingers at a safe distance. Mr. Jailkhani got a few fresh pieces of water melon in a plate. He put one piece into Babh Ji's mouth and then asked me to follow suit. I overcame my initial fears and put a couple of pieces into BabhJi's mouth with confidence and reverence. Then Babh Ji who had been lying down set up. He put in my mouth three pieces (as a great gesture). Then with the pointed end of the pen's wrong side he drew three lines on my forehead and also put on my forehead the seal of his ring. Again I could not fathom the significance of these actions. About two days after Mr. J. N. saraf came and contacted me conveying his greetings to me saying that express orders had come from Srinagar that Shri J.N. Tiku (i.e. myself) has been appointed to the post of a Forester on permanent basis with retrospective effect from the date I had been appointed on leave vacancy in the first place. This was the  first miracle Babh Ji had worked out for me and the first hand experience of Babh Ji's miracles. Thus I was convinced that Babh Ji could convert  impossible into possible.

There in Leh was one Mr. Toshakhani who worked as a cashier in the PWD department. He was in distress as he was involved in a serious case of misappropriation of funds. An F.I.R. against him for his alleged misdeeds was about to be launched and his arrest was imminent. As an act of 'kind cruelty' Babh Ji had this erring official locked up in a dark room of the Guest House. At that very time all the Kashmiri Pandits who were present there made a collection of about Rs. 7000/- which they deposited in the PWD office next morning. Mr. Toshakhani, however, gave a written undertaking that he would deposit  the outstanding balance within next ten days. He made a fervent appeal that the FIR may not be lodged, which was agreed upon. Thus he was saved the pain and anguish of being sent behind the bars. He was also saved from the administrative and police action. Actually it was Babh Ji's benevolence and mystic power which changed the course of events, saved the cashier from all types of  misery which embezzlement entails. By locking him up in the dark room Babh Ji punished him himself, thus saving him from the bigger punishment. To me it looks a miracle which Babh Ji performed for the cashier. In 1962 I was at Neemoa which is about twenty six kilometers from Lah, when China launched its aggression against India and war broke out between the two countries. When the Chinese army launched a major attack and reached Chesool in Ladakh I was  directed through an official communication to rush to Lab. The entire executive staff received instructions to keep themselves in readiness for being shifted to Srinagar in case the situation worsened. All of us were passing through extremely tense moments and panic gripped one and all in Leh as enemy showed no signs of relenting. It caused a great havoc. People lost all hopes of the enemy being pushed back, when lo and behold! Swami Nand Ji Maharaj appeared in the market place, and in his characteristic style turned his face in the direction of the on going attack. Then with the pointed end of the wrong side of his pen he drew a line in the air and then pressed with all his strength the air with both his hands. It was indication of his effort to stop the war. Hours later there was a news flash on the radio regarding the much desired cease-fire. What happened was a great miracle performed by Babh Ji. One more incident comes to my mind which is equally amazing.  It was probably the spring of 1957. One Mr. Abdul Karim Shalla went to the Fire Wood Forest Division Office located at Lal Chowk, Sheikh Bagh, Srinagar to procure the appointment letter which would enable him to earn his living by working as a labourer (Hamaal) at a Fire Wood Depot. Near Gaw Kadal Babh Ji was sitting at a shop. When Abdul Karim Shalla walked past that shop, Babh Ji beckoned him. He drew a line on Karim's forehead and pointing his fingers in all the directions (North, South, East and West) he said to Karim "Go all this is yours.". When he went to have the D.F.O's signature on the appointment order, the latter (Mr. N.N. Kaul) said to him that fire- wood was being sold illegally in the black-market from the depot. Mr. Kaul assured Abdul Karim that if he could secretly identify the  culprits he would get permanent Government service. It took him about a month to report to the DFO his findings about the illegal sale of the firewood. He even named the offenders and even the places where these illicit activities were taking place. In consequence the culprits were brought to book and Karim was rewarded. He was made a depot clerk on permanent basis and entrusted with the job of finding out and   reporting cases of illegal sale etc. Those days there were forty firewood depots in Srinagar City. Abdul Karim was given the responsibility of inspecting all these forty depots. These were located in the North, South, East and West of Srinagar. Abdul Karim in a way reigned supreme in all the four directions and put his thumb impressions on the relevant registers after inspection of the depot. The actual depot clerk would make the entries in the register and also write the word "inspected" and Adbdul Karinm Shalla would put his thumb impression beneath the word. Greatness was thrust upon him from above with Babh Ji's blessings. This was Babh Ji's another miracle.

There at Leh was one Mr. Nehru, who worked as a sanitary inspector there. He was also present at the gathering at Guest House where Babh Ji was staying. Babh Ji asked him to stand up and started abusing him. He abused him a lot and then directed him to get away from the hall and directed all the gathering to follow him keeping head downwards. Next morning Mr. Nehru received a telegram from Srinagar that his dear wife had passed away.

(Janki Nath Tiku, 7-Extension, Sector 1, Pamposh Colony,

Janipur, Jammu -- 180007 J & K ).

 

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