Spotlight T N Ganjoo
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| SPOTLIGHT | |
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Dr. Triloki Nath Ganjoo | |
| Late Dr. T. N. Ganjoo was born in Srinagar, Kashmir to Pt. Sh. Shyam Lal Ganjoo and Smt. Tarawati on 07-Feb-1928. He was a prolific scholar, saint, socio-cultural reformer, great Indologist and contemporary Historian (Ancient Kashmir), renowned astrologer and world-renowned expert of Shardaa Script. His learning canvass was a sky, with expertise from Sanskrit, Hindi, Linguistic on one hand and History, Kashmiri Shaivism, Manuscriptology on other. A child prodigy, he remembered most of the puranas and entire Kashmiri Karmakanda by the age of 7. The whole of household beamed with prolific learning, ranging from Dharma shastra to Sanskrit Grammar. Even after a great tragedy befall him--his father’s untimely demise--he never let his passion for learning down. Instead his Late Uncle Pt. Radhakrishna Ganjoo became his mentor. It would be erstwhile to mention, his Uncle was the last known master of Kashmiri Dharma shastra and Karmakanda in Valley, who knew all Kashmiri Rites and Rituals in their entirety. From him he grasped all hidden symbology and meaning of all Kashmiri Rites and Rituals. Owing to family’s stringent condition, after his father passed away, he had to take up a job to sustain his family. Finally took up a teaching job in Secondary School while just 14 years old. He pursued higher education all along and completed Sanskrit Shastri from Rajkiya Paathshala, Dilawar Khan, then completing Sharda and Visharad in Hindi. It should be mentioned, being a Jivanmukta, he was constantly being approached by Saints and Seers in Valley, who used to cherish his company from childhood. Notable to mention one householder saint, Mann Kak Ji from Noonar Village (where he was posted), who even though looked mundane, was a siddha. Mann Kak Ji asked him to recite entire Bhagwad Geeta one day, only to do a complete "Deh Tyaga" (advanced yogic practise of giving up body wilfully and consciously) at the end. While asking him to put final Amrit in his mouth, before even letting any of the family member know. | |
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Dr Ganjoo as child (Lower Right Corner) | |
| This journey took a unique turn as they churned the deepest secrets of Kashmiri Shaivism, Swami Govind Kaul Ji asked him to visit his household from time to time. Which he did and continued to do so for many years, until the Nirvana of Swami Govind Kaul Ji. It is said a day before Nirvaan of Swami Govind Kaul Ji, he asked him to bring lots of flowers the following day, for a Pooja. Only to realize Swami Govind Kaul Ji’s Nirvaan at his residence and subsequent use of all the flowers which he had asked previous day. He remained active in teaching and spread of Kashmiri Shaivism after his Guru’s Nirvaan. He also served as a President of Ashram and visited Ashram every morning, even after exodus (of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990) until last year of his life. Whilst all these activities were going, in parallel, he was quite keen to find the origins of Kashmiri Language. He picked this topic while still working through his BA. Understood all the then work done in the area (mostly by Sir George Grierson), however, was not convinced Kashmiri Language was outcome of Dard-Shina tribe of languages. So took a mammoth task to uncover the entire language construct, its Grammar, its script and whole of uncovering took a decade to finish. While most doctorates are finished in 2-5 years, his being extant took him 10 years to finish. Finally, found out the entire Kashmiri Language being a sister to Sanskrit, with not only words but entire Grammatical structure following Sanskrit. Thus, proving Sir George Grierson’s theory wrong about the origin of Kashmiri Language. All along his interest in Ancient Kashmir grew, so started in-depth study of Ancient Kashmir, its rites, and rituals. He was granted funds to complete two volume work titled History of Ancient Kashmir, which unpublished so far, contains origins of Kashmiri Dwellers, Traditions, and changes across 5000 years. After its completion, he undertook another giant project, to uncover all the details about Mata Roopa Bhawani, an elevated lady saint from Kashmir. For his works he travelled length and breadth of valley and went or stayed in her places of Sadhna. His book translating her verses in Hindi, is a guide for all scholars to understand the way in-depth research is approached and conducted. | |
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Dr Ganjoo (in lap) with Grandfather | |
| On other hand, he was deeply involved in Brahmin Maha Mandal and served as its President for many decades. All along trying to bring education and knowledge to the masses. Further, he started early morning sessions to impart knowledge of Vedas, Vedanta, Brahma Sutra and above all Bhagwat Geeta to all the seekers. Among those who attended, where the scholars of high repute, just being there to learn the religious intricacies from him. | |
Left: Dr Ganjoo with Wife (Rupa) and Daughter (Gargi) & Right with brother Sh. Bansi Lal | |
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Dr. Ganjoo in his study (Circa 1968) | |
| Professional Life* Secondary School Teacher of Hindi, Sanskrit, History, Social Science, J&K Board of Education. Professor P. G Hindi Deptt. The University of Kashmir, Srinagar, KMR. Professor Teaching of Hindi, SSM P. G. Degree College, Srinagar, KMR Professor of Shaarda Script (The Paleography of Ancient Kashmir), NMM, Indira Gandhi Nation Center for Arts, New Delhi. The nature of job was to decipher the Shaarda Sanskrit Manuscript and their detail cataloguing thereby. Publications* -“The metre-prosody in Ancient Kashmiri Poetry right from Chhumma Verses (9th Century), Mahanaya Verses (10th Century), Apabhramsha early Hermitess Laladyed, Reshi Verses etc.” The project was assigned by P. G. Deptt. of Kashmiri; The University of Kashmir. -“Phonetic Kashmiri Reader”, the project assigned by P. G. Deptt. of Kashmiri, The University of Kashmir. -“Monograph”, of over one hundred pages on comparative study of Kashmiri Language, Dard-Shina, The spoken tongue of Drass, Dahanu and Brokppa, The district Ladakh, Kargil, Gures, Telal and extends its linguistic geography upto Gilgit. The investigative technique is fundamentally based on the research conducted for one year which comprised of field research survey of these linguistic areas. The comparative research findings have refuted misleading linguistic finding of Sir George Grierson as recorded in his Linguistic Survey of India Part II. The propounding research is based on comparative Diachronic Linguistics. -Hermitess Roopa Bhavani’s “Rahasyopdesh”. She is considered the great mystic poetess of Kashmir of 17th century. After coming back from his transcendental Samadhi she used to recite some poetic expression which her devout used to pen down. The researcher worked on it for two years and succeeds to trace out its original Shaarda Manuscript from Late Sh. Vasudeva Pingalyan. The in-depth textual study was executed using modern methodology. The incorrect morpho forms were corrected with the help of consulting various hand written manuscripts. The entire mystic verses were translated and explained in Hindi Commentary. -“The Cultural Heritage of Ancient Kashmir”, this is a big project and consists near about fifteen chapters. It is almost complete but still needs critical observation. This extensive work retains almost all the aspects pertaining spiritual-culture as well as material-cultural heritage of Ancient Kashmir. The effort is made to represent the geography of Ancient Kashmir on the standing point of countless shrinology of all the directions of Kashmir. This concept is supported by the great Kalhana in his Rajatarangini where he quotes: “In Kashmir, there is not a speck as large as grain of sesame without a Shrine”. (1.38). All the chapters of this gigantic work are completed but still afresh revise is needed before the final execution can be made. - Work on a Sharda Script manuscript which belongs to the great Hermitess of 14th century of Kashmir Laladyed. The main objective achievement of this manuscript is that it is written in Sharda Script and above all it is first manuscript of its phenomenon nature which retains Sanskrit commentary of each verse of the Hermitess. The valuable and historical importance of this manuscript is that is near about 300 years old and because of this fact the morpho phonetics is archaic and phonologically original. The finding of such a rare Sharda Manuscript is a real achievement. | |
Dr. Ganjoo Receiving Award | |
| *Few Research Papers* The researcher has published more than hundred research papers so far among various Indian Research Journals. The topics covered are diverse, a partial list is mentioned here: -Linguistic Sociology of Ancient Kashmir. -The Linguistic Sociology of Kashmir and its Origin. -The Kin-Names and Archaic spoken form of its Origin Language. -Social Ethos of Kashmiri Society and Applied Linguistic Connotation. -Naga, The early mountain settlers of Kashmir and traces of their social culture among the Kashmir Bhattas the vanishing ethnic community of Kashmir. -The religious Anthropological treatment of Kashmir. -Kashmiri numeral and its Linguistic Origin. -The Linguistic Derivative of Kashmiri Ordinals. -The Physical body and Linguistic Nomenclature of its parts and original source of its Applied Language. -“BILHAN”, the author of Vikramankdeva Charit and 10th century Kashmir. -“Herat”, the festival of 15 days and its socio-religious traces, which are deeply linked with the five thousand years old Harappa Religious Culture. -The Kashmiri Shaivism and basic concept of Domesticity. | |
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