IT was a dream to see the Bhopal for the Rashtriya Manav
sangrahalaya, the Rang Bhavan, The Begum Bhopal’ heritage and legacy, the BHOJ
Shala and all that which I became aware during my continued path of education.
IT was certainly a gift of GOD
that I could visit the Bhopal, but alas, as foolish I am, due to laziness I
could not utilize much of opportunity provided by the Almighty. I cannot
complain to him about that.
SO what, I could actually breathe
the air of the place. Was that anything less for me? NO it was great to feel
the same air, the same sky, and the same vibrations as those people felt. By
that I mean the Begum Bhopals (there were many of them), May be the Kings like
raja Bhoj, The city I loved, where the shooting of the film the CUSTODY of Ismail
merchant was done(as much as I know). The Bhopal is similar to Bhoj Pal. Isn’t it?
The temple at high-rise in Bhoj
pur (sala), no doubt, is of ancient origin. It looked to me as an assembled
one. The etchings on the nearby rocks show some kind of the design plan for the
temple and its different angles. The designs of arches, pillars etc are also drawn
on the rocks. But Pity. After having known this temple for such a long time no
steps have been taken to protect those engraving on rock from the onslaught of
the weather. When I saw it Many drawings have
faded and more are going to be washed by rains and destroyed by heat(may be).
At least few temp. sheds could
have been erected on those engravings. Ironically there was an old looking
building. Which as local people told it was a kind of guesthouse, where high
privileged visited. If that is not correct then of course huge fund had been
utilized in making these unused brick structures and on the other side the
important engraving were left open under the sky.
Early in childhood I used to read
the AMAR chitra Katha, stories of Raja Bhoj, Chandragupta Vikramaditya (both
the pratham and dwiteeya). Now we get confused as who is who and what each has
done and what each of them has significance to the Indian History.
Then there was a young child
named Shalivahana, who, as legend goes, was born to an eight year old girl.
Some “shraap” was on the Vikramaditya-I that a boy born to an eight-year girl
would kill him. Legend has it that a “pot maker” or Potter, not the Harry
potter, raised the boy and his mother.
The boy grew up amongst the
commoners (at that time) and not in the elite class. He fought with the mighty
king-The Vikramaditya-I. He is credited to introduce the language of the
commoners into the court of the Kings. Earlier the language of God- the
Sanskrit- was the court language. (the place is now taken by the elite English
now days). Which was never done before.
As, the Shalivahana was a common man of that time, with lots of common sense.
So he introduced it for the benefit of all.
