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The British decided to develop
Kasauli as a cantonment town which, besides serving military
functions, would also be a place for home-sick Europeans to
interact with one another in an ideal environment, undisturbed
by the "natives." But some Indians had to be allowed
because of their commercial utility. Some of them became wealthy
tradesmen in the course of time.
The history of a
cantonment in this part of the country cannot be complete
without the mention of the uprising of 1857. Though Kasauli did
not play a major role in the revolt, it became the first station
in the present-day Himachal Pradesh to rise against alien
oppression.
Coming to present
days, the author laments that Kasauli has lost its past glory
and only a handful of retired soldiers and civilians have made
it their home after their days of active service.
Business has
declined and most of the traders have migrated to other places.
The town is taking a drab look because of what the author calls
faulty policies and also some geo-political factors. Buildings
have come up in violation of construction norms. A debate goes
on whether construction rules should be liberalised or should
the old restrictions be strictly enforced. There are equally
strong arguments on both sides. However, the author concludes on
the note that unplanned expansion must be stopped and the clean
and peaceful environment of the town should be preserved.
Wonderful
World of Numbers
by Dr Bhojraj Dwivedi.
Diamond Pocket Books, New Delhi. Pages
267. Rs 195.
 Why is Dhani Ram a
pauper and why does, Fakir Chand roll in money? Why Sunder Lal
has an ugly face and why Karam Das is a lazy bum? Why Shanti
Devi has an aggressive nature and why Sushila is bereft of
modesty?
Such inconsistency
between a person’s name and temperament is common enough not
to attract any notice, but Dr Dwivedi attributes this to the
trend of not selecting names according to astronomical
guidelines. That, he says, is the reason why names do not
indicate the characteristic traits of the persons concerned.
To those who
believe in the influence of numbers in a person’s life, this
book is a guide that can help them not only in selecting the
names of their children but also in a variety of other ways—for
instance how to select a life partner, how to win a lottery and
how to select a winner in a horse race. Believers in the
influence of numbers will also know how to find their ruling
number and the way this ruling number can influence their lives.
Rejuvenate
Kundalini Mantra Yoga
by Dr L. R. Chowdhry.
Diamond Pocket Books, New Delhi. Pages
211. Rs 95.
 Kundalini, yoga
and mantra have been acknowledged by Indian Tantrik
thought as means to achieve undiminished perfection or the
highest form of liberation from bondage (moksha). Kundalini
has been described as a latent powerhouse. Extraordinary powers,
the Tantrik philosophy maintains, can be acquired through
awakening and controlling the kundalini shakti,
which lies dormant in our body.
Yoga
has been described as cessation of mental waves through active
effort and consequent establishment of the self in its own
essence. Mantra is a symbolic name of God. By repeating a
special mantra, which is suitable to an individual’s
temperament, God can be realised.
These definitions
notwithstanding, the book attempts to deal with various aspects
of these phenomena and the author claims success with certain
mono-syllabled sounds to increase the flow of life current in
various organs of his body. He describes walking as a practical
form of meditation.
He has listed a
number of mantra words for various processes, which he
claims to be exercises in cleansing the body organs and filling
them with energy. Most of his mantras are such as can be
used with what he calls walking meditation.
Here is readymade
do-it-yourself kit for realising super consciousness. But those
who may feel encouraged to try practices such as rousing the kundalini
should bear in mind the advice of the sages that this should be
done strictly with the help and guidance of a guru who himself
should be an integrated person of high spiritual realisation.
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WHEN
the author sat down to write about Kasauli, he obviously
decided to begin at the beginning. So he describes the
geographical location of the town which covers an area of 676
acres and lies about 6,000 feet above sea-level. He shows you
its soothing greenery, colourful flowering trees, forests, its
rolling clouds and mist that seem to swallow the mountains. He
also tells you of the time when the slopes now known as
Kasauli were heavily wooded with pines and conifers, and of
the time when the precipices teemed with wildlife such as
leopards, jackals, wild boars, jungle cats, rhesus monkeys and
several species of langoors. A large variety of birds made the
area a delight of bird-watchers who included some British
officers and, of course, the well-known Salim Ali.
