General Zorawar Singh, Velvet Sapphires, and Kali

  Gulabgarh, India
Monday, August 6, 2007

For warriors of the subcotinent, Kali was the goddess that can lead you to victory. Her shakti energy of Mother Earth power, her raw vitality led generals to build temples that house her. When General Zorawar Singh, a Rajput fighting in the name of Sikh Dogra Maharaja Gulab Singh of Jammu, arrived before Chattergarh, he waited for months until the Chandrabagah River subsided, as Maharaja Chatter Singh's troops had cut the brige, and he did four main things:

Kali Temple, Gulab Garh

First, he hung forty people, give or take. Locals can point to the large tree where the deed was allegedly committed.  Second, he renamed Chattergarh as Gulabgarh. Third, he ordered a fort constructed. And, fourth, he ordered a Kali temple built.

By the time he crossed the Omasi-la pass, conquered Zanskar then Ladakh, the fort was completed. This was one of four campaigns into the northern reaches of the Himalaya and Transhimalaya, during which he extended and stabilized the borders of Jammu to the modern-day boundaries of India and northern Pakistan, encompassing Ladakh, Zanskar, and Baltistan.  In a later attempt to conquor western Tibet, Zorawar Singh was killed.

On the way, Zorawar Singh worshipped Mahakali and the other shakti goddesses in Machael, likely shaking his head in the olden darshan tradition, I'm told. His army crossed the glaciers of Omasi-la and entered into Zanskar. With as many as 10,000 men, crossing this narrow and  icy pass would have been extremely difficult logistically for an entire army, like Hannibal crossing the Alps with elephants, only much higher and without elephants.

In 1882, blue crystals from an unknown locale in Kashmir appeared in Shimla, where they were sent to F.R. Mallet Indian Museum for inspection:

"The physical and chemical characters of the specimens slow conclusively that they are true sapphires. The specific gravity of the larger piece was found to be 3.959 and of the smaller 3.961. The mineral scratches topaz; is infusible before the blowpipe; and when fused in powder with acid potassium sulphate, and dissolved in water, yields a bulky precipitate of alumina with ammonia."

Soon thereafter, the sapphire locality was pinpointed in the uppre Padder Valley, where a landslide exposed granite impregnated with blue corundum, and a mine was established. The mine was highly profitable and large raw crystals, some measuring five inches long and three inches wide were then shipped to Jaipur in Rajasthan for cutting. The Padder Valley sapphires developed fame for its " rich velvety" color by connoisseurs, who saw the uncommon sapphires from Kashmir as arguably the most famous if not the most expensive in the world.

The allure of sapphires continues to this day, ranked perhaps even higher than diamonds, emeralds, rubies, pearls, gold, and platinum.  The survey trek organizers even named the trek the "Sapphire Trek."  Rumors that raw sapphires were stored in the Gulabgarh fort still tantalize people: perhaps the flood a century ago buried treasure chests of sapphires?  Today, it is said, only the upper story of the fort can be seen, with the rest buried under river rocks and sediments.  Since the sapphire mine was in operation for about forty years only, Kashir sapphires are some of the most rarely found and can usually only be purchased through private collections.

Babaji Akhada Mahand Sangalwala

Although the fort is in ruin, the Kali temple is an active temple, with a priest coming on Sunday and Tuesdays and for festivals.  The site of the temple, however, has been moved to a point further away from potential floods, overlooking the confluence of the Bodnalla and Chandrabagah Rivers.  Baba Akhada Mahand Sangalwala arrived at the Kali temple in 1999, from Manikaran. 

Babaji at the Kali Temple

He described the temples as being in disrepair at the time and hired local artisans to renovate the Kali temple and adjoining Radha and Krisha, Chanerghanta Goddess, and Bir Mundi shrines, along with a small Shiva temple.  In the Bir Mundi, the baba says is the head of a saint who donated his cranium to Kali.  Locals report sometimes seeing the saint at night.

While we were in Gulabgarh, I visited babaji several times, enjoying his company even without the aid of translators.  He mentioned that many villagers come here when they want calm and peace: "Shanti, shanti.  Many tourists should also come to the temple to know the power of the Goddess."

Chandbaba, Saint Picture in Babaji's Room

He told me some of the life story of Chandbaba, the son of Guru Nanakdev, the founder of the Sikh faith.  Sri Chand began an ascetic branch of Sikhism called the Udasi and traveled around India, where wandering ascetics revered him.  Nasir-ud-Din Huayun, the Mughal Emperor prayed to Sri Chand in order for his queen to give birth to a son, his successor.  Thus, Akbar the Great was born.in 1542.  In Baba's room, pictures of Chandbaba hung around the room: one where he resurrected a dead body in Kashmir, Dal Lake in the background, another whre he extended the life of a king's son from 11.1 as astrologically predicted to 111 years.

Bir Mundi, Shrine Holding Kali Devotee's Head

Locally, people have seen visions of the Sri Chand.  In the next major valley, the Ravi, Chandbaba met a boatman, wanting to cross the river.  The boatkeeper said "if you have powers, cross the river then--you don't need me."  Chandbaba then crossed the river on a stone.

Baba also tells a story of his own humble miracle.  One night he couldn't get milk so slept with an empty stomach for the night.  At night, a small boy and girl brought him milk, then disappeared into the windy darkness.