On 22nd of July 1982. A photographer with a video camera is arranged from Mahatta Studio in Connaught Place, New Delhi. He arrives at the house. His name is Nanda, and his family originally hailed from Dinanager–the place where Shri Babaji had lived in the years past!
The making of the video film is one of the most momentous occasions of 1982 for Priya Nath. Priya Nath plans the entire film and directs the scenes that follow one after the other.
The film begins with Shri Nathji's verse on Shri Babaji, put to song by Priya Nath on tape, even as the portrait of Shri Babaji Maharaj comes into view. Then when Shri Nathji begins to speak. His speech is loud and powerful, and contains almost his entire life’s teachings in a nutshell, all his beautiful couplets and verses, his meetings with seekers after truths, which enunciate valuable spiritual truths.
The cameraman and his assistant are astonished at the speech. Shri Nathji speaks for almost one and a half hours without a break. The cameraman can hardly keep his camera on Shri Nathji so entranced is he with Shri Nathji's personality and words. Then there was the introduction read out by Priya Nath about Shri Nathji's avatarhood, his reference to the book, “The Advent of the Avatar”, and the 32 beautiful pictures of Shri Nathji in the book that came on the screen one after another, taking away the breath of the viewer. Priya Nath sang Shri Nathji's ghazal:
“Mite hain jiss se gham saare vahi Jaame Muhabbat hai
“That which has drowned the sorrows of the world is this cup of Love Divine”
The scene changes to Shri Nathji in a pink turban and white achkan, and there is another long and beautiful speech, following so soon after the first one.
As the video film comes to an end after Shri Nathji's sermon in the pink turban, there is the ARTI of Shri Nathji sung by the Akola Bhaktas as their recorded voices echo in the solitary golden flame of a candle:
“Jai Jai Jai Jai Bhola Nath Bhagwan,
Satyam Shivam Sundaram”
And just before “The End” caption there is a photograph of Shri Nathji and Mahamateshwari holding a cup of tea and smiling, which was taken at Savitri Nivas, Mussoorie in 1957.
There is Shri Nathji’s voice saying:
“JAB MAIN NAHEEN RAHOONGAA, MERI AAVAAZ RAHEGI!
MR. MEHTA KAA VISHWA PAR AIHSAAN RAHEGAA!”
“When I am no more, my voice shall remain. The favour bestowed on the world by Mr. Mehta shall remain!”
Shri Nathji often called Priya Nath “Mr. Mehta” before newcomers, to give him added respect and stature.
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Mahatta & Co, established in 1948 in Connaught Place, New Delhi, was a legendary, family-run photo studio known for pioneering colour photography in India and documenting the city's modern architectural evolution. Founded by the Mehta family, it was a premier, long-surviving studio, though it closed its retail outlet in 2015 due to shifting industry trends.
The Mahatta family began in Srinagar in 1915, expanding to Delhi in 1948. It was renowned for high-quality portraiture, commercial, and architectural photography, serving as a hub for capturing 20th-century Delhi.
The Delhi business was opened by Madan Mahatta (1932–2014), who studied in England, brought advanced negative-positive colour printing techniques to India. He is celebrated for his extensive documentation of Delhi's modern architecture.
The studio was considered one of the most important in North India for decades. It closed its retail store in 2015.