Saturday, 16 May 2026

Ramkrishna Dalmia

Nathji had a very different kind of relationship with the rich. He never asked them for any sewa, but rather met them on an equal footing.
When Shri Ram Krishna Dalmia, the famed industrialist of India, had met him and asked Shri Nathji whether he could be of any service to him, Shri Nathji had said:

“Dalmia, meri sewaa itnee sasti naheen ke har ek ko dee jaaye. Ye maine apne khaas bhakton ke liye rakhi hai!

“Dalmia, not everyone can be given the chance to serve me. I have kept it in reserve for my special devotees.”

Dalmias father in Law Shri Sunder Lal Chordia was devoted to Mahaprahuji whome he met though his friend Shri Narayan Lal.

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Ramkrishna Dalmia (7 April 1893 – 26 September 1978) was a pioneer industrialist and founder of the Dalmia-Jain group or Dalmia Group and The Times Group.
Ramkrishna Dalmia was born 7 April 1893 in the small village of Chirawa in Rajasthan. He belonged to a family of vaishnava devotee. He shifted to Calcutta with his parents at an early age where he learned Bengali
When Dalmia was only about 18 years of age, his father died leaving no property. After this, the entire burden of supporting his mother, grandmother, his wife and younger brother Jaidayal fell on him. His maternal uncle, Motilal Jhunjhunwala gave him a job in his bullion business which enabled him to earn just enough to support his whole family. Later he earned himself handsome amount of money by speculation in bullion
Dalmia started a trading business in the 1930s at Dinapore near Patna in the State of Bihar.
During the time when he was staying in Dinapore, he mooted the idea of establishing a sugar factory at Bihar in Patna District. This was done under the joint management of himself and Nirmal Kumar Jain of Arrah, a well-known local Zamindar. Simultaneously he set up another sugar factory at Dehri (Dehri-on-Sone), Bihar. This place became known as Dalmianagar.
His greatest contribution was in the emergence of the Indian Cement Industry. He entered this field in the year 1936 as a challenge to the monopoly of existing firms, mainly the powerful combine of Associated Cement Company, which had till then been in complete control of the industry. Facing stiff competition from them, he set up several cement factories at different places like Dalmianagar in Bihar, Karachi in Pakistan, Charkhi Dadri in Haryana, Dandot in Punjab, Dalmiapuram in Tamil Nadu and Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan.
He went on to set up several industries like Cement, Paper, Banks, Insurance Companies, Biscuits, Aviation Companies, Railways, Collieries, Publishing and Newspapers, Textiles, Chemicals, etc. with the assistance of his lieutenants, his younger brother Jaidayal Dalmia and his son-in-law, Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain.
Later, he established the Bharat Bank with branches at many places in India. He also entered in the Aviation Business and acquired disposal goods after the Second World War. He acquired interests in the Bharat Insurance Co. Ltd. and established a Fire and General Insurance Company. He later acquired controlling interests in the Punjab National Bank and also in the Times of India publications.
At the time of India’s independence, Dalmia was among the wealthiest and most powerful men in India and maintained good relations with most political leaders, including Muhammad Ali Jinnah who sold his Delhi house to Ramkrishna Dalmia. At one point his name is said to have been considered for India’s finance minister
Shortly before independence, the Dalmia empire was divided between himself, Jaidayal Dalmia, and son-in-law Shanti Prasad Jain, who had once been a tutor to his daughter Rama. Later, when he was facing imprisonment and needed to repay 2.5 crores (25 million) rupees, he mortgaged Bennett, Coleman to Shanti Prasad Jain to raise money. In 1947, Dalmia engineered the acquisition of the media giant Bennett, Coleman by transferring monies from a bank and an insurance company of which he was the Chairman. In 1955, this came to the attention of the socialist parliamentarian Feroze Gandhi who was part of the ruling Congress party headed by his estranged father-in-law Jawaharlal Nehru. In December 1955, he raised the matter in Parliament, documenting extensively the various fund transfers and intermediaries through which the acquisition had been financed. The case was investigated by the Vivian Bose Commission of Inquiry.

In the court case that followed, where he was represented by the leading British attorney Sir Dingle Mackintosh Foot, he was sentenced to two years in Tihar Jail. But for most of the jail term he managed to spend in hospital. Upon his release his son-in-law Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain to whom he had entrusted running of Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. rebuffed his efforts to resume command of the company. 

Dalmia married six times and was the father of eighteen children. He lost his first wife, Narbada Devi, at the age of only sixteen.. Dalmia died on 26 September 1978 at the age of 85 after a prolonged illness.

 

Sunday, 19 April 2026

Sardar Hanram Singh

 HH Priya Nathji  gave sermon to His devotees at Sterling Resort in Mussoorie, he mentioned about Shri Nathji’s Association with Sardar Hanram Singh.

  Priya Nathji said that when cards of Shri Nathji’s birthday were printed, then they were not mere invitation cards, but they also carried Divine Blessings. But some people who got the card forgot to offer their thanks on receiving the card. They did not write back that they received the card and inform if they be coming to attend the function or not.

 Once Mahaprabhuji;s Birthday was celebrated at Mussoorie.  Sardar Hanram Singh was the Chairman of Mussoorie Municipality. An invitation card was also sent to him. At that time he was suffering from a serious arm injury. So the card was send with the assumption that as he is injured he will be taking  rest at his home , so he will get Mahaprabhuji’s blessings in form of this invitation card.

  When people were arriving to attend the birthday celebrations,  Sardar Hanram Singh was also seen walking along, with support of two men.   Mahaprabhuji exclaimed – “Sardar Hanram Singh, How come you're here when you have such a severe injury?”

 Sardar Hanram Singh said –  “Huzur!  Your Hukumnama (Divine Order) had come. I received  Your card and I came. “

  Mahaprabhuji used to say that when a devotee comes before God with devotion, God manifests.

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Sardar Harnam Singh,was  a prominent figure in Mussoorie during the British era known for his affluent lifestyle, horse breeding, and civic leadership with good business connections with the elite.  He was a wealthy businessman who specialized in breeding and trading horses, supplying high-quality horses to elite patrons, including the Raja of Rampur.

 He was a highly influential resident and held the position of Chairman of the Mussoorie Municipal Council during the British India period, involved in the development and governance of the hill station. Sardar Harnam Singh was a quintessential figure of Mussoorie’s "Golden Era." And was well noted for his extensive landholdings. Sardar Harnam Singh road in Mussorie is named after him.

 Beyond his leadership in the Municipal Council, he was a bridge between the British elite and the local community. His passion for horse breeding wasn't just a hobby; it was a status symbol that defined the social fabric of the hill station, where equestrian culture was central to the lifestyle of the wealthy.

He is often remembered for his estate, Harnam Castle, which stood as a testament to his prominence and the architectural grandeur of that period.

Saturday, 21 March 2026

PEPS cough and throat tablets


When Shri Nathj was young he used to take PEPS cough tablets during cold and cough. In December of 1982 Shri Nathji i is beset upon by a very bad cough which begins to get more and more virulent as time passes, and this causes Priya Nath to worry acutely, the more so, because Shri Nathji will not take any medication.
And then Shri Nathji recalls “Peps” cough drops which he used to take years ago when he was very young. Priya Nath gets these, and Shri Nathji happily chews upon them and is cured of the cough soon enough! It is a very happy moment for Priya Nath.

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PEPS cough and throat tablets (often called "breatheable tablets" or pastilles) were traditionally manufactured by
C.E. Fulford Ltd. based in Leeds, England and  were widely distributed and popular in India during the mid-20th century.
 

Urdu Lughat

 Shri Nathji wanted the Lughat Urdo Dictionary  and consulted when He wrote his Gazals. He wanted to find simpler words to use in his Gazals, so that common people can understand with Him. So he consulted this dictionary. In 1982 Shri Nathji is overjoyed at the large blue Persian Urdu Dictionary which R.K. Kohli brings for Shri Nathji from the Jama Masjid area of Delhi. Shri Nathji had asked him to search for such a dictionary which he called a “Loghaat” in Urdu.
However the dictionary is too big for him to handle and he makes do with a small red dictionary with very fine print, which remains with Shri Nathji till his last days, on the table next to his bed.
Priya Nath often wondered why Shri Nathji needed the dictionary since he was a Master of the language. But Shri Nathji was seeking simpler translations of Persian words which the common man could understand. The little red ‘gutkaa’ sized dictionary was Shri Nathji's little companion in bed on many occasions and was blessed by the touch of his divine hands, as no other book had been all his life. 

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Urdu Lughat is a 22-volume Urdu-to-Urdu dictionary which was published by the Urdu Dictionary Board under the editorship of Molvi Abdul Haq and others in 1977.
Urdu Lughat is composed in the style of the Oxford English Dictionary. It is the most comprehensive dictionary in the history of Urdu language. It is published by the Urdu Lughat Board, Karachi. The dictionary was edited by the honorary director general of the board Maulvi Abdul Haq who had already been working on an Urdu dictionary since the establishment of the Urdu Dictionary Board, Karachi, in 1958. In 2019, the board prepared a concise version of the dictionary in two volumes. The dictionary also has an internet version and a mobile app with a sound option

Tuesday, 10 March 2026

Dhannaa Bhagat

Shri Nathji's devotee Sweetie Chopra was son of Sardar Harbhajan Singh Chopra from Allahabad, whose entire family was devoted to Shri Nathji Sweetie Chopra’s used to call himself: “Dhannaa Bhagat!” the legendary devotee, whose devotion had made God appear before him from a rock. In 1949, when Shi Nathji was leaving Allahabad. Sweetie lay before the car and said
  “Man jaan naa haan tussee Rabb ho,
    Magar main vee naeen jaan denaa…

  “ I know you are God,
    but I will not let you go!”

In 1982 Shri Nathji, met him again at his residence after many years. While recalling the days of the man’s past devotion said:
“Your faith is still as firm as ever!”
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Bhagat Dhanna, also known Dhanna Jat, Dhanna Jatt, Dhanna Bairagi or Sant Dhanna (born 1415), was a mystic poet and a Vaishnav devotee. His followers, who were primarily from caste-based communities, came to be known as Dhanvanshi Swamis. They are spread across various districts in Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana. His three hymns are present in Guru Granth Sahib
Dhanna was born in Hindu Jat family in village Chauru of Tehsil Phagi, in the Jaipur district of Rajasthan, and was a disciple of the Bhakti saint-poet Ramananda.

here are a number of mystical stories about the divine powers of Dhanna Bhagat. One such states that once he was ploughing his fields, a large number of Sannyasins (Hindu religious mendicants) came to him hungry and sought food. Dhanna Bhagat gave them all the seeds he had kept for sowing his fields, and ploughed the fields without sowing seeds. The fields produced no food grains, but gourds. When his jagirdir (feudal lord) came to collect the levy, Dhanna Bhagat offered two gourds. Surprised and insulted, the Jagirdar broke the gourds in anger, only to find that they were full of pearls. Bhakti-saint Meera refers to this story in her poem, "sun lijo binati mori, main sharan gahi prabhu teri"



Sunday, 8 March 2026

Isabgol


 Shri Nathji used to consume Isabgol at night to aid in digestion. Isabgol, or Psyllium husk, is
a natural, soluble dietary fiber derived from Plantago ovata seeds, commonly used as a gentle, bulk-forming laxative to treat constipation, diarrhea, and improve digestive health. It forms a gel in the gut, aiding bowel movements, reducing cholesterol, and promoting satiety for weight management.
Acts as a gentle laxative by absorbing water and increasing stool volume.
The brand called Sat-Isabgol first went on sale in India in 1937  by G.D. Searle & Company, Metamucil was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 1985 .Now many companies in India sell Isabgol like Dabar, Hamdard, Baidyanath etc.

Thursday, 5 March 2026

Mahatta & Co, - photo studio

 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.