Shri Nathji on Alexander

Shri Nathji often spoke of Alexander. He occasionally used to say -

“Jab Alexander the Great iss duniyaa se khaali haathh gayaa to phir kaun yahaan se kucch le jaayegaa!
“When Alexander the Great left this world, he did so with empty hands. Who then can take anything from here?”

Some very interesting stories, using Sikander, Alexander the Great, need mention here, as narrated frequently by Shri Nathji.

Nectar of Eternal Life

The first was about the nectar of Eternal Life, the fountain of immortality-aabe hayaat. Sikander found a khizr, a guide, who showed him to such a place. Sikander had but to drink of this nectar, and death would never come to him. Around the fountain, Sikander saw hundreds of people in great agony. He asked them why they were wailing and crying.
And they said: "We wish to die! We have partaken of this nectar and become immortal. But we have not been able to free ourselves of disease, fear, worry, and human suffering. We pray for death to enable us to escape the agony of the world, but it doesn't come to us! We have spent years trying to find a way to die! We have returned here in the hope that we shall find some way. For we can neither live nor die!”
Sikander was disgusted. He gave the quest for immortal life. It was not enough to find a guide who could lead one to the nectar of Eternal Life. Where was the guide who knew of eternal life without suffering–where there would be Bliss, Contentment and Peace! Unfortunately for Sikander, he did not succeed in finding such a guide-a raihbare kaamil, a Perfect Guru.

The Slave of a Slave

The second story was of Sikander and the Mahatma. Sikander had just returned from a triumphant victory. Thouands of people saluted him and bowed before him. As his procession passed by a Mahatma sitting beneath a tree, Sikander was filled with rage. The Mahatma had neither stood up as a sign of respect, nor had he bowed his head before Sikander. Not being content with the humble salutations of thousands, Sikander desired more–one more, the salutation of the Mahatma. He lost the happiness of a thousand cheering for the sake of one cheer that did not go up for him.
Sikander: Mahatma! Bow before me!
Mahatma: Why should I bow before you, Sikander! You are the slave of my slave!
Sikander lept down from his horse, sword in hand, and came towards the Mahatma, in a fit of rage.
Sikander: Either prove what you say, or else die!
Mahatma: All right, I will prove it, not out of fear, but at your request. Firstly, it is you who have shown me respect by getting off your horse and standing before me. Secondly, your sword cannot kill me.
Sikander: Prove that I am the slave of your slave!
Mahatma: You have just gained victory over one country–is that enough? Or do you desire more?
Sikander: No, I have many more countries to conquer.
Mahatma: Do you desire fame?
Sikander: Yes.
Mahatma: A long life? Good health? Youth? Happiness? A kingdom that is the most powerful in the world? Do you have a desire for all these things?
Sikander: Yes.
Mahatma: But I do not. All these desires are under my control. Desire is my slave. And you are the slave of Desire. Therefore, you, Sikander, are the slave of my slave!
Sikander was astonished.
Sikander: You say my sword cannot kill you?
Mahatma: No. It cannot. The sword is dead. By itself, it cannot move to kill me. It is in your hand, but your hand is in the hand of God! If it be the will of God that I live, your hand cannot move to kill me!

Mere zakhm seene pe kar sake,
Hoon hawaa se jab main lateeftar,
Na ye taabo taakate tegh hai,
Na ye teer hee kee majaal hai
Wounds cannot come to my heart
For I am finer than the air,
The power of the sword cannot reach me
Nor the arrows dare !

Acording to Shri Nathji, the incident was a powerful one in Sikander's life. Some years later, when Sikander fell ill and was on his deathbed he said:
"My father gave me a body which must go to Death, but I met an enlightened soul once in my life, whose words are the only solace I will carry with me to the next world.
“Now that I am about to leave the world and death is approaching, I am beginning to forget everything that I possess, my wealth, my kingdoms, my power and status; I am forgetting even the faces of my kith and kin. Yet for some strange reason the face of the holy man, is now appearing before me.
“I see coming before me the enveloping darkness of Death. In this darkness his blessings are the only light that I have with me!”

Hands of Alexander 

Alexander the Great then made a strange request to his family and ministers:
"When you take my funeral procession through the streets, let my hands hang by the side of my body, so that the world might look upon them, know that these hands–the hands of Alexander the Great that sought to possess the whole world–are today going away empty."
Shri Nathji would frequently add in his sermons:

“And if Alexander the Great left empty- handed, what can anyone hope to take from this world?”

Diamonds as Food 

Shri Nathji would narrate the story of the Powerful King seeking to invade his neighbour's kingdom. His neighbour, being a smaller king, had the good sense to surrender without bloodshed.
"We have lost," he said, "and you have won without a battle. Everything here is at your disposal! Be our guests!”
And that night he gave a banquet for the conquering forces. Tables were laid out for the Powerful King and his ministers that contained eatables of every shape and variety. The "eatables" were however, replicas made of precious stones and diamonds. The artists had made them with such perfection that no one could distinguish them from the real eatables.
When the powerful king set about to eat, he discovered the anomaly.
"What kind of a joke is this?" he said angrily, "How do you expect me to eat these stones!”
"Is it not your food?" said the smaller king.
"My food is bread, just like that of other man!" said the powerful king.
"Is that so?" said the smaller king, "and were you not getting bread in your own kingdom? If so, then there was no need to take over mine! Surely, this wealth must be your real food, for the sake of which you are ready to shed the blood of thousands of innocent men!”
The powerful king was so taken aback by these words that he got up from the table in remorse, shook the hands of the other king, and left his kingdom.
Shri Nathji would say:

"Insaan ke shikman seri az yak naan ast
Vaz hirso havas shaamo saihar naalaan ast
Man, who can fill his stomach with bread alone,
Weeps day and night in the midst of greed and desire

Dar baihare wajoodash bingar toofaan ast
Aakhir choon hubaab yak nafas maihmaan ast
A storm exists within the Ocean of Existence,
Like the bubble, it is but a guest for a moment !"

Shri Nathji's parables and stories were so powerful and so convincing, and their impact so moving that his listeners would either burst into tears or break out into loud sounds of acclamation: "Wah!Wah! Wonderful! Wonderful!”
Shri Nathji could explain in a few simple sentences some of the greatest spiritual philosophies of the world.

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Alexander III of Macedon (20/21 July 356 – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great and Sikander in Persian and Hindi was a king of Macedon, a state in northern ancient Greece. Born in Pella in 356 BC, Alexander was tutored by Aristotle until the age of 16. By the age of thirty, he had created one of the largest empires of the ancient world, stretching from the Ionian Sea to the Himalayas. He was undefeated in battle and is considered one of history's most successful commanders.
Alexander succeeded his father, Philip II of Macedon, to the throne in 336 BC after Philip was assassinated. Upon Philip's death, Alexander inherited a strong kingdom and an experienced army. He was awarded the generalship of Greece and used this authority to launch his father's military expansion plans. In 334 BC, he invaded Persian-ruled Asia Minor and began a series of campaigns that lasted ten years. Alexander broke the power of Persia in a series of decisive battles, most notably the battles of Issus and Gaugamela. He subsequently overthrew the Persian King Darius III and conquered the entirety of the Persian Empire. At that point, his empire stretched from the Adriatic Sea to the Indus River.
Seeking to reach the "ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea", he invaded India in 326 BC, and defeated king Porus on the banks of the Beas river, but was eventually forced to turn back at the demand of his troops. Alexander died in Babylon in 323 BC, without executing a series of planned campaigns that would have begun with an invasion of Arabia. In the years following his death, a series of civil wars tore his empire apart, resulting in several states ruled by the Diadochi, Alexander's surviving generals and heirs.
Alexander's legacy includes the cultural diffusion his conquests engendered. He founded some twenty cities that bore his name, most notably Alexandria in Egypt. Alexander's settlement of Greek colonists and the resulting spread of Greek culture in the east resulted in a new Hellenistic civilization, aspects of which were still evident in the traditions of the Byzantine Empire in the mid-15th century. Alexander became legendary as a classical hero in the mold of Achilles, and he features prominently in the history and myth of Greek and non-Greek cultures. He became the measure against which military leaders compared themselves, and military academies throughout the world still teach his tactics.

Centaur Hotel in Mumbai

Shri Nathji had stayed at Centaur Hotel in Mumbai when He went from Nagpur to Bombay in December 1979 to receive HH Pran Nath who was arriving from London.

In the late 1990’s when Shri Nathji’s devotee Vijay Joshi came to Mumbai and stayed at the Centaur Hotel, he incidentally got to stayed in room number 301. He placed the photograph of Shri Nathji on a table in his room. Just then a waiter entered the room and was surprised to see the photo and said:

“Oh, I know Him! He stayed in this hotel in 1979 in this very room! How can one forget Him–He was God Himself!”

The waiter also bowed before the portrait of Shri Nathji. He told Joshi that there were times when a beautiful fragrance came from the room and the owner of the Hotel was aware of it. The owner had brought a renowned pandit and astrologer to the room and the man had said that some very Great Spiritual Personality had stayed in it and that the room was very auspicious.”

When Joshi came to the hotel again on another visit, he discovered that room number 301 had been converted into the office of the owner and was no longer rented out.

The waiter explained:

“The room in which he stayed has now been converted into an office. This hotel was going at a loss when the astrologer said to the owner that there were very powerful spiritual vibrations in that room, and if it were made into an office, the hotel would prosper–and that was exactly what happened! ”

The incident clearly revealed that no matter where Shri Nathji set His Feet that very place became hallowed and sacred.

The two photo on top is of the original Centaur Hotel.

The Centaur Hotel in Mumbai, was build and operated by the government of India. It was build in a large area and is circular in shape which makes it first of its kind in Asia. All the guest rooms face the interior swimming pool which was further ensconced in a well maintained garden. It was huge hotel with around 380 rooms. It become a popular hotel because of its location. As it at the entrance of the domestic airport and is only 4kms from international airport, it soon becomes one of the most visited hotels in Mumbai. But with time the apathy generally associated with Indian Government run institutions become to show up and take its toll on the Hotel.  It started to run in loss and because of lack of maintenance and upkeep. 

Finally the government decided to sell the hotel as part of its disinvestment policy. It was purchased by the Sahara Group and renamed as “Hotel Sahara Star.” The completely rebuild the hotel and opened  its interiors to the public after a long period of construction. The Sahara Group converted it into a five star Hotel with 223 luxury rooms and nine specialty  restaurants. But the main attraction of the hotel is the picturesque indoor tropical lagoon that looks up to the world’s largest pillar less clear-to-sky dome.

 This hotel is now most sort after for grand celebrations. It has three levels of parking that can easily accommodate over 750 cars. It is now one of the most beautiful hotels in India. Work on the exterior of the hotel is still in progress. These are current photos of its interior and exterior. 

Kamani Auditorium

The World Prayer Day Function on June 23, 1995 was celebrated at Kamani Auditorium for the first time. Both HH Pran Nath and HH Priya Nathji, were seated together onstage beneath the enlarged portrait of Shri Nathji.

Kamani Auditorium was an entirely new venue for the World Prayer Day and HH Priya Nath had wondered whether Shri Nathji’s light would manifest itself in the place as it had done at FICCI Hall and Sapru House which had been sanctified by Shri Nathji’s Divine Touch, unlike Kamani Auditorium.

However, Shri Nathji made His Presence felt more strongly than ever at Kamani, as if to prove that He would be wherever HH Priya Nath and HH Pran Nath went. World Prayer Day was also celebrated at Kamini Auditorium the next year in 1996.

Kamani Auditorium, a unit of the Bharatiya Kala Kendra Trust, is the most prestigious Theatre Hall of Delhi. The 632 seater Auditorium has been a host to some of the best National and International Theatrical, Dance and Musical Performances. The Auditorium building is an elegant structure with aesthetically designed Public Areas, Main Hall, Green Rooms, etc.

Kamani Auditorium commenced its operations in 1971. The Auditorium is a part of the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra Complex which also houses an Internationally renowned College of Indian Dance and Music. Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra was founded in 1952 by Mrs. Sumitra Charat Ram to promote, develop and propagate Indian Classical and Folk Music, Dance and Drama. To assist the Kendra in achieving these objectives the Bharatiya Kala Kendra Trust in 1971 constructed and commissioned Kamani Auditorium so as to provide an appropriate platform for staging of the Kendra's own performances as well as those of other cultural organization. The design concepts of the Auditorium were drawn up after visiting and studying the features of some of the best known Theatre Halls of the World. Whilst finalizing the designs, inputs were sought from leading Indian Theatrical, as well as Sound and Lighting professionals of that time. These included Dr. Pancholi of the National Physical Laboratory for Hall Acoustics and Sh. Tapas Sen for Hall Lighting. These efforts resulted in the creation of the finest and technologically the most advanced Theatre Hall of that time. This Auditorium, which was subsequently named as Kamani Auditorium then became the venue for most of the prestigious cultural performances staged in the city of New Delhi. The Auditorium is strategically located in the Mandi House area of New Delhi at 1, Copernicus Marg. Mandi House is well known as the cultural hub of the Capital

Zarin and Baji Tavadia

Zarin and Baji, a young Parsi-couple at THE HOTEL METROPOLE in Nainital, managed the daily chores, dividing duties between themselves and other Partners, when they met the Late Shri Nathji,  HH Bhola Nathji in the summer of 1972. (This 1972 photograph  of Zarin and Baji  Nainital, is about the time when they met Shri Nathji. This is taken in the dinning room of the Hotel Metrolole) Thus began one of the most memorable and long-cherished relationships with Shri Bhola Nathji and HH Priya Nathji, which they continue to maintain even to this day. They fondly recollect the divine glow and awe-inspiring aura that surrounded Shri BholaNathji’s personality.  Their meeting with HIM was a chance occurrence, when HE chose to stay at The Metropole Hotel in Nainital, where Baji was the 'Managing Partner' since he joined the 'partnership' with four other 'Local' Partners in 1966.

 This is how HH Priya Nathji has recollected that meeting, in his own words: -

" The year was 1972 and my father, Shri BholaNathji was resting incognito from the crowds of the plains in the hill resort of Naini Tal in the Himalayas!  We were staying at the Hotel Metropole, one of the oldest hotels in Naini Tal  -   its imposing structure being a veritable 'heritage hotel' from the days of the British in India.

HH Shri Nathji's dress and royal bearing made people think that he was a Maharaja. Everyone was struck by the unearthly glow and extraordinary beauty that his face was endowed with. It was as if he was some being from another world, his divine personality oozing an aura of love-filled divinity, which shone through his calm presence and made everyone stop and stare at him.
Most of the people staying at the Hotel Metropole were from the upper echeleons of society, comprising wealthy business magnates from Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta and similar cities;  they had all come with their families for their summer holidays in the picturesque hills of Nainital. Some people  were even regular holiday-makers whose permanent resort  in Summer was this large and comfortable Hotel with a mystic view of surrounding hills above and outstretched lake below.
These wealthy people were least concerned about the comfort of others and had 'loud' parties in their rooms, late into the night with scarce regard for other guests' peaceful sleep! When the waiters were asked  why didn't the hotel management complain to the 'District Authorities' about the misdemeanour of these callously drunken guests,  the waiter said that some of the persons responsible for observing  'Law & Order' in this small town,  were themselves enjoying at such roaring parties thrown by their friends, the so-called 'Guests', who loved to publicly entertain reputed Officials and the 'Gentry' in common.
It was this kind of a disturbing episode one night,(and destiny, of course!) that promptly entailed HH to personally meet with 'Zarin & Baji' the next morning, who profusely apologized for previous night's event that had  disturbed the peaceful sleep of HH, and HE soon realized they did not lag behind in wanting to 'discipline' the boisterous guests on professing their helplessness during such 'seasonal periods' of businessm which most hill-station hotels face as it is not entirely easy to invoke acts of kindliness and consideration from people who had come to enjoy with abandon, irrespective of not only becoming unaware but even apologizing for causing a nuisance to other 'quieter', sensible human beings!
It was at this precise time of having personally met Shri Nathji briefly at first, and more regularly, daily during HH's stay that Zarin & Baji had also assumed MY FATHER was a Maharaja with a 'vast difference', who, in all HIS GLORY, would still not be able to control the rowdiness of these people, who would be out-of-control, night after night, and, therefore, out of sheer concern  they helped Shri Nathji (and Priya Nathji) to secure a room at another hotel, the next day, called Grand Hotel, whose owners were personally known to them..But Shri Nathji was sad at heart. There was something in the well-caring Parsi couple's well-meaning demeanour that had touched HIS heart, as much as they were attracted to HIS HOLINESS' radiant personality.  Hence,  after a brief stay at the Grand, HE chose to go back to The Metropole, where WE spent a few more days at this Resort before deciding to return home to Delhi.
On the day of OUR departure, the staff of the Hotel had lined up outside OUR room with tears in their eyes, and as MY FATHER bade them farewell, it was 'acknowledged' by each one of these simple 'workers' present, that they were not only astonished but grateful to God, who had given them an opportunity to 'serve' a rare and gentle human being, whose divinity brought a certain 'brightness' in their simple lives, which  they had so far spent 'serving' their employers and guests, as faithfully as they could, to give their humble families a frugal livelihood!
Zarin and Baji also came into OUR room to bid farewell to their esteemed and rare guests. Shri Nathji's divine glory was at its peak as this young couple came before him and HIS words flowed out like the nectar of life, flooding the hearts of the young couple, who fought back their tears and respectfully bade farewell to Shri Nathji, whom they had learn to admire and revere in a short time, acknowledging HIS exceptionally Sacred Personality and addressing HIM as a 'Divine Leader', the kind of whom they had never come across in their lives; they also 'witnessed' HIS attraction, on two occasions when they got to meet HIS HOLINESS during their ensuing visits to Delhi to and from Nainital, (unfortunately missing US in Mumbai on one of OUR visits there)!
Before departing, Shri Nathji said to them - "It takes just a fraction of a second for a photograph to be taken, but that photograph will remain etched in our hearts and minds, forever!"  And thus, in  true spirit and style,  this relationship of Divine Love & Mutual Admiration was established in one brief moment and, ever since, has remained in all our hearts, forever!  Indeed, it is evident that OUR ASSOCIATION has lasted over the years -  even after HH has renounced the World and left for his heavenly abode way back in 1992.
The Tavadias had presented a thermos flask to Shri Nathji on parting-- and Shri Nathji kept it next to his bedside all these years, addressing it as the "Tavadia Flask", with love.
The relationship exists even now - with. Zarin and Baji who are on Facebook - and  I am in touch with them with the same feeling of love that had existed during the lifetime of 'OUR' FATHER, ever since OUR relation was first cemented between my father, HH Shri Nathji and them, at Hotel Metropole, Nainital. "

Zarin was born on 1st November 1941 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She was born and brought up in Mumbai and did her Senior Cambridge from Convent of Jesus Mary at Byculla. Baji was born on 21st May 1939 in Surat in Gujarat and stayed with his parents and siblings in Surat, till the age of 9. He had a paternal aunt in Nainital, with whom he was sent to Nainital, to pursue his studies (as Gujarat at that time had no English-medium School).  After he completed his Senior Cambridge from St. Joseph's College, he started helping his Uncle run a medium-sized hotel called The Waldorf, and as years passed by, Baji found himself interested in pursuing Hotel Management as his career, after acquiring expertise at the Bombay Catering Institute.  Therefore, on completion of his education, he got fully occupied with the running of this Hotel, till the time he was invited by one of his friends, who was the co-owner of the newly-acquired Hotel Metropole along with a group of four other Local Partners, who willingly assigned  the resposibility of 'managing' this  hotel, to Baji, since  he was interested in joining their 'partnership', which was offered to him.

Hence, in 1966, Baji took over the management of the Hotel. In 1967, Baji and Zarin got married and Zarin came to Nainital. The husband-and-wife duo now collectively looked after the affairs of this large hotel, successfully. In 1968,  they had their first daughter and in 1975 they had their second daughter.  In 1979, however, Zarin had to come down to Mumbai with her daughters to look after her ailing parents, as she was their only child, while Baji stayed on in Nainital, to manage the Hotel for the next three decades.   Zarin, who had been working before her marriage,  took up a job with  a TATA Co. in 1979 and was with the Tata Group for over 22 years, functioning as PA-Secretary to the MD. She retired in 2002 - and after a short stint with a Private Co. - chose to lead the life of a homemaker after 2003, on becoming a grand-mother to her second daughter's children, who all live in the UK. (The photo bellow is of Zarin and Baji of the time when they both retired.)

In 1997, Baji left Nainital when the lease of the hotel expired.  This thoroughly 'satisfied' couple lead a simple life and   continue to occupy Zarin's parents' house in the Western Suburb of Mumbai called Vile Parle, where they lead a quietly active life in this small Parsi Colony, holding in their hearts and minds, a 'mixed' treasure-trove of memories 'surrounding' their lives in Nainital, where they met and made numerous friends, especially during seasonal times, and share these memories with their old and new friends in Mumbai. Their elder Daughter is married and settled in Mumbai, in Juhu; she has a 20 yr. old son.  They younger daughter who is married and resides in UK, has two small children - a girl and boy in that order, who are 9 and 7 yrs. at present.

The Metropole Hotel, Nainital

It was at Nainital, a scenic hill-station in the then State of Uttar Pradesh, that HH BHOLA NATHJI, along with HIS son, HH PRIYA NATHJI,  stayed at the Metropole Hotel, which had a distantly beautiful view of the lake and being at a height afforded peace and quiet to the casual as well as regular holiday-makers consisting of  dignitaries, business magnates and 'captains' of various Industries, who used to make this vast hotel, with spacious rooms,  their 'Summer Home' with their families, where children played around on its vast grounds, carefree of their safety, which was always assured, while the Hotel and its Management was renowned for its overwhelming hospitality and delicious food for more than three decades, while being managed by the Tavadia couple, along with its 'sleeping' local partners. (Baji Tavadia photo given bellow is from the time when he took over the affairs of the hotel)

However,  though HH BHOLA NATHJI had become 'fond' of his 'newly-acqired' children, Zarin and Baji Tavadia, both in their twenties, HH disapproved of  the pompous and reckless style of living of the overtly-modern hotel guests, in general, whose 'loud' life-style was in sharp contrast to Shri Nathji’s reserved and cultured style of living and this had become quite apparent to this young Parsi couple, who were well-aware of the gracious presence and powerful divinity that 'overflowed' from the presence of HIS HOLINESS.  Almost everyone that met HH, mistook Shri Nathji for a Maharaja and acknowledged his 'divinity' with a bowed head and in a respectful manner.

 Hotel Metropole, as the story goes, belonged to the Nawab of Mehmoodabad, Raja Amir Ahmed Khan (Whose Photo is given below). 

Baji and his Partners, (who acquired it from a previous lessee), had taken it on lease from the Custodian of Enemy Properties, to whom its 'possession' was vested by the GOI, since  the actual 'Owner' of this Property, the Nawab of Mehmoodabad,  after partition had chosen to reside in Pakistan and thus,  all his properties were taken over by Govt. of India as Enemy Property, as per rules that were enforced in the country at that time. However, the Nawab's foreign-educated son returned to India and was known to reside in Lucknow, having undergone a long  and arduous legal battle with the GOI a decade or so ago, after which, temporarily, it was commonly known that he would  'inherit' all the properties of his father including the Hotel Metropole at Nainital, which, however, is not clearly known to have happened. 
(The Photo of the right reflects the current state of the unused property.) This property is scenically situated at a height surrounded by hills and conifers from where the beautiful Naini Lake is distantly yet clearly visible. It is 1 km away from the bus stand.  Built by the British in 1880, this is one of the oldest hotels in Nainital, standing on 11 acres of prime land in the heart of the hill resort, reachable on foot and by road with one of the largest grounds available for cars to be conveniently parked by the residents. The Hotel is nestled amidst pinewood trees, home to lively birds during the seasonal time of the year, when the climate is not too cold.  It is one of the most expensive and huge properties of the present State of Uttarkhand. A stay at Hotel Metropole, Nainital used to make holiday, a sweet memory for tourists. All rooms and suites at the Hotel offered a beautiful scenic view from the huge balconies on each floor of the Hotel, with rooms bearing bay-windows at which guests used to sit sipping their morning tea, breathing in the dew-drop fresh and clean air, while admiring the scenic beauty of  Naini Lake, famous for yatching and boating during seasonal periods. This was one of the largest hotels that had become famous in Nainital, with 75 comfortable rooms accommodated in main hotel and annexe building. It had 5 tennis courts, which used to become the venue of  several Tennis Tournaments which were organized by the Local Authorities, in conjunction with this Hotel (and others) becoming very willing 'sponsors' of different matches.