Srinagar: Rainawari
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History
By Avtar Mota, Oct 2023
RAINAWARI..
The old name of Rainawari was Rajanavatika or the 'Garden of Rajanakas or Rainas' . It is an island town connected by waterways. In fact, the canal that connects Dal Lake with Nigin Lake passes through the heart of this town. This locality is mentioned in Rajataringini. Kalhana says Brahmins of Rainawari performed Prayopavesa ( Satyagraha or fast unto death ) during the rule of Sussala, the King of the Lohara dynasty. With DAV School opened by Arya Samajis and Vishwa-Bharati institution opened for girls , Rainawari was a hub of education and learning before 1990.
(Ramesh Handoo adds: Centuries back Rainawari was called Rainavatika. The name of the king was,Ranaditya. Raina,vatika ( garden) the Garden of Rainas the king Joghi langhar the central point was where the Langar of sadhus used to be who would come down. During Amarnath yatra.)
Eminent people from Rainawari, over the ages
Rainawari area of Srinagar city has a glorious past.
If it produced saints like Jeevan Sahib, Miyan Shah Sahib, Krishen Joo Kar, Zanana Zoi and Zind Shah Peer, it was also the birthplace of Taba Ram Turki ( 1776-1847 ) and Bhawani Das Kachroo ( husband or Kashmiri poetess Arnimal ) both renowned Persian scholars and poets. Taba Ram Turki was a contemporary of Gani Kashmiri . Saiyed Mohammad Madni who later came to be known as Madin Sahib in Kashmir, had also settled peacefully in Rainawari before Sultan Zain ul Abdin made him to shift to his new capital Nowshera in Srinagar city .
Pandit Keshav Bhat Jyotshi ,a profound astrologer and a Sanskrit scholar who is responsible for documenting Karm- kaand and various other religious texts for the Kashmiri Pandits also hailed from Rainawari. So did Jaffer Ali (recipient of many awards ) the well known papier mache artist, belong to Hassanabad ,Rainawari. Poet Radhe Nath Massarat opened a shop and lived in Rainawari for the most part of his life.
Mata Bhagbhari, a saintly Kashmiri Pandit woman also lived in Rainawari . She presented a hand-woven Pashmina cloak to Guru Hargobind,the sixth Sikh Guru on his visit to the Kashmir valley. History informs us that during the Afghan rule in Kashmir , Dila Ram Quli rose to become a member of the Kabul Darbaar. Dila Ram Quli was also from Rainawari. Not only an able administrator, Dila Ram Quli was a Farsi ( Persian ) poet as well.
( Avtar Mota )
Nuggets
Sanjay Koul adds: I used to hear stories from my mother about a famous / infamous burglar who hailed from Rainawari . Don't know if it really existed . I often used to go to Rainawari spend days at my Massi's place (Matoo ) and thoughts about that burglar would keep haunting me . Later when I grew up I made friends with two brothers from Jalali family and one from Vishens who happened to be my college mates .There was a play ground adjacent to a graveyard or probably a part of it turned into a playground where I used play cricket matches
Zutshi Tejkrishen adds: I can recollect the memory of two natorious brothers Triloki nath pandit and his elder brother nerinjan pandit ( Ner pandit) both were decoits used to do decoity out side of j & k state.another was Pathsha goor from soortengh of Ŕainawari . He too was a notorious local thief. By these three people, our Rainawari was safe from thefts etc.
Ghulam Hassan Mir: One sentence I used listen off & on from SK Ganju a rtd bank manager hailing from rainawari that “Rainawari had 36 mohallas and Jammu City was smaller than Rainawari upto [19]60s.” (The population of Srinagar City in 1961 was 301,000 macrotrends. The population of Jammu City in 1961 was 106,000. macrotrends. According to the Census of India, in 1961 the urban population of Srinagar was 295.084 and of urban Jammu 102,138So, what this good intellectual was saying was that Rainawari was about 34 or 35 % of Srinagar.)
Girdharilal Kuchroo writes: Rainawari or Reenvor was probably repopulated by elite of Srinagar city by king Sukhjeevan, Waqte Sukhjoo
Eminent people from Rainawari
The 20th century
The principal source of this section is Mr Avtar Mota, With additional inputs from:
B.l. Kaul, Bansi Raina, BL Zutshi, Jalal Ud Din Shah, Ramesh Handoo, Sohan Kaul, Subhash Sharma, Surender Kaul, Veena Dhar, Virander Koul.
Advocate S K chaku
Ahmad Bazigar and his famous son G Mohamad Aka Momu Bazigar
Arun Kaul film-maker. (Source: Avtar Mota)
Atal Duloo Gold medalist Btech.M.tech, 8th position in IAS presently secretary
Avtar Mota
Bansi MATTOO Great theatre Artist
Baskarnath Entrepreneur
BL Zutshi
Brij Kishori Nakhasi Great theatre personality
D N Handu
D N Jalali ( private secretary to Maharaja Hari Singh ). (Source: Avtar Mota)
Dina Nath MATTOO political activist
Diwan Dilla Ram was also said to be from Rainawari. He was disciple of Swami Jiwan Sab who rose to the Minister level under the pathan governor in Kashmir and later was taken to Kabul to serve the King there. His progeny is said to be settled in Canada.
Dr Autar Mattoo highly decorated Scientist in U SA
Dr B K Jalali (a well known surgeon from Kashmir )(Source: Avtar Mota)
Dr B L Kaw the well known zoologist (Source: Avtar Mota)
Dr H L koul Great surgeon in USA
Dr. Prediman Krishan Hak ENT specialist
Dr.Kulbuzhan Kachroo Geologist
Farooq Nazki ( Kashmiri poet and noted media personality )(Source: Avtar Mota)
Ghulam Ahmed Sofi ( Amma Kaandhur well known Sufiana and Chhakri singer of Kashmir )(Source: Avtar Mota)
Gokul Dembi artist . (Source: Avtar Mota)
Hira lal Nathasi Great scientist in USA
Jeevan Lal Matoo then music director of Lahore Radio station who is said to have the one who spotted the talent of Mohammad Rafi
Jewaan, filmstar
Jia Lal Tamiri ( freedom fighter)(Source: Avtar Mota)
Jinab Sahib ( Judge)
Kak brothers, The illustrious: Journalist R K Kak, Journalist M L Kak, S K Kak ( IAS ) and B L Kak ( author .. ‘Fall of Gilgit’ ) ) (Source: Avtar Mota)
Kakajee chaku prof of physics
Lt Col P N Kak the first local station commander of Indian army
Madhusudan kak Advocate General
Maharaj Krishen Kaul ( Bagh) the then Director Geological Survey Of India led the successful Indian expedition to Antartica in 1985.(Source: Avtar Mota)
Makhan lal MATTOO founder principal of Bud-disht school of philosophy Leh
Manohar Kaul ( Kataal ) well known art critic(Source: Avtar Mota)
Hirdy Nath MATTOO Martyr
Mattoo family, renowned: Raj Kumar IFtS; Prof Neerja; Dr Aaditya Mattoo, an Oxford and Cambridge educated internationally renowned economist who has been with the World Bank etc; and his brother Prof Amitabh Mattoo
Mehraj ud din Wadoo, the international football. Mehrajuddin Wadoo has represented the Indian national team. He has represented football clubs like Sporting Club de Goa Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. (Source: Avtar Mota)
Mir Gaffar Sufi Saint and poet from Bandooq Khar Mahala
Mir Ghulam Rasool Nazki ( well-known broadcaster and Kashmiri poet ) (Source: Avtar Mota)
MK. Raina, filmstar
ML Sadhu, performing artist
Moti Lal Naaz ( Kashmir poet ) ,(Source: Avtar Mota)
N.K.Hak (Judge )
Nand Lal Wattal, a well-known Urdu Journalist and former editor of the ‘Khidmat’ newspaper (Source: Avtar Mota)
Nidan Sahib
p k MATTOO and B k MATTOO First IAS officers of MATTOO clan
P N Kachru ,artist (Source: Avtar Mota)
Pandit Prem Nath Thussoo (eminent educationist associated with Vishwa Bharti Institutions ), (Source: Avtar Mota)
Pandit Saligram Kaul (an engineer who fined his own wife for misuse of municipal water which was being used by her for irrigating the Kitchen garden.), (Source: Avtar Mota)
Prof Abrar Hassan khan
prof B L chaku Dean guru Nanak university
Prof B L Kaw first Doctorate from Rainawari
Prof Bushan lal handu Great teacher and educational planner
Prof Gopinath MATTOO distinction of authority on Persian Arabic and English
Prof Khizir Mohammed
Prof krundu V C kurkhestra university
Prof M K kak
Prof Mohammad Zaman Azurda is also from Hassanabad, Rainawari Noted Urdu and Kashmiri scholar and a Sahitya Akademi awardee. (Source: Avtar Mota)
Prof Muju
Prof P N Dhar, well-known economist and the then Principal Advisor to Mrs Indira Gandhi His father, Vishen Joo Hakim was the headmaster of Biscoe School. He worked with Tyndale Biscoe. This Hakim family lived at Surateng Mohalla of Rainawari in close proximity to the Mission Hospital. T N Kaul (ICS ) ,(Source: Avtar Mota)
Prof. Bhushan Lal Handoo founder of Rainawaree Cricket club in 1960
Prof. J.N.Wattal
Prof.Dr.B.L.Kaw noted Zoologist
Pt.Mann Joo Mattoo , a philanthropist and hotelier ( grand father of Prof.B.L.Zutshi ),
Pt.Shiv Narayan Fotedar , a social reformer and President Yuvak Sabha
R N MATTOO Wazir wazarst
Ram joo Abay ( Arya samaj)
Rita Jalali, performing artist
Sadiq Ali ( politician )(Source: Avtar Mota)
Samsar Chand Kaul Ganhaar ( noted ornithologist )(Source: Avtar Mota)
Samsarchand kaul ji Naman Shree
Samuel Baqqal probably the first among the educated Muslims from Kashmir who became a Christian. (Source: Avtar Mota)
Shiv Narain Fotedar , parliamentarian and politician (Source: Avtar Mota)
Shridhar Joo Dulloo ( well known teacher who educated Ladakhis )(Source: Avtar Mota)
Shyam Lal Saraf ( minister in Sheikh Abdullah's first cabinet after 1947 ) (Source: Avtar Mota)
T K So, Noted music composer and vocalist,(Source: Avtar Mota)
TN MATTOO Famous principal of Gandhi memorial college
