December 20, 2013
HH Shri Bhola Nathji in 1932 at the Himalayan Town of Mussoorie in Northern India.
The small city of Mussoorie which had been built by the British in 1820, boasted of many shops owned by people from Europe.
Amongst these was the famous Photographer's Shop, owned by an Italian Photographer Julian Rust.
He was so taken up by the perfection of HH Shri Bhola Nathji's acquiline features and the godliness and innocence and love that surrounded the face that he insisted that he be allowed to take a portrait.
And so he shot this portrait in black and white, at a time when the cameras had huge lenses which had to be removed by hand and the photographer had to hide himself inside a dark cloth while shooting the picture.
Julian Rust had the reputation of shooting in natural sunlight, which filtered into his studio from a glass skylight.
The portrait of HH Shri Bhola Nathjji which he shot became the life of his shop. He placed an enlargement in his showcase, and the passers by would stop and admire the portrait. Though many wished to purchase it, he would not sell it at any cost. He had virtually fallen in love with this masterpiece he had made.
Then one day a Muslim Nawab Istafa Khan, became greatly enamoured of HH Shri Bhola Nathji as well as the portrait. He belonged to those select class of elite Muslims, a widely travelled person, rich and intellectual with many European friends.
He simply had to have the portrait at any cost, and he finally purchased it from Julian Rust for Rs.500 which would be the equivalent of about $ 1000 these days.
He placed the portrait on a wall in his drawing room where visitors would spot it at first entry.
And he wrote this Verse beneath the portrait in his classic Urdu language:
"Kyaa khoob shakl iss bute kaafir adaa ki hai
Hindu bhee kaih rahe hain ki kudrat Khudaa ki hai"
The meaning of this in English is:
"What a strange beauty surrounds this image of a non-Muslim before me!
Even Hindus do see the Glory of God in it!"
Later his love for HH Shri Bhola Nathji became so intense that he wrote another Verse on him --- when he saw that Hindus and Muslims and indeed people of all faiths all revered him equally:
"I would give up my life for him, for whom these others die!
It is for this, O Ostafa, that I love my rivals!"
Far from being jealous of the others who loved HH Shri Bhola Nathji, and who would be called in English his "rivals" in love,
his Verse above showed that there was something higher than jealousy and envy-- and that was LOVE.
Here he was loving his rivals because they loved the same person he was deeply in love with!!
HH Shri Bhola Nathji in 1932 at the Himalayan Town of Mussoorie in Northern India.
The small city of Mussoorie which had been built by the British in 1820, boasted of many shops owned by people from Europe.
Amongst these was the famous Photographer's Shop, owned by an Italian Photographer Julian Rust.
He was so taken up by the perfection of HH Shri Bhola Nathji's acquiline features and the godliness and innocence and love that surrounded the face that he insisted that he be allowed to take a portrait.
And so he shot this portrait in black and white, at a time when the cameras had huge lenses which had to be removed by hand and the photographer had to hide himself inside a dark cloth while shooting the picture.
Julian Rust had the reputation of shooting in natural sunlight, which filtered into his studio from a glass skylight.
The portrait of HH Shri Bhola Nathjji which he shot became the life of his shop. He placed an enlargement in his showcase, and the passers by would stop and admire the portrait. Though many wished to purchase it, he would not sell it at any cost. He had virtually fallen in love with this masterpiece he had made.
Then one day a Muslim Nawab Istafa Khan, became greatly enamoured of HH Shri Bhola Nathji as well as the portrait. He belonged to those select class of elite Muslims, a widely travelled person, rich and intellectual with many European friends.
He simply had to have the portrait at any cost, and he finally purchased it from Julian Rust for Rs.500 which would be the equivalent of about $ 1000 these days.
He placed the portrait on a wall in his drawing room where visitors would spot it at first entry.
And he wrote this Verse beneath the portrait in his classic Urdu language:
"Kyaa khoob shakl iss bute kaafir adaa ki hai
Hindu bhee kaih rahe hain ki kudrat Khudaa ki hai"
The meaning of this in English is:
"What a strange beauty surrounds this image of a non-Muslim before me!
Even Hindus do see the Glory of God in it!"
Later his love for HH Shri Bhola Nathji became so intense that he wrote another Verse on him --- when he saw that Hindus and Muslims and indeed people of all faiths all revered him equally:
"I would give up my life for him, for whom these others die!
It is for this, O Ostafa, that I love my rivals!"
Far from being jealous of the others who loved HH Shri Bhola Nathji, and who would be called in English his "rivals" in love,
his Verse above showed that there was something higher than jealousy and envy-- and that was LOVE.
Here he was loving his rivals because they loved the same person he was deeply in love with!!
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