Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 23: ‘Lal and her Vaakh’ an encyclopedic book on great spritualist and poetess of Kashmir Lal Ded written by Dr R L Bhat was released in a thickly attended function today.
Prof R L Shant presided over the function. Prof P N Trisal, Dr K L Chowdhury along with the author were in the presidium. Prof P N Trisal presented a detailed paper on the book in which he traced the historical perspective of the times in which Lal Ded lived. He gave in-depth analysis of the Vaakhs of the famous mystic and delineated in great detail the linguistic paradigm of her Vaakhs.
Dr K L Chowdhury said that Lal Ded needs to be understood in the broader context and not within the confines of literary compartment. He said that she should be allowed to seep into our psyche so that we derive spiritual joy from her.
While speaking on the book the author Dr R L Bhat who has already written six books on varied subjects said that the primal aim of the book is to bring forth a historical milleu of the times of Lal Ded and remove misgivings about many myths attached to her life and Vaakhs on the basis of primary source material and internal linguistic evidence. Earlier Ramesh Hangloo founder director of Radio Sharda and president Peer Panchal presented welcome address. He underlined an urgent need to understand Lal Ded in her true essence. An animated discussion followed the book release in which noted writers Ayaz Rasool Nazuki, MK Santoshi, Pyrey Lal Bhat, Pushkar Nath Raina, Khalid Hussain and Dr Shafat Kakroo among others participated. Lal and her Vaakhs for the first time puts all vaakhs of Lal Ded in one place and the author has painstaikingly classified her saying into two classes. One nearer to her time and language and other interpolated or spurious vaakhs. The merit of the book which was highlighted by every speaker is the historical time and milieu in which she lived. This way the book seeks to break new ground in the field of research about Lal Ded who is arguably one of the greatest exponent of monistic philosophy of India’s great spiritual tradition. The proceedings of the function were conducted by Pradeep Kaul Khodballi while vote of thanks was presented by Tej Sagar.