AVTAR MOTA
In the olden days, long-distance travel was only done on auspicious days by Kashmiri Pandits. Some elderly people in the family were fully conversant with the system of directions and auspicious days of travel. The almanack or Jantri or Panchaang held in the family would also provide details of auspicious days of travel in different directions. Sometimes the family Purohit/ priest was consulted to look for the auspicious day of the journey. The auspicious day was called “Saath “ in Kashmiri. It was based on astrological calculations primarily worked out with planetary movements, Tithi and Nakshatra etc. Generally, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were suitable days provided other issues like Panchak, Yog, Vaar, Karna, etc. and planetary movements were not inauspicious? Vedic Astrology has determined good and bad days for travel based on the moon’s transit in different zodiac signs, constellations, and days of the week. While looking for Saath ( Muhurat ), it was believed that the auspicious day of starting the journey would help the traveller in achieving his mission for which travel was conducted apart from ensuring a safe journey.
PRASTHAAN
It could also happen and quite often it did that a person had to travel due to some emergency or some sudden exigency. In such cases, Prasthaan was the solution. Prasthaan meant performing token departure for the actual journey on an inauspicious day. There was no need to go to the family priest or Purohit consult some elderly person or look into the Almanac /Jantri / Panchaang. Quite often Prasthaan was performed a day before the journey day. Something like the socks or the trousers or shoes that were to be put on the day of the journey were removed from the house and kept in the custody of some neighbour or third party. This item was recollected on travel day and put to use on journey day. Many times people going to Jammu without proper Saath would keep the Prasthaan item with the Tongawalla. The Tongawalla would come early in the morning and hand over the Prasthaan and carry the travellers to TRC or Lal Chowk for onward Jammu journey. A full Tonga was booked well in advance. In our Mohalla, Sondhar Ded, the Muslim lady would also hold Prasthaan items of some Pandit neighbours. She had her bakery shop that opened at 4 am. Accordingly, this place was most suitable for travellers to Jammu who would leave Rainawari during the early morning hours. The Prasthan usually a pair of socks or shoes had to be put on the journey day. A pair of socks was a preferred Prasthaan item. Before the auto rickshaws arrived in Kashmir, Tonga was the most desirable mode of local transport. Going to Jammu meant leaving Rainawari at 5.30 am or 6.00 am. For this, a full Tonga was booked in advance. The Tonga would arrive at your house early in the morning and carry you and the luggage to Lal Chowk or TRC where buses for Jammu would leave early in the morning. Quite often, the Prasthaan item was handed over to the Tongawalla one day before actual travel.
I vividly remember Mohammad Sultan, the Tongawalla from Surateng, Rainawari. He was quite popular with Jammu-bound travellers. Once I also approached him and engaged him for an early morning journey to Tourist Reception Centre. I remember my conversation with him like this:-
“I have to go to Jammu tomorrow. Can you come to Jogilanker Chowk at 5.30 am? I need full Tonga.”
“Where do you live?”
“Just across Jogilanker Bridge?”
“You mean near Dr Shambhu Nath Bagh who runs a dentist shop at Zainkadal.”
“Yes exactly. You can ask for the Mota family when you come. “
“You mean behind Sondheri’s bakery shop. I get it. Have you seen Saath (Muhurat for travel)? Tomorrow is Saturday. People don’t travel on Saturdays. Where is your Prasthaan? This long-distance journey on Saturday without Prasthaan can be detrimental for all of us. I mean me, the animal, the Tonga and you. Go and get a pair of new nylon socks and keep them with me. Use them tomorrow.”
I got the Prasthaan from a nearby shop. Mohammad Sultan took the socks, removed the label and asked me to put the new socks on my feet. After that, he kept the socks with him and told me this:-
“Prasthaan is something that has already been used. You have to use it on the day of the journey. It can’t be a brand-new item. Now come without socks tomorrow as you have to use this pair on your journey. Go, I shall be at your place at 5.30 am.
“Beete huve lamhon ki khushbu hai mere ghar mein,
Book rack pe rakhe hain yaadon ke kayi album”
Avtar Mota is a bloger and writes for local and national papers and magazines
