Djinns and the Mosque: Scary stories about the jinns, the legends and nostalgia

Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

The tales of Djinns are fascinating and scary at the same time.

In childhood, I heard numerous tales about the djinns [jinns] and their powers.

The photo shows the Jizyagarhi mosque, near Lucknow.

We heard umpteen stories of the djinns living in this ancient mosque.

People would say that when they entered the mosque there would be not a single soul but when they started praying, suddenly dozens of persons in spotless white dress would appear in the front, side and back rows. 

Or that when sat for ablutions before namaz, a hand would bring the tumbler full of water. These are just some of the tales. But when I walk past the old palaces, kothis, mosques and the particular trees in my hometown, a chill still runs down my spine. 

I don't know if the djinns any longer come to study in the local madarsa, as per the old legends.  I didn't ask anybody either but I'm sure the stories won't have vanished. Legends just keep growing.

Stories heard in the childhood have a great impact on one's mind. The friendly jinns who loved to eat coal and bones and in return gave away 'asharfis' and also the ones who fell in love with beautiful girls who never got married as they got possessed.

There were also the 'shararti jinns' who never harmed anyone, except occasional mischief. They would frighten elderly women by picking up something kept far away--by extending their hand up to a distance of 15-30 feet.  

On my recent visit, I ventured towards the mosque but didn't step inside. It was not that I feared that a hand would come from nowhere to pat me and ask to leave but I walked away after taking a photograph. We grew up to the stories of not just jinns but the 'baram-rakhas' or 'agiya betal' too. More about djinns in later posts.

The Candy-seller on Cycle is back: Magic of Mithai-wala

Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

In my childhood, the guy on cycle who sold this unique 'mithai' (sweet) was always a much sought-after person.

The guy would take a bit of 'mithai' from the pole on his cycle, and then create any shape out of it.

A small butterfly or a tree, a bird or even a four-wheeler like a jeep or car, you just asked and he made it.

Of course, the bird and the butterfly were the cheapest and in those days not everybody could afford to pay more than 50 paise or Re 1.

Most of the kids went for the 'chidiya' [bird] that cost just 25 paise. It was like a desi chewing gum, though much tastier.

Or, perhaps memories of childhood are always more tastier. After a long time, I recently spotted a mithai-seller.

He told me that business was not good. The mithai-wala also said that he had come from Malegaon [Maharashtra] and mostly sold this mithai in slums and outside schools.

Not the public or English medium schools but government schools where children still get ber, imli, jamun outside.

That is another reason why we don't come across these mithai-walas, as much. I gave him Rs 5 and he deftly created a cycle for me, within seconds.

Back to Bachpan

It was like a magic in childhood when the mithai-wala made the 'chidiya' and would blow a customary whistle without any lip movement while handing it to the kid.

That was a sales trick as children would feel that the sound had come out of the 'bird' and they always tried to imitate.

Of late, I was feeling that these mithai-walas have become extinct. And when I found it decades later, again I was fascinated by the art. In the photo along with the post, you can see this little ' sweet cycle' made of the sugary floss.

As it was quite hot, I rushed to my destination, showed it to a couple of friends before it melted into my mouth.

Really delicious! Is there anybody who hasn't tasted it? If only a Pepsi or an Uncle Chipps markets it, this would be sold for five times the existing price.

And then it would be fashionable to buy it. But the poor mithai-walas continue to earn barely in the range of Rs 100-Rs 150 on their best days and confine themselves to areas inhabited by the poor.

Pictures: 1.The desi sweetmeat seller on his cycle that holds a pole covered with umbrella to prevent the sugary material from melting.

2. In the other photo a child looks at mithai-wala's art, engrossed. 3. Here the 'mithai wali cycle' is ready for consumption.

Nehru's newspapers Qaumi Awaz, National Herald shut down in Congress regime

On April 1, Qaumi Awaz, the Urdu daily from national capital, New Delhi, which was founded by India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, brought out its last copy.

The masthead, the photo of which is shown on the top left, will be remembered for a long time. Till its last day of publication, the words :"Baani: Jawaharlal Nehru" (encircled in red for those who can't read Urdu)", were printed in the same manner.

National Herald has also closed down. The papers were earlier published from Lucknow and nearly a decade back, the Lucknow edition was closed Pandit Nehru, the great visionary, and founder of modern India, had established these papers.

Ironically, the newspapers closed despite all possible resistance and the fact that Qaumi Awaz still used to sell and had a good circulation though there was no money.

And it all happened when Congress-led UPA is in the office and Sonia Gandhi's intervention would have saved the papers.

The English daily could also have been revived (Qaumi Awaz was doing well). But the Congress leadership preferred to look askance though they had a responsibility also. The party is not short of funds. Forever I will miss the newspaper that was once largely circulated in entire North India.


The last day of the National Herald editorial titled 'Herald hopes for a better tomorrow". This newspaper was founded in September 1938 and after 70 years, closed down.

The papers could have been given to private hands, which could have run them efficiently. Many people were interested in running Qaumi Awaz and restart its Lucknow edition, specially in view of Roznama Sahara's success.

Even today one could get Qaumi Awaz' late city edition in most Indian cities that reached in the evening. Employees have been given VRS and the era of National Herald, Qaumi Awaz, Navjivan, has gone.

Today BJP, which always needed a mainstream English daily, has acquired a newspaper after years of effort (The Pioneer) to propogate its policies and the Congress simply lost its established papers. The Hindi version Navjeevan was closed long ago. But who could have convinced the party! They have lost UP but can anybody put sense in their head.

I still remember it was once used to be published from Mumbai and Hyderabad also. And had tremendous circulation in Awadh. Qaumi Awaz, the nationalist voice, that got revived under Mohan Chiraghi's stint as editor, ultimately became history.

Nehru's dreams had died long ago. His papers also died. Alas!

[The other photo shows Qaumi Awaz (encircled) on the newspaper stands]