BADIYAR BALA

Genesis and Contribution
During the regime of Maharaja Hari Singh, a member of the Royal family, Sardar Roop Singh selected this place and acquired the area right from the Ghats(bank) to the entire area reaching Nai Sarak as his estate.
The name Badiyar Bala was given because it was predominantly inhabited by Kashmiri Pandits and had an elevated height.(Bata means Kashmiri pandit : Yar means abode or dwellind and Bala means mound) .Down below is Badiyar Payeen( At a lower height) . It was felt that this area will never get submerged or water logged even in heavy flash floods. They said that the day this area will get submerged, the entire city will be under water. It is true , In my life time I have never seen water rising more than the first floor of Lal Ded School even in the worst floods.
Some houses were removed , some were shifted and some were retained. The entire estate was known as KAALI HAVELI (Black Mansion).This is because a long , narrow tunnel like passage led from the estate to the far end of the river(Jehlum) bank. While going through this tunnel one would experience strange things ,weired images and ghost like feelings. It was said to be a haunted place.
Gradually paradigm of demography and physical appearance of the place changed.
The First Srinagar Municipality Office was set up at this place. Then came HINDU HIGH SCHOOL. This school was from 6th class onwards. Primary wing was at Nai Sarak. Before the Nai Sarak was built, Badiyar Bala was connected by TONGA route from LAL CHOWK  to ZAINAKADAL.
Hindu High School building was later changed into LALDED SCHOOL by Dina Nath Nadim Sahab
The mention of Nadim Sahab reminds me of his friendship with my father, Mohan Raina (Artist). Nadim Sahab would occasionally come to our house with my Dad.His School ,Lalded was in our neighbourhood and also they were doing a biography .
My father's friend, Dr. Braj . B.Kachru had come from America where he was working as Head Of Linguistics in The University Of Illinois, Urbana. Dr.Braj was doing a biograghy on Nadim Sahab which was to be illustrated by my father, Late Mohan Raina. It was a big project, about which I would sometimes see them discussing in our house. Major part was discussed and done in NIDOUS HOTEL because Prof. Braj was staying in that hotel.
I remember Nadim Sahab as soft spoken gentleman always in "Bandh Gala " (closed collar)  black suit , long hair combed backwards and a staff (small stick) under his left arm.
At times I have seen Nadim Sahab carrying a "Nadir Gedh"(bundle of lotus stems) upside down without realising that water trickling from them was wetting his clothes ! Probably he would be engrossed in his own thoughts even while walking.
          Without acknowledging the contribution of BADIYARIS in the fields of
ART, CULTURE, LITERATURE, MUSIC and
LANGUAGES we can not do justice to the overall progress and development of these activities.
First theatre was set up at KRAL KHUD which is adjacent to Badiyar. UPPER STOREY OF THE BUILDING had PREM SANGEET NIKETAN and KALA KENDRA was started in the ground floor.The first batches had people like  Triloke Dass, Hasrat Khazanchi, H.N.Gurtoo, Suraj Tickoo and Pushkar Bhan.  Raaj Nath wrote parodies in Kashmiri Language which were imitated and copied from Hindi films. Plays were staged in Hindu School, Sheetal nath. The  operas and plays like "Harish Chander Taramati"
"Savitri Satyvan"etc. Were staged in Sheetal Nath.Sh. Mahinder Wali(Dr. Ramesh Wali's father) gave play back in Saigal style.
Meantime, Sarvanand Bhan formed another group as a co op Society, probably to get monetary benefits a coop soc. is entitled to. One Gopi Krishen was entrusted the job of building a theatre which was built at Shivala Mandir in Chota Bazar. IT WAS INAUGURATED BY NONE OTHER THAN  PRITHVI RAJ KAPOOR. Actors from Kala Kendra got attracted and joined this group.
Those days female actors were not available .So such roles were performed by actors who were not just handsome but fair and beautiful. These included actors like Bal Krishen Koul(Master Zinda Koul's grand son), O.N.Raina,also known as " Baiju Bawra". Music compositions and play back was given by artists like Sh.Dwarka Nath Masroor(he was blind).He sang in marriages also and was known as "Bairaji " Pyarey Lal Ganjoo also played harmonium. He was also a "Chakri Singer " who sang in marriages besides as play back in plays.
When THEATRE FESTIVAL organised by J&K Cultural Academy started in TAGORE HALL in Srinagar different groups were formed. One was by Amresh Bal, owner of Amresh Talkies.He engaged a person none other than HABIB TANVEER. During auditions even HABIB SAhab was impressed by acting prowess of BADIYARIS  some of whom got selected.
In the same audition Sh. Krishen Langoo also got selected. Habib Sahab said , Krishen Langoo you are a gem which needs polishing" Habib Tanvir/Tanveer directed Uma Khosla(Nikki Appa)of Radio Kashmir to polish Langoo ji's language and pronounciation.
.Tall, well built personality who would stand out in any crowd with Badiyar connection which comes to my mind again is Late Sh. Dina Nath Nadim.On one occasion I saw him lighting his cigarette from opposite filter end which showed how much pre occupied was he with his
"Shairi"
IT IS MY MORAL OBLIGATION TO SALUTE ALL THOSE WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED IN THEIR OWN WAY TO ENRICH OUR LIVES.
Rest in the next. The  picture shows new constuction in place of Lal Ded School.