Silk in the biggest garden of the world
Table of Contents
Allahabad, Feb. 4, 1934
Baba visited the other side of the Company Bag, today. He observed:
This is the biggest garden of the world.
Baba told that it covers an area of 180 acres.
It is properly maintained but not properly developed.
Several tropical and equatorial plants of different varieties can be grown here.
In Uttar Pradesh mulberry and non-mulberry silk can be grown. It is an ideal location for the development of the silk industry since there are many weavers in the state.
Resham is mulberry silk and the silk worms can be grown on the Shahtoot tree.
The wood of this tree can be used to manufacture sporting goods which are today manufactured in Ludhiana.
There are 3 varieties of non-mulberry silk:
- Tasar
Eranda Tasar worms can be grown on Sakhua and Berry trees.
- Endi
Endi worms Can be grown on Endi trees.
- Munga
Munga worms can be grown on Drumstick trees known as Shobhaunjan in Sanskrit.
Industries should be developed utilising both varieties of silk.
However, such industries should not depend on subsidies, as they invariably run at loss and deplete the collective wealth.
If Japan can develop industries based on genuine silk and artficial silk, then why can’t India?
Prayag. Feb. 6, 1984
Baba travelled by boat to Prayag-sangam where the Yamuna merges in the Ganga.
While sitting on the boat, He observed:
The land between the Ganga and the Yamuna, starting from Gangottari and Yamunottari, was known as Brahma varta during Vedic times.
- It later became known as Shurasena during the time of the Mahabharata.
Its capital before the era of the Mahabharata was Vrshnipura.
The name of the place where the distance between the Yamuna and the Ganga was less than 10 miles was Brahmarshi Desa, while Vindhyamekhala was the name of the country in ancient times.
Vindhyamekhala is divided into 2 parts:
- The western side was called Bundelkhand
- The eastern side was called Baghelkhand
Since the Yamuna river passes through black cotton soil, the colour of the river-water appears to be bluish.
The Ganga passes through yellow soil, so its colour appears to be white.
Krsna Dvaepayan’s grand father was a fisherman in an island-village situated in the trans-Yamuna region and located on black cotton soil. Being born on an island of black soil he was known as Krsna Dva payana Vyasa.
The language spoken in the trans-Ganga area is Avadhi and Braja while in the south of the Yamuna river people speak Bundeli, Avadhi, Braja and Bundeli are the offshoots of Shaurseni Parkrta.
In the upper portion of Brahmavarta, the people’s language is Jatu-Hariyanavii.
The offshoots of Shauraseni Prakrta : Avadhi, Braja, Bagheli, Bundeli and Hariyanavii had philological similarity, the verb endings get changed according to the changes in the number and gender of the subject.
Prayag was once the cultural centre of India before the Aryans proceeded eastward.
Afterwards, Varanasi became the cultural hub of India, and continues to be so even now.
When our motor boat passed near the fort Baba said:
The fort dates back to the time of the Pandavas.
Akshya bata (Banyan tree) is also very old.
Kaushambi is a historical place.
In ancient times, civilizations grew around river valleys.
Kaushambi developed on the banks of the Saraswati river.
It was a great centre of Therapanthi Jainism.
Later, when the Saraswati vanished due to the raising of the riverbed, Kaushambi also lost its significance.