Kamlawati Kachru

by K.N. Koul

Kamlawati Kachru

Smt. Kamlawati Kachru (maiden name Radha) was born in the family of Kouls (nicknamed as Bonis), residents of Reshi Mohalla, Habbakadal Srinagar. Her birthday as per tithi is Kartik Shukla Paksh Dwadashi and the birth year approximately around 1905. Her father namely Shri Gopi Nath Koul died at his tender age of 28 and the duty of bringing up the family fell on her mother Mader Dedi and others. The family besides Mader dedi consisted of her son Mohan Lal Koul and two sisters Kamlawati Kachru married in Kachru family and Bader Dedi married in the family of Kotwals at Sathu Srinagar. Shri Gopi Nath and Mader Dedi were pious souls engrossed in spirituality and meditation and this aspect got reflected in the daughters. Both used to be engrossed in singing Bhajans and Meditation. The sisters later came under the influence of Swami Govind Kaul and accepted him as their spiritual preceptor.

Kamlawati is reported to have once been in her exalted state of Samadhi in a religious gathering at Wanpoh village in Anantnag, where Swami Ji lived, when participants accosted Swami Govind Kaul to name his successor. He reportedly pointed his finger towards Kamlawati Ji and thus pronounced her as his successor. Badri Dedi who was equally advanced in her kriya yoga in her compositions said about her:

 Chie hai oosukh hani haney' Radhai kodkha waney'
 Row udai gow puri kaney'
 Pravi payi tas maney
 Tas prazilyokh hani haney.

Kamlawati was exalted in Sadhna and as she told this writer she helped spiritually Pt. Prithvi Nath Ji and many others. And, when her companion Bhawani Bagyawan Pandit lost her husband and she felt unperturbed, she was admonished by Kamlawati ji to have Maryada Palan like Ram Ji and others. Bhagyawan Dedi as she was called did as she was told and had the maryada aspect taken care of. Both disciples loved and respected each other. Kamlawati ji at one time started to compose spiritual Bhajans, but Swami Ji admonished her not to do so. Swami Ji told her that what he composed was all hers and she could recite the same. Swami Ji felt his and her soul as one and as such disallowed her to say anything further. That is the reason that there are no separate compositions on her behalf. Bhagyawani Ji has said about Kamlawati Ji in one of her compositions published on page 135 of her book Man Pamposh as;

Chakhai Shakti kini chakh Rajraniyey,kini chakh meyani beniyey chi,
Bhagyawan aisi kuni Zaniyey, tas nishi drayakh naniyey Chi
(The whole Bhajan is on Kamlawati Ji)

There is an Ashram at Mahinder Nagar that stands dedicated to the memory of Swami Ji, Kamlawati and Pt. Prithvi Nath Ji where important functions of Yagnya and birthdays of these great souls are organised regularly. Kamlawati was keen to ensure that all bhajans composed by Swami Ji got published and to that effect obtained and handed over original manuscripts to this writer for sifting purposes. Those which had been missing from earlier publications got thus published in fourth edition of Amrit Vani series. She also felt keen for publication of Badri Dedi's Bhajans which task she again assigned to this writer after the manuscript was compiled and prepared by Shri Bansi Lal Kotwal. Badri Dedi's son and disciple of Swami Ji.