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Lalleshwari

Posted on 2010.01.25 at 22:34
Doom: Weightless
Mūza: Lalleshwari (Katie Jane Garside)
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Lalleshwari (लल्लेश्वरी) (1320 – 1392) also known as Lalla or Lal Ded was a Hindu saint-poetess and a mystic of the Kashmiri Shaivite sect. She is a creator of the mystic poetry called vatsun or Vakhs, literally 'speech'. Known as Lal Vakhs, her verses are the earliest compositions in the Kashmiri language and are an important part in history of Kashmiri literature.

Many legends and stories remain about Lalla. One in particular tells of how Lalla, who ignored the normal convention of dress, choosing to wander around naked, was teased by several children. A nearby cloth merchant scolded the children for their disrespect. Lalla asked the merchant for two lengths of cloth, equal in weight. That day as she walked around naked, she wore a piece of cloth over each shoulder, and as she met with respect or scorn, she tied a knot in one or another. In the evening, she brought the cloth back to the merchant, and asked him to weigh them again. The cloths were equal in weight, no matter how many knots were in each. Respect and scorn have no weight of their own.

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