KASHMIR 329
Bakshi, welcomed him and provided him with a
separate small room. Amarnath, Janakinath's daughters,
children, wife and everyone in the house looked after him
with great love and treated him as one of the family.
Amarnath Bakshi, a double M. A. of the Punjab
University, was a Professor of Philosophy in Sir Pratap
College of Srinagar, and had achieved the distinction of
first rank in the Presidency, both in Philosophy and
Psychology. He is a nohle, gentle and quiet-natured young
man. He held Ramdas in high regard and was punctiliously
attentive to his requirements.
Janakinath's three daughters were constantly in atten-
dance on him. The elder two of them, pure and glorious
souls—veritable goddesses — tended and fed him with all
the tenderness and care of a mother. Whenever they were
with him he would feel that they always carried with them
the fragrance of purity, simplicity and innocence. The
younger children also had a great attraction for him. They
would play, laugh and dance with him. While starting
to school and on their return, some of them would straight
come to him and embrace him with great fondness. The
mother of the house also sought his society and felt very
happy in his presence. Altogether his life in that blessed
house was filled with inexpressible love and joy.
Ramdas resided in Kashmir for over three months. As on
the Hardwar side, the pilgrimage to Badrinath and Kedar-
nath is considered to be of high importance, so also a visit
to Amarnath is held in Kashmir to be of equally great conse-
quence. There were still two months more for the pilgri-
mage and hence he had to wait in Srinagar for those
months, as he did not want to lose the opportunity of run-
ning up and witnessing the sublimity of the charming
mountains of Kashmir at their lofty heights.
Meanwhile, he had much to observe and much ex-
perience to gather in Srinagar and its suburbs. The early
part of his stay was in the city of Srinagar. The houses are
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