The task of engraving the memorial stone with suitably selected words was entrusted to Gulham Mohammad Bhat, a local Kashmiri engraver and mason. The finely executed ten maund stone was first brought to the residence of Stein’s Missionary friend Tyndale Biscoe at Srinagar. Biscoe was happy to see the engraved stone slab and gratified that one of his former students was paying a befitting tribute to his old friend. That day it was August 13, 1947.

“On the next day i. e. the 14 th, arrangements were made to transport the heavy stone on a reda ( horse drawn cart without a canopy ) to Manigam. Same day my grandfather and I reached Manigam. The reda also arrived there sometime later. From there the memorial stone was entrusted to be carried as a head-load to thirty six porters who in batches of ten carried it in a litter made of ropes prepared from animal hair across the pine logs supported on their shoulders. After reaching Mohand Marg, the memorial stone was put on the ground where Stein pitched his tent and the next day on the 15 th August it was properly installed. Those who helped it included Stein’s dak runner Ismail Ghanai. He was son of Abeli Ghanai who too earlier had served Stein. Then there was his favourite cook Ali Bhat.

“My grandfather had asked Pandit Prem Nath, a professional photographer from the Royal Photo House at Sathu Barbar Shah, Srinagar and who was in the group on that day at Marg to photograph the small ceremony. The photograph has survived all these years and shows my grandfather, Ismail Ghanai, Gulham Mohammad Bhat, Ali Bhat and myself as a young boy wearing short knickers but in sleeveless woolen pullover, standing beside the installed memorial stone. There were no other persons present on the occasion at the Marg that day, certainly not the doctors, Neve and Macpherson.

“Prem Nath had also taken the photograph of the memorial stone at the Biscoe’s residence in Srinagar after it had been brought there two days earlier. Fortunately, this photograph too has survived in my collection and shows Tyndale Biscoe and my grandfather standing on either side of the memorial stone. Let me also tell that the memorial stone is engraved on the two wider sides,- on one it bears the words in English while the other side is written in Urdu characters. It is the same stone with its other face showing the writing in English, which is indicated in the photograph taken at Mohand Marg.

“I remember very well that as the news of the memorial stone being taken to Marg spread out in Manigam on the 14 th, the entire population of the village turned out in mourning and virtually wailed for Stein since they had not heard of the news of his death earlier. The villagers had always believed that he was away for yet another long expedition to some far of land and thus believed that Stein had remained absent from his beloved Marg. They recalled his benevolence and spirit of his service for the welfare of the village people.

“The memorial stone was put in place at the chosen spot on the Marg by the late evening on 15 th August,1947. At that hour, the Marg presented a serene view against the rays of the setting sun. The slopes down below presented a magnificent view of verdure pastures and up above the forests of Andrawan and Larmarg added to beautiful view. The snow clad Haramukh peaks were still in view in the failing light of the evening sun.” - Jawahar Lal Bali.

(an eye witness account given by Jawahar Lal Bali ,(grandson of Pandit Ram Chand Bali - Aurel Stein’s camp assistant in Kashmir). From an interview given to S. N. Pandita on July 20, 2003 at New Delhi

Pandit Prem Nath

Memorial stone in its present state, 2007

Verdure pasture in its glory, Mohand Marg, 2007