Geography of Jammu & Kashmir State
by Dr. A. N. Raina
Keologists
believe that about ten crore years have passed when Kashmir Valley which
was once a lake called Satisar, the lake of goddess Sati, came into its
present form.
For hundreds
of million years Kashmir Valley remained under Tethya sea andthe high sedimentary-rock
hills seen in the valley now were once under water. Geologists have come
to believe that Kashmir Valley was earlier affected by earthquakes. Once
there was such a devastating earthquake that it broke open the mountain
wall at Baramulla. and the water of the Satisar lake flowed out leaving
behind lacustrine mud on the margins of the mountains known as karewas.
Thus came into existance the oval but irregular Valley of Kashmir. The
karewas being in fact the remanants of this lake confirm this view. The
karewas are found mostly to the west of the river Jhelum where these table-lands
attain a height of about 380 meters above the level of the Valley. These
karewas protrude towards the east and look like tongue-shaped spurs with
deep ravines.
Ancient legends
and popular traditions say that Samdimat Nagar, capital of the kingdom
of Sundra Sena, was submerged as a result of an earthquake, and the water
that filled the area formed the Wular Lake, the largest fresh water lake
in India. The oldest igneous rocks are still found at Shankaracharya hill.
When the whole Valley of Kashmir was under waterthis hillock was the first
piece of dry land lying in the form of an igneous island.
Significance
of its name
Historians
say that Kashmir Valley was originally known as Kashyapmar or the abode
of Kashyap Rishi.It is said that the Rishi once went on a pilgrimage to
Kashmir. When he reached Naukabandan near Kaunsarnag via Rajouri, he killed
Bahudev, the Giant of Satisar, at the request of the people and let the
water of the lake flow out near Baramulla. The land, therefore, came to
be known as Kashyampar, which afterwards changed into Kashmar and from
Kashmar to Kashmir. But some historians are of the opinion that when the
people of Kash caste settled here permanently the valley came to be known
as Kashmir. Kashmir is known by many other names also. The Greeks called
it Kaspeiria, while thechinese named it Shie-in or Kia-Shi-Lo. The Tibetans
called its Kanapal and Dards named it Kashart.
No comments:
Post a Comment