Sharada Peeth (Urdu: شاردا پیٹھ; Kashmiri: شاردا پیٹھ / शारदा पीठ) is an abandoned Hindu temple and ancient centre of learning along the Neelam River in the village of Sharda, in the Pakistani administered territory of Azad Kashmir. Between the 6th and 12th centuries CE, it was one of the foremost centres of higher learning in the Indian subcontinent, hosting scholars such as Kalhana, Adi Shankara, Vairotsana, Kumarajiva, and Thonmi Sambhota. It is also said to be where Pāṇini[citation needed] and Hemachandra completed and stored their writings on Sanskrit grammar.
Sharada Peeth has religious and spiritual significance for both Hindus and Buddhists. It is one of the three famous tirthas, or holy sites, of Kashmir, the other two being the Martand Sun Temple and the Amarnath Temple. Kashmiri Pandits believe that Sharada in Kashmir is a tripartite embodiment of the goddess Shakti: Sharada (goddess of learning), Saraswati (goddess of knowledge), and Vagdevi (goddess of speech, which articulates power).
Sharada Peeth is situated about 150 kilometres from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Kashmir. It is at an altitude of 1,981 meters above sea level, in the valley of Mount Harmukh, which is believed by Kashmiri Pandits to be the abode of Shiva. Sharada Peeth is one of 18 Maha Shakti Peethas, or a "Grand Shakti Peethas" – highly revered temples throughout South Asia that commemorate the location of fallen body parts of the Hindu deity Sati.
Sharada Peeth translates to "the seat of Sharada", the Kashmiri name for the Hindu goddess Saraswati.
There is believed to be an ancient tradition among South Indian Brahmins of prostrating in the direction of Sharada Peeth before beginning their education. Saraswat Brahmin communities in Karnataka are also said to move seven steps towards Kashmir and retrace their steps when conducting the Yagnopavit ceremony.
The Chinese Buddhist monk, Xuanzang, visited this learning centre in 632 CE. He stayed there for two years and appreciated the mental gifts of priests and students of this learning centre. Kalhana wrote that during Lalitaditya's reign in the 8th century CE, some followers of a king of Gauda in Bengal came to Kashmir under the pretext of visiting the shrine, highlighting the significance of the temple throughout South Asia.
In the year 1030 CE, the Muslim historian Al-Biruni visited Kashmir. According to him, there was a wooden idol of Sri Sharada Devi in the temple. He compared the temple to the Multan Sun Temple, Vishnu Chakraswamin temple at Thanesar and Somnath temple.
In a poetic work composed by Mahakavi Kalhana in the year 1148 CE, there is a mention of the temple and its geographic location. During the reign of Akbar in the 16th century, Grand Vizier Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, one of the famous Nava-Ratnas, wrote about the temple as being near the banks of river Madhumati, now known as the Neelum River, which is full of gold particles. Abu'l Fazl also wrote that one can experience miracles on every eighth day of the bright fortnight of the month here.
The temple had periodically fallen into disrepair by the 14th century. In the 14th century, the temple was attacked for the first time by Muslim invaders. After this attack, India started losing its contact with Krishanganga and Sharada Peeth. In the 19th century, Dogra king of Kashmir, Maharaja Gulab Singh, restored this temple.
Following the brief 1947-1948 Kashmir war in the region between Pakistan and India, the site came under control of Pashtun tribesmen who invaded the region. Control was then passed to the newly formed government of Pakistan's Azad Kashmir. The site was heavily damaged in the 2005 Kashmir earthquake which struck the region, and has not been repaired since.
Kashmiri Pandits believe that a non-Brahmin rishi Muni Śāṇḍilya prayed to the goddess Sharada with great devotion, and was rewarded when she appeared to him and promised to show him her real, divine form. She advised him to look for the Śāradā forest. His journey was filled with miraculous experiences. On his way, he had a vision of the god Ganesha on the eastern side of a hill. When he reached the Kishenganga, he bathed in it and saw half his body turn golden. Eventually, goddess revealed herself to him in her triple form of Sharada, Saraswati and Vagdevi, and invited him to her abode. As he was preparing for a ritual, he drew water from the Mahāsindhu. Half of this water transformed into honey, and became a stream, now known as the Madhumatī stream
The length of the temple is 142 feet and width is 94.6 feet. The
outer walls of the temple are 6 ft. wide and 11 ft long. And there are
arches with 8 ft. height.
Kashmir was once centre of learning of Hindu Vedic works until the people dwelling in that region converted to Islam. Prior to this, Kashmir was sometimes called Sharada Desh because of this temple and Sharada was called Kashmira Puravasini (resident of city of Kashmir). The temple is so ancient that Kashmir State was earlier known as 'Sharada Peeth'.
Kashmiri Hindus remain highly devoted towards this deity, and by extension, to the Sharada Peeth temple. As part of their daily worship, Kashmiri Hindus utter the phrase "Namastey Sharada Devi Kashmir Pur Vasini Tvam Ham Prartheye Nityam Vidya Danam Che De hi mey" (Salutations to you, O Sharada, O Goddess, O one who resides in Kashmir. I pray to you daily, please give me the charity of knowledge).
The temple is located in the remote village of Sharda, in Neelam Valley, at a distance of 42 miles from Baramulla and 93 miles from Muzaffarabad, and 60 miles from Srinagar. It lies 16 miles to the northwest of the Line of Control in a militarily sensitive area.
According to the Prabhāvakacarita, a Jain historical work dated 1277–78, the Śvetāmbara scholar Hemacandra requested grammatical texts preserved here so he could compile his own grammar, the Siddhahema. The Vaishnava saint Swami Ramanuja traveled all the way from Srirangam to refer to Bodhayana's vritti on Brahma Sutras preserved here, before commencing work on writing his commentary on the Brahma sutras, the Sri Bhasya. Near Sree Sharada Devi temple, there used to be famous Sanskrit university.
Sharada Peeth is one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peetha. Devi's Right hand is said to have fallen here. The Shakti worshiped here is the goddess of knowledge and education, Saraswathi otherwise known as Sarada. The mythology of Daksha yaga and Sati's self immolation had immense significance in shaping the ancient Sanskrit literature and even had cultural impact in India during olden times. It led to the development of the concept of Shakti Peethas and there by strengthening Shaktism.
Enormous mythological stories in puranas took the Daksha yaga as the reason for its origin. It is an important incident in Shaivism and Shaktism.
It is at this temple that Sankaracharya received the right to sit on the Sarvanjnanapeetham or Sarvajna peetha(Throne of Wisdom)
The first verse of 'Prapanchsar' composed by Adi Shankaracharya is
devoted to the praise of the temple's goddess, Sri Śāradā Devi. The
Śāradā image at Shringeri Sharadamba temple in South India was once said to have been made of sandalwood, which is supposed to have been taken by Sankaracharya from here.
There is a demand from certain section of Indian politicians that Pakistan should renovate this temple, in the same manner that it renovated the Katasraj Temple in Punjab.
Pakistani Hindus rarely visit the temple, preferring to visit sites farther south in Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab provinces. As such, restoration of the temple is not considered a priority in the manner that Katasraj Temple was regarded by the Pakistani government.
SOURCES .........WIKIPEDIA
POSTED BY .........VIPUL KOUL
Sharada Peeth has religious and spiritual significance for both Hindus and Buddhists. It is one of the three famous tirthas, or holy sites, of Kashmir, the other two being the Martand Sun Temple and the Amarnath Temple. Kashmiri Pandits believe that Sharada in Kashmir is a tripartite embodiment of the goddess Shakti: Sharada (goddess of learning), Saraswati (goddess of knowledge), and Vagdevi (goddess of speech, which articulates power).
Sharada Peeth is situated about 150 kilometres from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Kashmir. It is at an altitude of 1,981 meters above sea level, in the valley of Mount Harmukh, which is believed by Kashmiri Pandits to be the abode of Shiva. Sharada Peeth is one of 18 Maha Shakti Peethas, or a "Grand Shakti Peethas" – highly revered temples throughout South Asia that commemorate the location of fallen body parts of the Hindu deity Sati.
Sharada Peeth translates to "the seat of Sharada", the Kashmiri name for the Hindu goddess Saraswati.
Early references
The earliest available references to Sharada Peeth are found in the Nilamata Purana, an ancient text that detailed sacred places, rituals and ceremonies in Kashmir. In Rajatarangini, Kalhana describes its importance to Hindus.There is believed to be an ancient tradition among South Indian Brahmins of prostrating in the direction of Sharada Peeth before beginning their education. Saraswat Brahmin communities in Karnataka are also said to move seven steps towards Kashmir and retrace their steps when conducting the Yagnopavit ceremony.
The Chinese Buddhist monk, Xuanzang, visited this learning centre in 632 CE. He stayed there for two years and appreciated the mental gifts of priests and students of this learning centre. Kalhana wrote that during Lalitaditya's reign in the 8th century CE, some followers of a king of Gauda in Bengal came to Kashmir under the pretext of visiting the shrine, highlighting the significance of the temple throughout South Asia.
In the year 1030 CE, the Muslim historian Al-Biruni visited Kashmir. According to him, there was a wooden idol of Sri Sharada Devi in the temple. He compared the temple to the Multan Sun Temple, Vishnu Chakraswamin temple at Thanesar and Somnath temple.
In a poetic work composed by Mahakavi Kalhana in the year 1148 CE, there is a mention of the temple and its geographic location. During the reign of Akbar in the 16th century, Grand Vizier Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak, one of the famous Nava-Ratnas, wrote about the temple as being near the banks of river Madhumati, now known as the Neelum River, which is full of gold particles. Abu'l Fazl also wrote that one can experience miracles on every eighth day of the bright fortnight of the month here.
The temple had periodically fallen into disrepair by the 14th century. In the 14th century, the temple was attacked for the first time by Muslim invaders. After this attack, India started losing its contact with Krishanganga and Sharada Peeth. In the 19th century, Dogra king of Kashmir, Maharaja Gulab Singh, restored this temple.
Following the brief 1947-1948 Kashmir war in the region between Pakistan and India, the site came under control of Pashtun tribesmen who invaded the region. Control was then passed to the newly formed government of Pakistan's Azad Kashmir. The site was heavily damaged in the 2005 Kashmir earthquake which struck the region, and has not been repaired since.
Kashmiri Pandits believe that a non-Brahmin rishi Muni Śāṇḍilya prayed to the goddess Sharada with great devotion, and was rewarded when she appeared to him and promised to show him her real, divine form. She advised him to look for the Śāradā forest. His journey was filled with miraculous experiences. On his way, he had a vision of the god Ganesha on the eastern side of a hill. When he reached the Kishenganga, he bathed in it and saw half his body turn golden. Eventually, goddess revealed herself to him in her triple form of Sharada, Saraswati and Vagdevi, and invited him to her abode. As he was preparing for a ritual, he drew water from the Mahāsindhu. Half of this water transformed into honey, and became a stream, now known as the Madhumatī stream
Structure
The temple is currently abandoned and lies in ruin.
Significance
It has been suggested that although the Sharada script did not originate in Kashmir, it was used extensively in Kashmir, and acquired its name both through Kashmiri veneration of the goddess Sharada and through its extensive academic use in Sharada Peeth. This has fed the popular belief that Sharada was developed in Kashmir.Kashmir was once centre of learning of Hindu Vedic works until the people dwelling in that region converted to Islam. Prior to this, Kashmir was sometimes called Sharada Desh because of this temple and Sharada was called Kashmira Puravasini (resident of city of Kashmir). The temple is so ancient that Kashmir State was earlier known as 'Sharada Peeth'.
Kashmiri Hindus remain highly devoted towards this deity, and by extension, to the Sharada Peeth temple. As part of their daily worship, Kashmiri Hindus utter the phrase "Namastey Sharada Devi Kashmir Pur Vasini Tvam Ham Prartheye Nityam Vidya Danam Che De hi mey" (Salutations to you, O Sharada, O Goddess, O one who resides in Kashmir. I pray to you daily, please give me the charity of knowledge).
Location
The temple is set in a lush and verdant valley.
Sharada Peeth (Sarvajnapeetha) temple ruins, in Azad Kashmir
According to the Prabhāvakacarita, a Jain historical work dated 1277–78, the Śvetāmbara scholar Hemacandra requested grammatical texts preserved here so he could compile his own grammar, the Siddhahema. The Vaishnava saint Swami Ramanuja traveled all the way from Srirangam to refer to Bodhayana's vritti on Brahma Sutras preserved here, before commencing work on writing his commentary on the Brahma sutras, the Sri Bhasya. Near Sree Sharada Devi temple, there used to be famous Sanskrit university.
The Temple as a "Shakti Peeth"
Shakti Peethas are shrines or divine places of Shakti formed due to the falling of body parts of the corpse of Sati Devi, when Shiva carried it and wandered throughout Aryavartha in sorrow. There are 51 Shakti Peeth linking to the 51 alphabets in Sanskrit. Each temple has shrines for Shakti and Kalabhairava.Sharada Peeth is one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peetha. Devi's Right hand is said to have fallen here. The Shakti worshiped here is the goddess of knowledge and education, Saraswathi otherwise known as Sarada. The mythology of Daksha yaga and Sati's self immolation had immense significance in shaping the ancient Sanskrit literature and even had cultural impact in India during olden times. It led to the development of the concept of Shakti Peethas and there by strengthening Shaktism.
Enormous mythological stories in puranas took the Daksha yaga as the reason for its origin. It is an important incident in Shaivism and Shaktism.
Music
This temple is referred to in the Carnatic music song "kalAvathi kamalAsana yuvathi" by the famous composer Sri. Mutthuswami Dikshithar. The song set in the rAga yAgapriyA, in praise of Saraswathi, describes her as "kashmira vihara, vara sharadha" i.e. "one who resides in kashmir, sharadha".Adi Shankara
Adi Shankara who opened southern door of Sharada Peeth or Sarvajna peeth
Legends
Near the temple is the Amarkund lake – where it is believed that Hindu Sage Shandilya used to meditate, and is further believed to have encountered the temple's deity.Conservation
In 2007, a group of Kashmiri Pandits who were permitted to visit Azad Kashmir were denied permission visit the temple.There is a demand from certain section of Indian politicians that Pakistan should renovate this temple, in the same manner that it renovated the Katasraj Temple in Punjab.
Pakistani Hindus rarely visit the temple, preferring to visit sites farther south in Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab provinces. As such, restoration of the temple is not considered a priority in the manner that Katasraj Temple was regarded by the Pakistani government.
SOURCES .........WIKIPEDIA
POSTED BY .........VIPUL KOUL
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