 |
 |
 |
 |
Some Marvels of
Kashmir
by Prof. C. L. Sadhu
The
happy valley of Kashmir is well known throughout
the world for its Natural beauty. Here nature has
been prodigal enough in crowning this ancient land
with all its splendour and glory. Gulmarg,
Pahalgam and Mughal gardens attract visitors from
all over the world. Its lakes, green meadows,
dancing and foaming streams, majestic forests full
of fir and pine, snow-capped peaks are common
attractions to the outsider as well as to the
native.
Besides this, the valley
being sacred and called Rishi wari till now,
abounds in sacred places, Tirthas and Asthans.
Long ago at the dawn of civilisation when the sons
of Rishi Kashyapa from plains came to settle here
they brought with them their traditions, religion,
mythology etc. etc. These early settlers named the
confluence of river Sindh and river Jhelum as
Prayag, equal to holy Prayag at the confluence of
the Ganga and the Jamna in India. They named the
tallest mountain peaks here after their Gods and
deities such as Brahma, Vishnoo and Mahadev. These
settlers must have felt surprised to see the hide
and seek of water in the Spring of Trisandya;
melting of snow around the spring of Bedaba Devi
and other marvellous places With the passage of
time, these places became Tirthas or places of
worship and has continued so upto the present
time. The tradition being like this R. L. Stein
who has translated Rajatarangini into English
writes, "Kashmir is a country where there is
not a place as large as a grain of seasam without
a Tirtha. Time and conversion to Islam of greater
portion of population has changed but little in
this respect. " Pandit Kalhana while writing
introduction to Rajatarangini names the miraculous
springs of Trisandya Saraswati lake on the Bheda
hillock, Self created fire at Soyambhu etc. etc.
"
In this small article I
have made a humble effort to sift and choose
certain marvels and wonders shrouded by myth and
mystery, hidden and lying in oblivion from the
eyes of the outsider. I have made an effort as to
what is myth, heresay and what is real. These
wondors, now as Tirthas ( places of pilgrimage )
have been verified by me personally. These wonders
consist in the shape of springs, temples, caves,
boulders, and other things which lie scattered
throughout the length and breadth of the valley.
I have not included such
things which lack corroboration and verification.
For example in the vale of Sonamarg people refer
to a cow carved out of a rock and from whose
uddersmilk-white water issues forth. The locals
also claim a couple, of waters lying transformed
into stone far up in the Jungle. I have also
excluded such objects where people seem to have
exaggerated things such as Nakwarlbal in the
village of Seer Kanligund on way to Pahalgam. They
claim that a stone-head lying on an allevation
gives out water by right Nostril during the bright
fortnight and by left Nostril during the dark
lunar fort- night. Nakwar in Kashmir means
Nostrils and therefore the name Nakwaribal. On
verification I found it simply false, though the
stone head, with Nostrils exists near the
villages.
The Holy Spring At
Tullamulla (Kheir Bhawani)
( Its water changes colour )
One maryel of Kashmir is
the mysterious holy spring of Kheir Bhawani which
is widely known to change its colour from time to
time. It is towards the north of Srinagar at a
distance of about 14 km. and can be reached within
an hour by bus.
Before we enter the main
islet to have Darshana of the holy spring of
Bhawani we come across two important sites - one
is Ziarat of Mir Baba Haider (a Muslim saint) and
the other is the Samadhi of Shri Labhu Shah, a
saint who lived some 150 years ago in Kashmir.
The main spring dedicated
to Goddess Kheir Bhawani hasan irregular
septagonal shape with its apex called Pad ( feet )
to the East. The northern and the southern sides
are longer than the western side which is called
Shir (Head). In the centre of the holy spring
where once stood a mulberry tree, there is one
marble temple which enshrines some idols found at
the time of cleansing the spring. In January 1970
an electric pump was installed to conduct the
cleansing operation of the spring. Besides removal
of mud and mire which had accumulated since long
at the bottom of the spring a number of gold
ornaments and silver pieces offered to the Goddess
were recovered. As a result of the silt clearance
a huge volume of milky white water bubbled out.
During recent times regular clearance is being
made after each festival when huge quantities of
floweres, lotuses, mentha sylvestries (Vena)
offered by devotees collect at the surface of the
holy spring.
The water of the Spring
changes its colour from time to time. It takes on
various hues like red, pink, orange, green, blue
and has often light green, red rosy and millky
white shades. Abul Fazal in 16th century and Swami
Vivekananda in the year 1894 have testified this
fact. Any shade of black colour is supposed to be
inauspicious for the inhabitants of the valley.
This colour was prominent in the year 1947 when
the Pakistani raiders attacked the peaceful
valley. Many times rising of bubbles has been
observed which form the mystic Chakra on the
surface of the water. In my infancy I had a
strange experience here. An outstretched hand from
the holy spring offered me a beautiful pen in a
dream. In the morning when I woke up I found the
same pen under my pillow which I retained for many
years with me as a sacred relic of the Divine
Mother. Such a sacred and mysterious spring is
found nowhere else in India. The people living
round the holy spring have great veneration for
the holy shrine. A Hindu or a Muslim will not
enter the premises of the holy spring if he
happens to have taken meat on the day. In 1947
when the Pakistani marauders attacked the valley
the local Muslims led them astray to save the
shrine from their unholy hands.
Various legends and
stories are current among the people regarding the
holy spring. One such legend is that when Ravana
was killed at the hands of Bagwan Rama the Goddess
Bhawani ordered Hanuman to carry her to Satisar-Kashmir
along with 360 Nagas. Hanuman selected the site
and installed the Goddess in the Northern part of
the valley. She came to be known as Kheir Bhawani
or Ragyna Bhagwati as her favourite offerings
consist of rice cooked in milk and sugar, and all
other vegetarian forms of diet.
How did the existence of
the holy spring come to light among the people ?
It is related that one pious Brahmin named Krishna
Pandit of Habba Kadal in Srinagar had a vision
wherein he was informed by a Deva to offer Puja to
Kheir Bhawani in the swamps of Tullamulla. How
shall I locate the Goddess and her holy abode was
the query on behalf of the saintly Brahmin.
Thereuponhe was asked to hire a boat at Shadipora
wherefrom a snake would guide him to the
destination. Krishna Pandit did the same and was
extremely happy when the snake guided him through
the swampy and marshy land, until he reached the
hollow trunk of a mulberry tree. The snake made a
dip and disappeared from sight. The saint took the
clue and after performing Puju poured milk which
he had brought for this purpose. It is thus that
the holy spring was discovered and was known to
Kashmiries. It is believed that the discovery of
the holy spring has been made on Ashadha Saptami,
the 7th day of the bright fortnight of the month
of June-July. Kashmiri Hindus come here on every
Ashtami - 8th day of the bright fortnight of each
lunar month and majority of Kashmiri Hindus
consider Kheir Bhawani as their guardian Goddess.
Such is the brief history
of the holy spring, the abode of Goddess Kheir
Bhawani which has been eulogized by a poet in the
following words :
"I make obeisance to
that one Goddess, who having taken the position of
the supreme God is the Queen in reality, whose
form is made of light and is adorned by the lustre
of 12 suns who cannot be observed through senses,
who is seated on a throne and is wrapped with
serpents ."
The Cave At Beerwa
To the south of Gulmarg
there is a village known as Beerwa which is the
tehsil headquarters of the surrounding area. The
village is flanked by a mountain range on its
southern side. At the eastern super of this
mountain is located the celebrated cave connected
with life of Acharya Abinav Gupta, the greatest
Shiva philoiopher of Kashmir. The Acharya was
called Bairwa meaning the fairless one. The
village comes to be known after this title of
Bairwa and has now become Beerwa.
The celebrated cave is
located at the height of nearly 300 meter on the
super of the ridge overlooking the crescent shaped
narrow valley of evergreen Jungles with a Sukh Nag
Nalla flowing through it.
One Haji Mohd. Sultan Dar
( 75 years ) who guided me up to the cave said
" Hindus used to assemble here upto year 1947
on the 12th day of the bright fortnight of the
month corresponding to the month of June. In 1947
the valley was attacked by Pakistani raiders and
so the tirtha was given up for security reasons.
Since then a Government employee or some research
scholar is seen occasionally visiting the
cave."
The entrance of the cave
is like a rectangular room where some 8 or 10
persons can accommodate themselves. Going further,
the cave begins to narrow and opens to another
smaller room where a stone Shiva lingum is
visible. One can go further sideways but nobody
proceeds further because of darkness and
narrowness of the passage. On right and left
vermilion covered rocks-adds can be seen.
Nearly one thousand years
ago Acharya Abhinav Gupta who flourished at the
beginning of the 11th century A. D. and is the
exponent of Kashmir Shivaism known as Trika,
entered this cave. The locals and the Hindus in
the valley hold the legend that the Acharya
entered the cave with 1200 disciples following
him. None of them returned. Even at present while
offering prayers, the Kashmiri Hindus recite the
same prayers which the Acharya and his followers
recited while entering the cave. It is believed
that they entered Shivaloka in their earthly
bodies through the cave. It is since then that the
cave is held in great veneration by the Hindus of
the valley and till recently it was the place of
annual pilrimage.
Shankerun Pal or Boulder
of Lord Shiva
On the way to Mahadeva the
pilgrims leaving Harwan behind, come across a huge
boulder which they shower with flowers as token of
reverence. This huge boulder is known as Shankerun
Pal meaning the boulder of Lord Shiva.
In Shivsutra Vimershima,
it is recorded that sage Vasugupta - the founder
of Shiva philosophy of Kashmir - lived in Harvan
in a hermitage. One night he saw lord Shiva in a
dream who seemed moved with compassion at
Vasuguptas helplessness in arguing before
Buddhistic scholars. To enlighten him the Lord
disclosed to the sage, the existence of a rock on
which some sacred Shiv Sutras were inscribed.
Vasugupta was further directed to proceed on spot
early before sun rise, when by his mere touch, the
rock would overturn by itself and expose four Shiv
Sutras to him which he should learn and teach to
worthy pupils. The huge boulder with almost smooth
surface is still pointed out as one on which the
sage Vasugupta found the inscription.
At present there is no
trace of any inscription on it, and it is believed
that the boulder over turned after the
inscriptions were copied by Vasugupta. According
to Kshemendra the very sutras became the
foundation of Advaita Shaivism of Kashmir known as
Trika.
Budbrari Or Beda Devi
Spring
(Where snow does not fall
within a radius of 350 ft. )
Towards the south of
village Kellar, high up in the small valley of
Birnai Nallah which connects Drubgam by a direct
route with the Pir Panchal pass of the old Moghul
Road, there is a stone lined spring bubbling with
milky water. It is situated on a hillock with
low-lying area on all sides and so is free from
mountain torrents. It is 7800 ft. above thesea
level in the Romeshi Forest Range. Snow does not
fall within 125 Hastas a radius of 350 ft. from
the spring. The holy spring is square shaped and
in measurement is 50 ft square. The water is milky
white and is shallow near the banks. The source of
the water is in the centre and is very deep, so
much so that once a buffalo got swallowed there
leaving no trace behind. Because of this incident
shepherds do not let their cattle stray near the
holy spring which accounts for the clean and tidy
premises of the fount. The spring is full of water
through out the year. It has a beautiful forest
full of fir and pine for its background. While
going up to reach the holy spring from Keller one
comes across a small hamlet known as Shukroo. From
the hamlet upto the sacred spring a number of
mounds can be seen under which bricks lie buried
which show that long ago thereexisted some human
habitation near the holy spring. Some three chains
away from the sacred spring there is a small
waterfall which emits a sulphuric smell. The local
gojars told me that patients suffering from
rheumatism and skin diseases get relieved by
having a bath in this water. Lime is also found
buried here and there. There are no idols nor any
ruins of any temple here except a boulder on which
Shiva Lingas are carved. The sacred spring must
have been a very popular Tirtha in the Kashmir
Valley. Kalhana in his Rajatarangini writes:
"There the Goddess Saraswati was believed to
have shown herself as a swan in a lake situated on
the summit of the hill ". Though in the
present era it is forgotten by people, the old
Mahatmya of the sacred lake has survived and
Shri.M. A. Stein who visited the Valley in 1890-95
and has translated Rajatarangini into English has
identified the site known at present as Budbrari.
At the end of 16th century when Hindus still made
pilgrimage to the Tirtha, Abu Fazal has recorded;
"Near Shukroo is a low hill on the summit of
which is a fountain, which flows throughout the
year, is a place of pilgrimage for the devout. The
snow does not fall on this spur."
It is related that in
ancient times Rishi Pulastya performed long
penance here and made the holy Ganga push forth
near Ashram. He further craved for a boon that it
may rest forever by his side which was granted. It
is thus that Ganga Behda Tirtha got created. The
Goddess Saraswati (Goddess of speech ) appeared to
him in the shape of a swan which the Rishi
worshipped on the 8th and 9th of the bright
fortnight of Chitra of each year. Ever since the
Goddess Saraswati has been receiving worship at
the Ganga Behda Tirtha. Nilmat Purana recounts the
Tirtha as Ganga Behda and is included in the list
of Tirthas mentioned in the epic of Mahabharat.
This establishes the antiquity of the Tirtha.
I visited this holy Fount
in Oct. 1976. From Srinagar via Pulwama regular
bus service is available up
to village Keller
wherefrom one is to cover a distance of 9 km.
either on horseback or on foot. The enchanting
scenery, the green meadows with Nallah Birnai
flowing at the foot of the hillock, the spring
bubbling with milky white water is a thing to be
ever remembered. The site if connected to a pucca
road from Keller Masapora will prove the greatest
attraction for tourists and will provide means of
livelihood for poor Gujjars who inhabit the
neighbourhood of the sacred spot popularly known
as Bujbrari.
The Chinar of Prayag
Which Neither Grows Nor
Decays With Time.
Early settlers in Kashmir
named their new places of settlement after the
names which they cherished most in India. Such a
place is Prayag at Shadipur, situated at a
distance of 18 km. in the north west of Srinagar
city. It is situated at the confluence of the
river Sindhu and the river Vitasta, similarly as
Prayag in India stands at the confluence of the
river Yamuna and the river Ganga. The place has
enjoyed exceptional sanctity as a Tirtha since
times immemorial. Here, as a Prayag in India,
Hindus immerse the sacred ashes of their deceased
relatives. Opposite to Shadipur village once there
stood a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
At the confluence of the
river Sindhu and the river Vitasta there is a
small island built of solid masonary on which an
old chinar stands, which shelters a few idols and
statues. The chinar neither grows in size nor
decays with time. It has taken the place of the
famous Ficus Indica. There is a popular legend
among people here that the island rises when the
rivers get swollen with flood waters so as rising
tides cannot touch the Chinar. The Chinar has
found its place in the vocabulary of Kashmiri
dialect and is referred to when the size of a boy
or a girl is found stunted !
Kah-Kah-Pal
The stone which rises up
when persons numbering 11 touch it with their
index fingers.
At a distance of 32 km.
towards the south of Srinagar city on the National
Highway there is a town-Bijbehra on the left bank
of the River Jhelum. At the southern tip of the
town there is a massive stone temple dedicated to
Lord Shiva. In the compound of the same temple
there is a conch shaped stone tapering at one end
which is popularly known as Kah-Kah-Pal. The stone
does not weigh more than 60 kilos or more and one
adult person can move it from side to side.
The marvel of the stone
gets apparent when 11 persons encircle it, and
apply their 11 index fingers to the base of the
stone. While repeating Kah-Kah (eleven-eleven)
the stone gets lifted above the ground. The stone
is popularly know as Kah-Kah-Pal which in Kashmiri
means the digit eleven. The stone is in the
custody of the pujari of the temple. Many stories
and legends about the stone are attributable to
it. For example it is related that once it was
thrown into the river and next day it reappeared
on the bank of the river. I have dismissed such
legends as mere heresay.
Takshak Nag
At a distance of 10 km,
towards the east of Srinagar city there is a
village known at present as Zewan. The spring
known Takshak Nag is situated in this village. It
is said that saffron has originated from the
spring and that its cultivation has spread in its
neighbourhood. It is related that the Lord of the
Spring offered Hakim Waga Bhat, the saffron bulbs
as a token of reward for curing his eye ailment.
Bilhan the great Sanskrit
poet who flourished in 11th century and was born
at Khunmoh ( a village at a distance of 5 km.
towards the east of Zewan ). He described the
spring as "A pool filled with pure water
sacred to Takshak the Lord of snakes ", Abdul
Fazal records the facts that this spring is held
to be the place wherefrom saffron originated and
flourished in the neighbourhood.
In the time of Akbar, the
cultivators worshipped at the spring at the
beginning of each spring season. To get successful
crops it was customary to pour cow's milk in it.
As a local divinity Takshak Naga retained sanctity
and importance for long with cultivators. Pilgrims
when on their way to Harishwar cave offer Puja at
the spring on the twelfth of the dark fortnight of
Jeth corresponding to the month of June.
Where relating the story
of Chander lekha-the beautiful Naga damsel-the
great poet Historian, Kalhana mentions the name of
the spring in the Rajatarangini as a place of
pilgrimage. The inclusion Or the spring as a
Tirtha in the list of Tirthas recorded in
Mahabharata signifies its antiquity.
At present the spring
stands intact with embankments of chiselled stones
full of pure and sweet water. The spring measures
50' x 50' and has depth of 3'. The water source is
in the North east corner of the spring.
Lal Trag at Pampore
In the South of Srinagar at
a short distance there is a small town as Pampore,
at present famous for saffron cultivation. In the
centre of this town there is a pond measuring 50'
x 250' with varying depths of 2' to 5'. It is
known as Lal Trag. The pond is held in great
reverence by Hindus as well as Muslims of the
locality, since the tank happens to be connected
with an important event in the life of Laleshwari
popularly known as Lal Ded in the valley.
Laleshwari flourished in
the 14th century. She sang of divine love,
tolerance, secularism and universal brotherhood
when Persia lay prostrate under conquering feet of
Timrlane and Black Death hovered over the British
islands. The great mystic poetess chose the common
man's language for expression of her subtle
spiritual ideas. She was the harbinger of new
patriotic awakening and laid the foundation of
Kashmiri song and poetry. Her couplets are so
popular even at present times that a Kashmiri gets
spell-bound when he hears some village minstrel
singing them for some audience.
Lal Ded was born at
village Sempore in the year 1317 A. D. and was
married at Pampore. Her married life was most
unhappy. She had initiation from her spiritual
Guru known as Sedu Mole as the practice in vogueat
that time. Her mother-in-law at the time of
serving mealswould keep a round stone in the dish
and cover it with a little of boiled rice for
Laleshwari. She was subjected to this
mal-treatment of near starvation for not less than
12 years, untill her father-in-law came to know
about it. Her husband under the provocation of his
mother would always find fault with his saintly
wife. One day when Lal Ded returned from the river
with one earthen pitcher full of water on her
shoulder, her husband hurled a stone on the
pitcher which broke into pieces and fell on the
ground. To the amazement and horror of mother and
son, the water remained intact like a frozen piece
on the shoulder of Lal Ded. Instantly all the
empty pots got filled with water and the rest of
the water was thrown away from the window on to
the ground where it assumed the form of a pond and
is existing there till today. The tank became
known as Lal Trag. The fame of the miracle spread
like wild fire in the valley and Lal Ded began to
shine like a pole star over the spiritual
firmament of the Kashmir Valley.
Among Hindus of Pampore,
on a marriage ceremony the bridegroom offers Puja
at the tank before he enters the house of the
bride. Muslims pour cow's milk into it as a token
of respect. Some locals bathe their children in
order to cure them of scabbies and other skin
diseases. The elders in the locality saw that the
tank never get dried even when the valley happened
to be in the grip of severe drought. This holy
pond is in dire need of repairs and renovations
because of its national importance in the valley.
Such is the legend of Lal Trag at Pampore.
Harmukh
Towards North-East of
Srinagar city there stands one conspicuous hoary
headed mountain overlooking the Gangabal Lake. It
is known as Harmukh meaning thereby that the peak
appears same from all sides. It is situated at an
elevation of 16890ft. The reverence which ancient
Greeks had for Olympus,the Kashmiris have for
Harmukh since they believe that on its top is the
abode of Lord Shiva. Shamus-Faqir a well known
Kashmiri poet in one of the songs says, "Thou
knower of truth if you want to see Him face to
face you can see Him at Harmukh."
Sir Walter Lawrence, the
Settlement Commissioner of J & K State, has
recorded about 100 years ago in his book
"Valley of Kashmir" that Kashmiris in
general believe that there is a mine of jewels and
rubies in Harmukh. The inhabitants of the valley
believe that wherever the Harmukh peak is visible
in the Valley, the serpents of the place happen to
be quite harmless, and on the other hand, the peak
is not visible the serpents of the locality are
poisonous and their bites are fatal. In Illaqa
Pulwama where the peak is visible the snakes are
quite harmless and at village Lar where it is
invisible the serpents are poisonous.
At the foot of Harmukh
there is one beautiful lake known as Gangabal
Lake. In the month of September corresponding to
the bright fortnight of Bahadun, Kashmiri Pandits
immerse the urns ( ashes ) of their dead relatives
in this lake after performing their Shraddha. No
sooner are the ashes cast in the crystal clear
water of the lake, than swarms of small red worms
appear on the surface and render the water unfit
for drinking purposes. The pilgrims know it, and
therefore, cook their meals before casting ashes
in the lake.
Long ago some pilgrims
gave me to understand that they saw a small
channel with mercury flowing down the mountain
side into the lake. Having no container with them
they collected a little quantity of the same in a
dried piece of cowdung. On reaching their
destination they found ~he mercury slipped down
somewhere on their way back.
Once a hermit tried to
reach the summit of the Harmukh to see Lord Shiva
face to face. For twelve years long he tried to
scale the summit, but failed until one day he saw
a gojar descending the summit. When the gojar
approached him, the hermit enquired as to what he
saw there. The gojar whose goat had strayed and
for whom he had been searching, said that he saw a
couple milking a cow and drinking the same in a
human skull. They had offered some milk to him,
which he refused to drink and when they departed
they rubbed a little of the milk on his forehead.
As the gojar indicated the spot on his forehead
where the milk was rubbed, the hermit was
extremely joyful and rushed to lick his forehead.
It is said that the hermit got Nirvana and
diasppeared from the place, to the entire surprise
of the gojar. The legend is known as Hurmukhuk
Gosoni.
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
Download Book
No comments:
Post a Comment