The travels of Bengalis in the past
Sumana Dam
(Continued from the last part)
The name of this region is Kashmir, as it was once the ashram of Kashyapa Muni, and the present capital of Kashmir is Srinagar. The Vitasta (Jhelum) river flows through the city, with seven wooden bridges connecting both sides of the city. These bridges are called Kadals here. People in this area always travel by boat on the river. All the houses here are made of wood, except for the beautiful mansions of the Maharaja and a few wealthy individuals. The royal palace, Sher Gari, is located on the banks of the Vitasta River. When the author visited in 1869, there had been a flood during the monsoon, which destroyed all the wooden houses along the riverbank.
Near Srinagar is a lake called Dal Lake, which is public, as "Dal" means general. When the water level in the lake rises, there is a possibility of flooding in Srinagar, so there is a dam between the river and the lake.
When you travel from one side of Srinagar to the other by boat along the river, you can see everything. At the entrance to the city, the Maharaja constructed several bungalows, which were primarily used by English tourists as resthouses.
The royal palace appears to be quite ordinary, but the stone-built palace located on the riverbank is very picturesque. On the riverbank near the palace is the beautiful golden-topped temple of Gadadhar Dev. The city has several canals that connect to the river, and these canals also have Kadals (wooden bridges). On the opposite side of the royal palace is Basant Bagh, where there is a high seat made of black stone. Every year, on the first day of the bright fortnight of Kartika month, Gadadhar Dev is brought here for the Govardhan Puja and Annakoot festival. During this festival, the Maharaja distributes food to the entire population. Separate areas are designated for Hindu and Muslim food preparations. Nearby is the tomb of Sufi saint Shah Hamdan, which is one of the oldest and finest mosques in Kashmir. It is said that a Kali temple once stood here before the mosque was built. On the opposite side of the river is a mosque called the New Mosque or Patthar Mosque, which was established by Begum Nur Jahan. Later, on the right bank of the river, there is the tomb of King Jalaluddin, a 15th-century ruler of Kashmir who contributed greatly to the arts and literature of Kashmir. It is said that he brought skills like carpet weaving, pen-box crafting, and glass-making from Turkestan to Kashmir. The bridge near his tomb is known by his name.
The hill of Shankaracharya, known as Takht-i-Suleiman (Solomon’s Throne) by Muslims, has two paths leading to the top, but the final part of the journey is so treacherous that one has to crawl carefully. On top, there is a Shiva temple and several other temples. The stones used to build these temples are not from the hill itself, and it is hard to imagine how such large stones were brought here in ancient times. Hari Parvat is another small hill near Srinagar. In 1590, Emperor Akbar began constructing a fort here, but the fort was never completed. Inside, there are small temples and cannons, but nothing else. The views of Srinagar from the top of these hills are very beautiful.
Sher Gari, in front of the royal palace, connects Dal Lake with the Vitasta River via a canal called Chutkol. At the beginning of this canal, the Maharaja's pet ducks swim and various royal boats are anchored here. A little more than half a mile away is Drogzan, the gateway to the lake. When the water level in the river is low, the gates open, and when the water level is high, the gates automatically close, preventing floodwater from entering the lake. In this lake, lilies, lotuses, and other water plants bloom. Some people here even eat their meals on lotus leaves instead of plates. Some parts of the lake have floating farms and huts, which the Kashmiris create. The shallow areas of the lake are used to grow aquatic plants and vegetation. The land is made firm by piling up plants and soil, and agriculture is practiced on it. To prevent the land from floating away, long and thick wooden posts are placed in the ground at regular intervals.
On the western side of the lake, there is a large mosque in the village of Hazratbal, said to house a hair of the Prophet Muhammad. Four fairs are held here annually, and people from both Hindu and Muslim communities gather for them. During these fairs, boat races are organized in Dal Lake.
Dal Lake has a small island called Char Chinar Island, which has four chinar trees. There are several beautiful gardens in Srinagar, including Nasim Bagh, Shalimar Bagh, Nishat Bagh, and Chashme Shahi. These gardens have artificial waterfalls, fountains, and terraced gardens. These features are not found in flat lands like Bengal. Near Nishat Bagh in Dal Lake, there is a small island named Sonalang, meaning Golden Island. Old ruins of brick-and-stone buildings are visible here.
On the low hills by the lake is the ruins of a palace called Parimahal, built by Emperor Jahangir. From here, the view of the lake is stunning.
The author now discusses some strange natural phenomena he could not explain, such as the changing colors of the water in the Kunda (pond) of Kheer Bhawani Devi Temple. The water changes to colors like blue and yellow, and when it turns red, it is believed to be an ominous sign, indicating the goddess is angry.
On the right side of Srinagar, in the Densu area, there is a village called Banhama (in Budgam district). There is a 20-foot-wide channel here that remains dry throughout the year. However, on the eighth day of the bright fortnight of Bhadra month, water starts to flow from various high lands and fills the channel, which is then considered sacred for a ritual bath, known as Jat Ganga. The high land is regarded as the "Jata" (hair) of Lord Mahadeva.
Machihama has a large lake called Haker Sar (also known as Hokarsar, a bird sanctuary). The lake has large floating landmasses that move with the wind. These floating lands are used by people for grazing livestock.
In Devsar (in Kulgam district), there is a spring or pond called Basuki Nag. The water remains in the pond from the arrival of spring until the crops are harvested. After that, the water dries up, flowing away to fill another pond called Golabgarh on the other side of the Pir Panjal mountains. The two ponds are separated by a distance of ten crores, and it is unclear how they are connected.
The author then discusses places in the eastern part of Kashmir: Pandriton (Pandrethan Temple), which was once the capital of Kashmir. Emperor Ashoka built a Buddhist temple here that housed the tooth relic of Lord Buddha. Today, only the ruins of the temple remain.
Pampore is the birthplace of saffron. It was once called Padmapur, founded by a king named Padma. The blooming saffron flowers in Kartik month create a magnificent sight.
A mile and a half away from Pampore, there are ponds with water mixed with iron and sulfur at Fuknag and Kalishnag, which are said to be beneficial for health.
Avantipur was once the capital of Kashmir, founded by King Avantivarma. Now, only the ruins of some temples remain.
Nearby, on a hill, is an ancient temple called Samathang. It is believed that during the great flood of Kashmir, Sage Kashyapa meditated here for thousands of years.
Bijbehara may be a corruption of the name Vidyavihar. Emperor Ashoka built a Buddhist temple here, which was later destroyed by Sultan Sikandar, who replaced it with a mosque. Raja Gulab Singh later demolished the mosque and rebuilt the temple (Vijayeshwar Temple).
Anantnag, known as Islamabad during Muslim rule and still by that name in the English period, was earlier known as Anantnag during Hindu rule. The Anantnag pond is large and teeming with fish.
Five miles from Anantnag, in the area of Matan (also known as Martand), there is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage site with the ruins of a sun temple.
Bhumju Cave, near Matan, is another sacred Hindu site, which has several small caves and two long caves. One of the large caves has a temple.
Achabal is a natural spring located in a garden built by Emperor Jahangir for his beloved wife Nur Jahan. The word "Bal" means spring. Here, there are fountains, waterfalls, ponds, and the ruins of an ancient palace.
Kukurnag (also called Kokarnag) is a gathering of several small springs.
Bairanag (Berinag) is a natural spring and pond, with ruins of ancient walls, paths, and palaces built by Emperor Jahangir. Some of Shah Jahan's works can also be found here.
Koshanag (Kausar Nag) is a beautiful mountain lake with several waterfalls, the most notable being the Aharbal waterfall.
The greatest Hindu pilgrimage in Kashmir is Amarnath. Every year, on the full moon day of Bhadra month, thousands of pilgrims gather to visit Amarnath. Some fearless ascetics stay there for two to three months. Before the full moon, the king of Kashmir hoists flags in the Rambag garden near Srinagar to call together the pilgrims. The journey is so dangerous that many pilgrims die every year from the harsh terrain and snowstorms. On the way, there is a spring called Panchatarni with five branches, where pilgrims bathe before proceeding to the cave to worship Lord Shiva. It is said that the ice Shiva Lingam in the cave changes form every month, shrinking after the full moon and completely disappearing by the new moon, only to grow back with the next full moon.
The exact location of the fall of Sati's throat is not known, but the whole of Kashmir is considered to be the Sarada Peeth. A statue of Goddess Sarada can be found in Sopore. Kashmiri script is also called the Sarada script. (The present location called Sopur, in Baramulla district, has a Sarada Temple. Also, near the Neelum River in Azad Kashmir, there are ruins of the ancient Sarada Peeth temple. In both of these places, Sarada refers to the goddess Saraswati. This Sarada temple should be called Sarada Peeth rather than Shakti Peeth. Similarly, there are Sarada Peeths established by Shankaracharya, such as the Dwarka Sarada Peeth and the Sringeri Sarada Peeth).
(To be continued)
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