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Shrines and Historical |
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Shrines and Historical |
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Kashmir is the land of Saints, Sofis and Munis and Anantnag district being part
of the Kashmir Valley is no exception. The Anantnag is bestowed with
religious wealth in the form of numerous shrines and places of worship enjoying
reverence and allegiance of people professing different faiths. There are
numerous sepulchers of saints which have enchanting environs, while
visiting these shrines, one feels in close proximity of Almighty. Some of the
shrines have historical importance in addition to religious significance
attached to them. These shrines belong to both Hindus and Muslims and are
visited by thousands of devotees. Some of the shrines are the
world famous shrine of Amarnath Ji and other famous shrines of Reshis like
famous shrine of Baba-Zain-ud-Din Wali (Aishmuqam), Baba Hyder Reshi (Anantnag),
the last of the giants of the Rishi order in Kashmir about whose resting place
the Alamda-i-Kashmir (Flag Bearer of Kashmir), Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Rishi had
foretold his diciples, Baba Dawood Ghoni (Vailoo), Hazrat Noor Shah Bagdadi (Kund),
Hazrat Sheikh Syed Samnani (Kulgam) and bab Naseeb-ud-Din Ghazi (Bijbehara).
Besides, the shrines at Kabamarg and Khiram share the distinction of possessing
the Holy relice of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). The devotees of the district and
other places visit these shrines particularly on days when the fstivals
connected with the shrines are celebrated. A brief description of some of
the important shrines and historical places of
the district is given here.
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Mattan (Bawan) Temple:
The Valley of Kashmir is the 'Holy Land' of the Hindus and
there is hardly any village which can not show some relic of antiquity. In
Anantnag District there are several temples of historical as well as religious
importance. Bawan temple is one among them. Some 8 Kms. from Anantnag town, on the north side is to
be seen a spring, a very sacred spring, near a small village called Bawan,
a name derived from the water, which gushes out from a fissure in the limestone
rock.
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Martand
Temple:
Of all the interesting sights in the vicinity of Anantnag, the ruins of Martand
hold the first place and they are easy to access, being just 10 Kms. from
the main town Anantnag. It lies on the krewa above Islamabad , and is
easily reached from Anantnag.(Islamabad), Bawan and Achabal. The
runis of the Hindu temple of Martand or, as it is
commonly called, the Pandu-Koru, or the house of the Pandus and
Korus—the Cyclopes of the east- are situated on the highest part of a krewa,
where it commences to rise to its juncture with the mountains. About 3 miles
east of Islamabad, Occupying, undoubtedly, the finest position in Kashmir, this
noble ruins is the most striking in size and situation of all the existing
remains of Kashmir grandeur. The temple itself is not now more than 40 feet in
height, but its solid walls and bold outlines, towering over the fluted pillars
of the surrounding colonnade , given it a most imposing appearance.
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There are no petty confused details,
but all are district and massive, and most admirably suited to the general
character of the building. Many
vain speculations have been hazarded regarding the date of erection of this
temple, and the worship to which it was appropriated , It is usually called the
House of the Pandus by the Brahmins , and by the people “Martand”, or the
sun, to which the temple was dedicated. The true date of the erection
of this temple—the wonder of Kashmir
is a disputed point of
chronology; but the period of its foundation can be determined within the limits
of one century, or between A.D 370 and 500, The mass of building now known by
the name of Martand consists of one lofty central edifice, with a small
detached wing on each side of the entrance, the whole standing in a large quadrangle surrounded by a
colonnade of fluted pillars with intervening , trefoil headed recesses. The
length of the outer side of the wall, which is blank, is about 90 yards; that of
the front is about 56. There are in
all eighty four columns—a singularly appropriate number in a temple of the
sun, if as is supposed , the number eighty four is
accounted
sacred by the Hindus in consequence
of its being the multiple of the number of days in the week with the
number of signs in the zodiac. The colonnade
is recorded in the Rajatarangini as the work of the famous king
Laltaditya, who reigned from A.D.693 to 729 . From the same authority we gather
though the interruption of the
verses is considerably disputed that the temple itself was built by Ranaditya
and the side chapels, or at least one of them, by his queen, Amritaprakha . the
date of Ranaditya’s reign is involved in some obscurity, but it may safely be
conjectured that he died in the first half of the fifth
century after Christ. The remains of three gateways opening
into the court are now standing. The principal of these fronts due west
towards Islamabad. It is also rectangular in its details and built with enormous
blocks of limestone, 6 or 8 feet in length, and one of 9, and of proportionate
solidity, cemented with an excellent mortar.
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The central building is 63 feet in length by 36 in
width,, and alone of all the temples of Kashmir possesses, in addition to the
cella or sanctuary, a choir and nave, termed in Sanskrit the antarala and
arddhamandapa; the nave is 18 feet square, the sanctuary alone is left entirely
bare, the two other compartments being lined with rich panellings and sculptured
niches. As the main building is at present entirely uncovered the original form
of the roof can only be determined by a reference to other temples and to the
general form and character of the various parts of the Maratand temple itself.
It has been conjectured that the roof was of
pyramidal from, and that the iterance chamber and wings were similarly covered.
There would thus have been four distinct pyramids, of which that over the inner
chamber must have been the loftiest , the height of its pinnacle above the
ground being about 75 feet.
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Ziarat
Hazrat Zain-ud-Din Wali:
The shrine of Hazrat
Azin-ud-Din Wali is situated on a hill lock, about 20 Kms. short of the famous
hill
resort of Pahalgam overlooking the bewitching Lidder Valley. The road to
the shrine branches off to the right from main Anantnag-Pahalgam road. A few
hundred metres walk or drive takes one to the foot of the stone stair
leading to the shrine. The mausoleum is located inside a deep cave atop
the hill, about 100 meters high than the main road.
Village Aishmuqam is very well known in every part of Kashmir on account of the
historical shrine of sheikh Zain-ud-din who lived in the 15th century
A.D. and was one of the principal disciples of Sheikh Nur-ud-din, the leading
Rehsi of Kashmir.
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It is commonly known in Kashmir that Sheikh Zain-ud-din, who was known by
the name of Zia Singh before his
conversion was a prince and belonged to the ruling Rajas of Kishtwar. His father
Yesh Singh, the then Kishtwar ruler, is said to have been assassinated when Zia
Singh was only 13 years old. Zia Singh is believed
to have been suffering from some
disease which took a serious turn leaving no aspect of his recovery. Sheikh
Nur-ud-din is said to have passed through Kishtwar just at that time and having
heard of his miraculous performances,
Zia Singh’s mother begged of the Sheikh to visit the patients and to pray for
his recovery. The Sheikh agreed to pray on the understanding that
Zia Singh would meet him in Kashmir after the recovered. Zia Singh did not
however keep his promise and after
sometime he was agsin confined to bed. His mother kept on crying day and night
until she had a vision in which the Sheikh Zia Singh’s mother promised that
she would fulfil her obligation this time if her son would recover again. With
the restoration of his normal health, Zia Singh proceeded to Kashmir to meet his
benedictor. The mother and the son undertook the hazardous journey from
Kishtwar to Bumzua, a village about 8 miles south of Aishmuqam, where Sheikh
Nur-ud-din was staying at that time. It was at this place that both Zia Singh
and his mother embraced Islam under
the maens of zain-ud-din and Zoon Ded respectively.
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Among the local inhabitants the
legend has it that Zain-ud-din medicated for a long time in village Mandjan of
Tehsil Sopore where he attained spiritual
perfection, It was at this stage that Sheikh Nur-ud-din advised him to
migrate to the cave at Aishmuqam and to meditate there for the remaining period
of his life. On his arrival, sheikh Zain-ud-din found the entrance to the cave
blocked by snakes, cobras and
reptiles, It is said that the saint carried with him a club which he had
received from his master. Seeing the serpents he placed the club on the ground and it was instantaneously transformed
into a dreadful cobra. The snakes in the cave got awestricken and not
only surrendered to the Sheikh but also vacated it and migrated to the village
Phuurpujan which is about 16 miles to the east of Aishmuqam.
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The exact date of the death of the saint is not known. His urs or
anniversary is, however , being
celebration on the 13th day of Basakh corresponding to 25th
of April. Two mosques on unknown as
Khankah are also attached to the shrine. The Khankah
besides being used for prayers is
also a repository of the relics of the saint which are held in high esteem.These
consist o a bow, a patten, a wooden bread, a rosary, a wooden club and a copy of
Quran. It is said that the saint observed fasts frequently and whenever he felt
hungry he licked th wooden bread to satisfy his appetite. These relics are
publicly displayed whenever the village meets with some catastrophy, such as a
femine, epidemic, etc. The shrine attracts hundreds of thousands of people from
all parts of the valley every year. On the date of anniversary of the saint
congregational prayers are held which are attended to by no less than
20,000 people.
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According to the legend, the festival continues to be celebrated from
pre-Islamic times and dates back to about 2,000 years. The
shrine of Zain-ud-din is respected by all communities and they actively
participate in the celebration of the anniversary. There is no restriction to
the entry into the shrine which is open to visits by persons of either sex and
of any community.
Ziarat Baba
Hyder Reshi(Reshi Maloo)
The tomb of Baba Hyder
Reshi popularly known as Harda Reshi or Reshi Molu, the saint at whose
anniversary local people of the area abstain from flesh eating for one week, is
visited by both Muslims and Hindus alike. The shrine is one of the famous places
frequented by people from all over the valley. It is Situated in Mohalla Reshi
Sahib in Anantnag Town. The body of the saint is enshrined alongwith 21 of his
disciples in the tomb.
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Born on 29th Rajab, 909 Hijri ( 17-1-1504) A.D. in village
Dandar of Tehsil Anantnag in the
house of Sheikh Abdulla a blacksmith by profession, Baba Hyder Rehsi is said to
have performed graet miracles in his very childhood. He used a look after
cultivation, tend cattle, and spent his life in
complete celibacy. His spiritual guode had been Hazrat Sheikh Hamza
Makhdoom Sahib, a great saint of Kashmir whose shrine is situated on the hill of
Hari Parbat located in Srinagar city. From him, he is said to have received
religious education and spiritual inspiration.
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Baba Reshi came into prominence
when the then ruler of Kashmir Ali Shah Chak and the prince Yousuf Shah Chak
started paying courtesy calls on him. The one time graet scholar and chief Qazi
of Kashmir Baba Dawood Khaki also used to visist him. Rehsi Saheb possessed
graet spiritual powers and abstained throughout
his life from eating meat and onions. Some of the miracles attributed to him are
given below:
An eighty tear old devotee of the saint Ab.Rahim Badal who was a rich
man had no issue and had given up all hopes to have one. One day he visited the
saint asked for what was apparently
impossible. The saint offered an apple to his devotee. After nine months a male
child was born in his house who was
named Mohd Sharief. However, the child’s mother died. The child refused to
suckle any other breast. When
brought before him, the saint put his own finger into the child’s mouth which
he at once started sucking. The
child in his own adulthood attained spiritual enlightment
and later joined as one of the disciples of the saint. The saint is said to have passed away in 976
Hijri ( 1568 A.D.) at the age of 67 years in deep meditation. The relic has been
passed from Khalifa Hazrat Ali to Shiekh Shahad-ud-din Sohrawardi and afterwards
it is said to have been presented to Baba Reshi by Hazrat Makhdoom Sahib
when the former accepted him as his
spiritual guide. There is also a
rosery and a walking stick of the saint preserved in the shrine of Reshi Sahib.
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Ziarat Syed
Samnani
Hazrat Syed Simnani RA came to
Kashmir from home town Simnan along with his family members and
other disciples when Sultan Shuhab-ud-Din was ruling Dehli in 750-H after
staying for some time in village Hurpora Shopain, Harzat Syed Simnani left the
village and settled for ever at Pargana Devsar Kulgam on the bank of river
Veshow. Hazrat Samnani started preaching Islam, the Salarsanz father
of Shiekh-UL-Alaam embrassed Islam at the hands of Hazrat Samnani and was
renamed as Sheikh Salar-ud-Din. Later
the Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani used to attend the majlis of Hazrat Samnani (RA)
for getting enlighted about spiritual teachings Islam from the Sofi Saint
Hazreat Syed Samnani.
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A
grand mausoleum has been
constructed at Kulgam over grave of Hazrat Samnani. Haji Mohi-ud-din
Miskeen and Khaja Azam Dedmari noted Kashmiri historians have also written a lot
about the spiritual power of Hazrat Syed Samnani. The Shrine
is seen always full of devotees for paying their obeisance there.
Ziarat
Baba Naseeb-ud-Din Gazi
Hazrat
Nassar-Din (RA) popularly known as
Naseeb-ud-din Gazi (RA) as per an
article issued
by Jammu and Kashmir Cultural Academy, was basically
from Rawalpendi and has come with his father Mr.Hassan Eazi to Kashmir,
But Baba Nasseb described himself as “Naseeb Kashmiri” which indicates that
Baba Naseeb was perhaps born in Kashmir when his father came to Kashimir from
Rawalpendi. According to the article, Baba Naseeb, at the age of 7 years only
went to Hazrat Sheikh Hamza Makhdoomi for attaining spiritual teachings, later
Hazrat Makhdoomi handed over Baba Naseeb to Hazrat Sheikh Dawood Khaki. Baba Naseeb
was an able Kashmiri and Persian writer. According to Prof.Ghulam Mohamad Shah,
Mugal King Jahangir on hearing about the pious life of Baba Naseeb Gazi ,
invited him to his kingdom which was turned down by Baba Naseeb and sent a
poetic letter to the King Jahangir. During preaching of Islam, Baba Naseeb Gazi
visited most in-accessible areas at
that time which include, Tibet, Karnah, Iskardu, Dardistan, Baltistan, Kishtiwar,
Doda, Bhaderwah, Poonch, Rajouri, Nowshera etc. He constructed 1200 mosques,
bathrooms, Musafir Khanas, bridges and planted trees on both sides of roads
wherever he went to apprise people about the teaching of Islam.
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Baba
Naseeb-ud-din Gazi according to some reports left for abode at the age of 82
years in 13th Muhhram 1047 Hijri and was buried at Bijbehara, 7
kilometers from Anantnag town. A mausoleum was constructed there by Haji Baba (
Sheikh Fateh-ud-din Abdual Rehman) but later it was reconstructed by his son
Baba Mohd Zahid in 1715.
According
to reports, Baba Naseeb Gazi has written about 22 books mostly in Arabic and
Persian.UP
Masjid Syed
Sahib
The
mosque of Syed Sahib has been constructed in the memory of one
Hazrat Syed Mohd. Inayat-ullah Qadiri Samnani who came to Kashmir along
with other disciples from Samnan city (Central Asia) in the year 936 Hijri
(1528 A.D.). He undertook the construction
of the mosque in the town in the same year which is now situated at the foot of
the Anichteep of the Martand Plateau. The saint died at the age of 75 years in 995 Hijri on Friday
the 6th Shaban (27-1-1587) A.D. His body is buried in the nearby
shrine.
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Masjid Baba
Dawood Khaki
Masjid
Khaki is one of the oldest mosques in the town and is situated in Reshi Bazar of
mohalla Kakhi sahiban in Anantnag town.It is more than 600 years old and is
named after Hazarat Sheikh Baba Dawood Khaki the chief disciple of Hazarat
Sheikh Hamaza Makhdoom. Sahib Baba
Dawood Khaki has also been the chief Qazi of Kashmir and a scholar of great
repute. It is said that Shah Hamdan the great
saint of Hamdan in Iran who had come to Kashmir about
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The legend as it is, that after a period of three weeks of the
death of the saint, then Mughal Governor of Kashmir had a dream in which he saw
Mukdoom Sahib directing him to bring the body of Babd Dawood khaki to be laid
his side at Srinagar .The Governor therefore secretly planned to bring the body
of Baba Dawood back to Srinagar .He proclaimed that the Royal party from
Srinagar would be visiting the town and that the ihabitants of the town should
remain indoors till the Royal party had returned Srinagar. The party was
accompanied by an army contingent. They visited the shrine of Reshi Sahib and dug
out the body of Baba Dawood in complete secrecy and placed it in a
coffin and left for Srinagar. When the party had just reached Khanabal-a
place on the outskirts of the town a-word went round among the inhabitants of
the town that the body of the saint Baba Dawood Khaki has been stealthily
removed from his grave by the Royal party and that they were on there way to
Srinagar. A big crowed of townsmen rushed to meet the Royal party to snatch away
the coffin. A big scuffle ensued. Finally it was decided that the
body would be awarded to the group which could lift the coffin from the
grounds. Inspite of all efforts the inhabitants of the town failed to lift the
coffin. The Royal party on the other hand lifted it comfortably and carried it
away to Srinagar where the body of the saint stands buried by the side of the
grave of Hazart Sheikh Hamaza Mukhdoom Sahib.
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Khir
Bhawani Asthapan(Devibal)
Devibal temple is
situated in mohalla Khaki Sahiban and is just adjacent to the mosque of Hazrat
Sheikh Baba Dawood Khaki. It is dedicated to the holy spring of Khir Bhawani
which issues here and is now enshrined in a small stone-built one storey temple.
It attracts a good number of devotees and is considered a holy place by the
entire kashmiri pandit community. It attracts a large congregation every day and
is said to have the same importance as that of Khir Bawani temple in Tulamula of
Srinagar district.
According to a local legend it is believed that once the famous saint of
the town Reshi Molu, held in great esteem by Muslims and Hindus of the valley
alike, had prayed for the holy “Darshan” of Goddess Durga and requested
her to show her presence in the town. She is believed
to have acceded to his request and later appeared in his dream in which
she is said to have communicated to him that She is already present in the from
of small spring. According to another belief it is believed that Wazir Panu had
a dream in which Goddess Durga told him that She was living
underneath the spring. He located the spring and asked one of the priests
namely Balkak to look after it. Maharaja Pratap Singh while on his way to Jammu
or Back to Srinagar would stop here and pray in the name of the Goddess and
offer lot of milk in the spring. He also donated some cultivable lands in the name of the shrine. The water that issues from
the spring is reported to be changing colours.
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Chapel of
John Bishop
A small Chapel
located in the premises of John Bishop Memorial Hospital, Anantnag is
situated in the eastern end of the town in mohalla Sarnal and is the only
praying ground for the Christians of the town. The Chapel was built in 1942
primarily to meet the needs of protestant Christians of the town and the
Christians employees working in the John Bishop Memorial Hospital as also the
then high protestant Christians officials posted in and around the town.
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Uma
Devi of Uma Nagri
Goddess Uma is said to
have selected Her abode in the lap of great Himalayas in Kashmir in Umanagri,
Uttersoo in Anantnag Tehsil. She is believed to have manifested herself in
in the form of a stream and
appeared in the shape on “Omkar” in five springs. It is said
that one Shri Shiv Ram Ji who later assumed
the name of Swami Shivananda had
attained the high reputation and sincerity
and that while supervising the collection of paddy in the adjoining village of
Brah, one of the peasants pointed
out to him the grain husks sticking to
his shawl and reminded him to swift
them off before leaving the grain-store. This sarcastic
remark had a shocking effect on him and he is said to have thought of
detaching himself from the worldly things and started
meditating round the clock at Snusha a secluded place near Brah. He is
then said to have had a divine vision of Mother Uma directing him to go to her
abode at Village Uttarasoo. Accordingly, he located the place and went into deep
meditation on the specified spot. He lit a continous pyre (Dhooni)
at the place of his meditation near the spring. A Vedic Yagh is since then
being performed on the anniversary of the Swami Sivananda in the month of
‘Phusa’ every year and the
relics of the Swami are still preserved at the Dhooni Sashib which are worshipped by numberless devotees. The
situation of the shrine comprises 5 springs located in the form of divine Omkara.
Out of these springs, 2 merge into a single spring thereby signifying the
communion of Shiva and Shakti. The
sacred shrine attracts large pilgrims and is revered by all faiths.
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Bumzu or Bhaumajo
Caves:
Bhumju
or Bumzu or Bhaumajo lines at the mouth of the lidder valley, and easily reached
from Islamabad. These caves are
situated on the left bank of the Lidder river about a mile north of the village
of Bawan, the largest is dedicated
to Kaladeva. The cave-temple stands at the far end of a natural but artificially
enlarged fissure in the limestone cliff. The entrance to the cavern, which is
more than 60 feet above the level of the river, is carved into an architectural
doorway, and a gloomy passage, 50 ft in length, leads from it to the door of the
temple. It is a simple cella, 10 ft square , exterior dimensions, raised on a
badly moulded plinth and approached by a short flight of steps. The square door
way is flanked by two round headed niches despoiled of their status and is
surmounted by a high triangular pediment reaching to the apex of the roof, with
a trefoiled tympanum. There is no record nor
tradition as to the time of erection but from absence of all ornamentation and
the simple character of the roof,
which appears to be a rudimentary copy in stone of the ordinary slopping timber
roof of the country, it may with great probability be inferred that this is the
earliest perfect specimen of Kashmir Temple, and dates from the Ist. or 2nd
century of the Christian era. Close by is another Cave of
still greater extent, but with no architectural accessories and about
half a mile further up the valley at the foot of the cliff, are two temples.
Both are , to a considerable extent, copies of the Cave Temple but may be of
much later date.
The shrine of Baba Ramdin Reshi and the tomb of his disciple Ruku-din-Reshi are also close by. Hugel statues that the Bhumju caves occupy
a very conspicuous place in the fables of the timid Kashmiris, and are supposed
to have originated from the following causes, In the year Kali 2108 ( 993 B.C)
Raja Nara succeeded his father, Vibishana; during his reign certain
Brahman espoused Chandrasaha
, the daughter of Susravas, a serpent-god, whose place was in a lake near the
Vitusta , and near a city built and inhabited by Nara. One day, as Raja Nara
beheld the beautiful daughter of the serpent on the shore of the lake, moving
gracefully through
the calm waters, he was struck with the deepest admiration, and endeavored
vainly to inspire
the same sentiments he himself felt. At length he resolved to carry her
off from husband, but the plan failed ,and the enraged Brahman called on her
father to avenge the insult. A storm was accordingly called up ,and the earth
open and swallowed up the King and his whole Court. The sister of the
serpent-god assisted him ,and hurled on the city huge stone from Bawan Mountain.
The caverns of Bhumju are said to be on the spot where these rocks were
uptorn (Hugel, Growse)
Nagdandi
About
two kilometres away from the historical and picturesque town of Achabal, on the
right side of the road to Uma Devi (Brari-Aangan), there is the Ramakrishnan
Mahasammelan Ashram, which was founded by late Swami Ashokananda, more than
forty years ago. It is a fairy big Ashram now, a compact complex of some
buildings and a small temple dedicated to Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, at the
foot of wooded Achabal hills. The Samadhi of Swami Ashokananda is within the
precincts of the Ashram.