NOT FOR SALEESTD, 1915 JANUARY, 2014
NEWS LETTER
BRAHMAN MAHA MANDAL KASHMIR (Regd.)
Ganesh Road Ganpatyar, Srinagar
Working Office: H.No. 22, Sunder Singh Road, Hari Nagar
Opp. AgarwalDharamshala, Jammu. Ph. 0191-2545000
Email: website: brahmanmmkashir.org
“Sharda” Temple & Script- The Heritage of Kashmiri Pandits
Dr. B.N. Handoo
Kashmir history is one of the oldest histories of India having references from the pro and past history records, excavations, religious books, rare manuscripts, literatures, etc. India owes their origin to Vedic Sanskrit which gradually passed through the Prakritic stages. According to the Vedic Puranas like Nilmata-Puran of 6th and 8th century during the proto-historical period Kashmir was a big lake Satisar in which a demon Jali-Bhavar (Jal-Broor) was residing who was causing a great devastations to the inhabitants residing on the lake banks. According to historical records a saint KashyapReshi was meditating in the vicinity of present Sharda temple situated at a height of about 3400 metres above from the sea level located near Keron across the river Krishanganga on the bank of Medhumati (presently in Pakistan). On the request of inhabitants the Rashi prayed to goddess Sharikamata, who accepted the prayers resulted Lord Vishnu Struck the charka on the present Uri mountain. The gap was created in between this mountain the Satisar lakes water drains out and goddess Sharikamata killed the demon Jali-bror by burying him under the present Hariparvat.
The literally meaning of the word Sharda is the name of Hindu goddess Mata Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge (vidya) and learning. According to the writings of Kalhan the Sharda temple stands on a hexagonal (six-angled) stone slab covering 19ft x 13ft spring through which the water is gushing out from one side of this slab. The temple stands on a hexagonal five feet thick platform which stands over two pillars of 24ft. This square platform have 11ft high walls, the main door of the temple faces towards the west having 5ft wide stair case with 4ft Varandah. These four outlets are on the four sides, ie. east, west, south and north leading on the varandha. The hexa-angular Sharda temple represents the six fold eternal qualities of goddess Mata Saraswati as omniscience, consciousness, freedom, completeness, omnipotent and boundless. There was a spacious library hall attached with the temple containing valuable and rarest Sharda manuscripts, Puranas and other Hindu religious books. It is stated that this spring was covered with stone tiles and the water used gush out from one of its sides. The spring had a mysterious and secret origin. Below the spring there lies a strip of land through which ooze the gas at different places. The devotees were using this gas for cooking purposes. It is said that the gas volcanic in origin.
The Sharda script is one of the oldest scripts derived from Brahmi script which originated from Kashmir by the Kashmiri Pandits. The Sharda alphabets are still engraved outside the temple walls. It has been observed that most of the devnagri alphabets were the same as is in Sharda with the little modifications which were during the period of
MaharjaAshoka in 263BC as it was his official script and language. This official script and language continued up to maharaja Lataditya, the king of Kashmir. This script was used even today by theKashmir pundits in their religious cum custom-rituals (some of the rare Sharda manuscripts, books are still available in the Handoo library). The oldest Sharda book/manuscript is Kallap the Sanskrit grammer giving a complete description of eight parts of speech (Ashta-diayi) which is on the pattern of Panini grammar used in 400 BC. Even the latest school of Hindu philosophy called Kashmiri Shavism of the 9th century considered the science of humanism, compassion has been originated from the Sharda script. According to Kalhanpandit’s book Rajatarangni he had recorded that there was a ShardaPeeth (Sharda University) where the knowledge of
Sanskrit and Sharda literatures besides the Vedic knowledge were imparted. Dr. M
ax-Muller remarked that ShardaPeeth was renounced institute in India where people from far and nearby were studying in six systems of Indian philosophy. With the completion of their the Peeth was conferring the degree certificate of honour to the successful students once a year on a fixed convocation day which was distinctly fixed, the day is known as Guru-Trrey/Gourri-Teritiya which according to Kashmiri pundits calendar falls on MaghShukliPhakshaTritya (ie. month of January/February). The sanctity of this day is that it is the birthday of Mata Saraswati the goddess of literature and knowledge.
To honour this ShardaPeeth the Kashmiri pundits when their children are attaining the schooling age, the sacred thread ceremony (Yegnopavit) is performed in the Vedic rituals where child recites the first alphabetical lesson of the Sharda script under the guidance of their religious teacher (kullu guru) as a omen of incitation.
According to the writings of Kalhan, he has given a reference of King lalitiditya of 8th century that the disciples of the Gaund king had come all the way from Bengal to Kashmir to pay a visit to this ShardaMandir. Alberuni, the traveler of the 10th
century after travelling the interior Kashmir valley reached to Bolair mountain which is mid-way between Ladakh and Gilgit, mentioned ShardaTeerath is equally famous like Somnath temple of Gujrat, the Vishnu Temple of Thaneshwar and the Sun temple of Mattan. Many pilgrims came here for receiving the blessings of goddess Sharda. According to Juna Raja the historian, had referred that Kashmir Sultan Zain-ul-Abdin visited this temple in 1422 AD.
The Vaishnava Saint Swami Ramanuja travelled all the way from Srirangam to this temple, refer to Bodhana’svritti on Brahma Sutras preserved here, before commentary on the Brahma Sutras, the
Sri Bhasya. The image at ShringeriSharadamba temple made of sandalwood is supposed to have been taken by the SDhankaracharya from here.
This ShardaPeeth was so much honoured and filled with rarest literatures. During the Muslim rulers this university was closed but the books, manuscripts and other things were preserved by the Hindu rulers of India and Kashmir, lastly the army of Maharaja Hari Singh, the King of J&K State guarded the ShardaPeeth and its sanctity The writer Jonaraja (1389-1459 AD) writes that Zain-ul-Abdin ‘badsha’ the king of Kashmir also visited this shrine in 1422 AD to pay the respects to the goddess Sharada Mata. In 16th century Abdul Faze writes that on the banks of river on every Ashtami of brightmoon it begins to shake and produces the most extra ordinary effects. According to Kalhana river the Kashmiri Brahmins identified as Saraswati Brahmins (ref: Temples of Kashmir by C.L. Gadoo, p.9). A Kashmiri scholar Bilhana (1063-1089 AD) a southern Pandit from Karnataka was appointed as chiefPandit of this university (ShardaPeeth also. The Sharda temple represents the spiritual and religious soul of Kashmir, the goddess Sharda, also known by the name of Vaksavitri is the creator of all kinds of speech, intellect, spiritual wisdom, exalted thoughts, and is holy pilgrimage for all especially for kashmirihindus who usually pilgrimage to Sharda temple via TikarKupwara. The route was like this, after Tikar the next step were Batergham and Hurri village. From Hurri village there were two routes via Trehgamor via Liderwan. The Liderwan village was used as a base camp for the yatris/devotees (pilgrims) who used to come from other parts/districts of Kashmir. From Liderwan the
journey would comprise the halting sports of Zurhoma, Marhoam (Marhama), BudeanPatha, GaneshPael, Pothkagali. The route was followed by the MeerwaliNaar, Dunaar, village of Jumgund and Kachbawan followed by the village of Dudhniya. The Dudhniyal village had a narrow suspension foot bridge connecting with path way along the river bank of Krishnganga to Bella Khan, followed by Sheikh Bella and Mundkar village. Dusuth was the next halting village which was followed by Khowajaseeri and Kharigham village. Kharigham was the nearest village on the route to holist Sharda temple.
The Ganesh Peal was also called BandookPael by the native Gujjars. The name GaneshPael of the area owed its name to the striking resemblance of a huge boulder to Lord Ganesh’s appearance. As revealed by late Thusso family that densly foliaged upland area in close proximity of Sharda temple was known by the name of GaneshGhatti, it had a cave having a narrow opening which would allow the entry of a single person at a time. Inside the cave one of its side resembled the image of Lord Ganesha on which water drops would trickle down from a naturally formed Sheshnag like configuration located above. The elevated area in close proximity of the Shardamata temple was also known by the name of Amarnath. It was in the form of an enormous boulder resembling the Shivalinga, over which water from the adjoining mountain would flow down in a hawankund patterned natural enclosure. Before entry into the temple there was aplain area over
which stood a huge Bren three on the left side of the tree had a stone murti of Lord Ganesh at its base which was smeared with sindoor.
KamlaShanker: A KP Woman Ahead of Her Times
S.N. Pandita, New Delhi
Born in 1923, in the illustrious Zadoo Family of Kashmir to Smt. Sonamali and PanditVasu Dev Zadoo, Smt. KamlaShanker was the first ‘woman-graduate’ of the Kashmiri Pandit community and one of the pioneers in the filed of women’s education in Jammu & Kashmir, She graduated from the famous Sri Pratap College, Srinagar in 1940. This college formerly founded as the Hindu College in 1905 was the outcome of the crusading efforts of the Irish Missionary Dr. Annie Besant.
A student of private ‘Pathshala run by Women’s Welfare Trust in GundiAhlmar, Srinagar runbyPanditDamodar and later a private school in Anantnag, Kashmir, Smt. KamlaShanker passed the Matriculation examination of the Punjab University in 1936. In those old days when women education in Jammu & Kashmir was a taboo, Smt. KamlaShanker’s father PanditVasu Dev Zadoo himself a figure enlightenment and the first Kashmir Pandit to visit the USA and study in engineering sciences at the workd’s famous Harvard University in 1927, got his daughter admitted to the college after she had completed her school education. Following her grauduation in 1940, Smt. KamlaShanker joined the Former Christian College of Punjab University, Lahore for M.A. literature in English. She is the first native Kashmiri woman to pass with M.A. degree fr4om the Punjab University, Lahore in 1942. Subsequently, she did her B.E.d. from the Prince of
Wales College, Jammu. Much later when her two
children were grown up and left the nest, she once again engaged herself with academic pursuits andadded one more Master’s Degree to the list of her educational attainments in 1947, this time in History from Pune University. Smt. KamlaShanker is also an alumnus of the Institute of Linguistics, Hyderabad, Widely travelled trhough 4 continents- Asia, Africa, Europe and America with journeys spreading over 40 years. Smt. KamlaShanker taught English literature at the famous Loyola School, Pune.
A pioneer in the filed of women’s education in Jammu & Kashmir State Smt. KamlaShanker was a living symbol of that iconic effort that brought Kashmiri Pandit women from the confines of four walls of their homes, stepped in social discrimination, ignorance, poverty and superstitions.
KamlaShanker was a brave and daring patriot also. During the 1947 tribal invasion on Kashmir by Pakistan, she joined the WSomen’s Militia in Kashmir and took arms for self defense. She thus became the first Kashmiri Pandit women to take up arms for the defense of her native land.
In recognition of her pioneering attainments as one of the most highly accomplished, educated and empowered woman of her generation, Smt. Kamlashanker was conferred with Dr. Annie Beswant Award 2011. The iconic pioneer passed away in 2012 leaving being a remarkable legacy to inspire our young generation.