Pilgrim Spots in Kashmir
The valley of Kashmir 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."
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