The Sharda Temple of
Kashmir
By Sanjay
Godbole
Prior to independence, Hindu Pandits were
settled in great numbers, in the Northern areas
of Kashmir. Sharadi is a small village in
Northern parts of Kashmir, which was famous for
an ancient temple of Goddess Sharada. A Kashmiri
Pandit family headed by Thusu Ladarwani was
settled in this village. This Thusu family was
compelled to migrate to Srinagar from Pakistan
occupied Kashmir (POK) and again due to the
terrorists and their activities, had forcibly to
shift to Jammu and stay in a transit camp there.
At present, Shri
Shambhunathji Thusu from this family is ninety
four year old and possesses an exceptionally
remarkable memory. He is well versed in Urdu,
and Kashmiri language . Shri Shambhunathji
provided me a map in Urdu prepared by him,
giving details of the "Sharda Temple". He has
successfully retained many memories, about the "Sharda
Temple" right from 1920 A.D. Shri. Shambhunathji
reiterated that there was no idol of the Goddess
Sharda in the temple, but there was only a stone
plinth, admeasuring six feet long, seven feet
wide and one and half feet high. "Just outside
the temple, not very far, was a Shivaling.( i.e
. symbolic idol of Lord Shiva). The devotees
worshipped at both the places.
Shri.
Shambhunathji was born and brought up in Shardi
and he spent his prime youth there only. His
family owned a business there. He aptly
recollects the fair held at Shardi in the month
of Bhadrapada (the sixth month according to
Hindu Calendar) on the eighth day of Shukla
Paksha i.e. a fortnight of rising moon.
He makes a
mention of the briefings by a scholar in History
from "Shardi", about the assistance rendered, by
a Gaud King to the "Sharda Temple Complex". The
village Shardi is situated at a distance of 130
Kilometers from Srinagar and 140 k.m.s. from
Muzaffarabad. This place, presently, has the
following postal address in Pak occupied
Kashmir. (POK).
Village Shardi,
Tehsil Atta Mukam, District Muzafferabad.
Since olden
times, the village Shardi was renowned for the
following two things
1. temple of
Goddess Sharda, and
2. Sharda
Peetham (Centre for Advanced studies)
Prior to the
partition, a fair was held at village Shardi in
the month of Bhadrapada and on the eighth day of
the Shukla Paksha, and devotees from all over
India, flocked the place in thousands, for
receiving the blessings of the Mother Sharada
deity. There is a place called "Tikkar" at a
distance of one and half kilometers from Kupwara,
in Kashmir. From here, there is a short cut for
going to Shardi which measures 40 k.m. Many
Pilgrims treaded this path
only.
Prior to the
partition of India, many Kashmiri Pandit
families were settled in "Shardi". Those
professing as priests and traders had their
shops and establishments in the near
vicinity of the Sharda Teerath. Besides, many
saints, ascetics and their
associates/disciples and their servants also
lived there.
Shri. Pradeep
Kaul, from Srinagar, informed that every scribe
offered his writings to Goddess Sharda, for
obtaining her blessings. The following alleged
legend in this regard runs as follows. The
Kashmiri Scribes, kept their Bhurjapatra
manuscript covered in a platter overnight, in
front of Goddess Sharda, for obtaining her
blessings. If the pages of writings remained
undisturbed, it was taken for granted that the
works had the blessings of the Goddess. If,
however, the pages of the works were found
sifted, the works were considered as disapproved
by the Goddess.
Presently , the
Sharda Temple lies within POK territory and one
has to travel from Muzaffarbad to Thitwal - 80
K.M. from Thitwal to Karna-20 k.m., from Keran
to Dudhe Niyal - 24 km, and from Dudhaniyal to
Shardi- 16 K.M., to reach Shardi.
Prior to 1947,
some travellers went to "Udi" from Barahmulla,
and then from "Udi" to Shardi, via Muzaffarabad.
In Shardi, the Sharda temple is on the right
bank of river "Krishnaganga". At this spot,
there is a confluence between river Madhumati
and river Krishnaganga. In Sanskrit, the word
Sharda denotes both Goddess "Saraswati", and
Goddess "Durga". An old styled, stringed musical
Instrument called "Veena" is also addressed as "Sharda".
The Kashmiri Pandits, rever this Goddess Sharda
as a symbol of strength. The brief history of "Sharda"
in Kashmir is as follows.
"Kashyapmir" aka
Kashmir means the Land of "Kashyap: Rishi the
ascetic. Kashmir was a home of erudites and
scholars. Here was an University of the
extremely learned Pandits and philosphers in all
branches of knowledge. The epic, Mahabharata,
refers to Kashmir as "Kashmir Mandal". Ancient
History of India describes that there was a
temple of "Goddess Sharda" in Kashmir also.
There was a centre for providing education,
Sharada Peetha had four doors facing four
direction. The southern door was always closed
and no one from South ever entered from this
door. "Shankaracharya" in 8th cent A.D. opened
this door and entered the Centre . He defeated
all the scholars there and won the highest
hierarchial position of Acharya. An ancient
volume "Shakti Sangam Tantra" has a stray
reference to "Sharda complex". The volume
describes Kashmir as a Land from Sharda Complex
to "Saffron mountain " Keshara Parbat extending
upto 50 yojana.
At present, in
POK, the valley of river Krishnaganga lies at a
distance of 125 k.m. from Muzaffarabad towards
North. It is now being addressed as "Neelam
Valley" by Pakistani authorities.
The village "Shardi"
lies in between Gurej and Karna: the two places
in Neelam valley. At Shardi, wreckaged remains
of the temple of Goddess Sharda can be seen. One
can reach Shardi within 4 hours from Muzaffarbad.
The following are the lines from the verse of
"Goddess Sharda" (residing in Kashmir) in praise
of her
Prior to
Division of Kashmir in last century Mr. Bamzai,
a Kashmiri Pandit, has very aptly described the
Sharda Temple had the main girdle of 22 feet dia.
It had an entrance door in the west. The other
entrances had arches over them, and these arches
were 20 feet in height .The main entrance had
foot steps. On both sides of the porch, there
were two square shaped pillars, 16 feet high and
2'6" x 2'6" in sectional size. Carved out of a
solid stone Block. The construction inside the
temple was very plain and unadorned . The temple
was situated on a hillock, on the right' bank of
river Madhumati". The rectangular sanctum had 63
foot steps, each 9' wide. The name and fame of
this Sharda Teerath was well spread throughout
ancient India.
Kalhan, the
famous Historian, who wrote "Rajtarangini has
given a reference to "Lalitaditya" of the
eighth's century. He says, disciples of the Gaud
King had come all the way from Bengal to Kashmir
to pay a visit to this Sharda Mandir.
Alberuni, the
famous traveller of the 10th century has made a
mention of this "Sharada Mandir". He narrates
"After traversing the interior portion of the
valley of Kashmir, one reaches the Bolair
Mountain, which is mid way between "Ladakh" and
"Gilgit'. Many pilgrims come here for receiving
the blessings of Goddess Sharda". Albe-runi
further states that this "Sharda Teerath is
equally famous like Som Nath of Gujarat, the
Vishnu Temple of Thaneshwar, and the Sun-Temple
of Multan.
"Bilhan" Pandit
the famous author of the Later half of the 11th
Century has also made a mention of the :Sharada
Teerath". Though settled in South India over a
long period, "Bilhan" has dedicated all his
Literary works to Goddess "Sharda".
Between the
period 1088 A.D. and 1172 A.D., an erudite, Shri
Hemchandra had completed his "Prabhav
Karta"
a voluminous treatise. Under the auspices and
patronage of King "Jay Singh" of Gujarat, he was
required to compile a volume on "Grammar". So,
king Jay Singh deputed his representative to
Kashmir, and made available to Shri Hemchandra a
manuscript of the subject of grammar, from the
Library of Sharda Teerth. This enabled Shri.
Hemchandra, to complete his treatise called "Hemkandra"
(Siddha Hemkandra) . This amply proves, how the
name and fame of the library of "Sharda Teerth"
was well-known in ancient India and as to, how
abounding was the Library of "Sharda Peeth".
Historian Jon
Raja has made a reference, as to, how Sultan of
Kashmir Zain-ul-Abidin visited this place in
1422 A.D.
Abul Fazal has
also made a reference to this place. The stone
crafted Sharda Mandir, he adds, a beautiful
temple at that-is situated on the bank of river
Madhumti (Krishna Ganga). Gold was often found
in the river basin here. A fair is held here, on
the eighth day of every month of the (Shukla
Paksha) fortnight of the rising moon. After the
Mughals, the Dogra regime assumed power in
Kashmir and the then Collector of Muzaffarabad,
Col. Gundu repaired the temple and provided a
new ceiling made of wood. He got fixed an
annuity for the priest of the temple, under the
orders of Maharaja Gulab Singh of Kashmir.
The Northeast
province of our vast country India is Kashmir.
Kashmir has its own style of temple
Architecture. This style was developed, during
the reign of King Lalitaditya (724 A.D.) and in
9th Century reached its Zenith, during the
regime of Avantiverman. There are a few ancient
temples in Kashmir. Among these, the Rudrash
temple at Ludo, the sun-temple at "Martand" and
the "Shankaracharya Temple at Srinagar are
conspicuously famous. Generally, a temple in
Kashmir has two parts, a square sanctum and a
porch in front of it. These structures have
centres and subcentres of Learning associated
with them.
Experts opine
that the pillars and columns of Kashmiri temples
compare favourably with those of Derrik style.
There is an expansive courtyard around the
temple. This ancient Sharda Mandir is in (P.O.K.)
today and has nurtured all the Salient features
of Kashmiri style of Architecture.
Yograj Razdan
and Mr. Ratan Kaul made available this rare
photograph of Sharda Mandir from Sharadi. It is
at their instance, it was available to me.
Kashmir, in
olden days, was a centre for education , pursuit
of knowledge and studies of various sciences.
That is exactly why, Kashmir is also called Land
of Goddess Sharda, City of Goddess Sharda and
Sharda Peetham (University).
The famous
Chinese traveller, Hue-en-tsang visited Kashmir
in the year 632 A.D. and lived there for almost
two years. His notings assert that at Shardi,
there are Pandits who are exceptionally
brilliant, endowed with perspicacious wits and
acumen and are genius in the real sense of the
term. There is a narrative, regarding Goddess
Sharda in Hindu Scriptures. When Pandits refuse
to perform the sacred thread ceremony of "Shandilya"
the son of ascetic "Vashishta", he (Shandilya)
under instructions of his father, went to
Kashmir, to offer his services to Goddess Sharda.
He bathed in the water tank near Sharda temple
and got his body, transformed into radiant gold,
afterwards, he, by the grace of Goddess Sharda
obtained accomplishment and became famous as
Shandilya Rishi the ascetic.
The Sharda
Shastranam Stotra is a canticle depicting
Goddess Sharda as follows :-
Goddess Sharda
is "Sheeladevi" (A Goddess in stone) she sits on
a stone seat and has a pleasantly smiling face.
Her form and appearance resemble those of
Goddess Parvati (Wife of Lord Shiva). She holds
a Sword in one hand. Her eyes are glowing and
radiant like the Sun, the moon and the god fire,
she is the Supreme controller of all the three "Lokas"
(According to Hindu Mythology, there are three
lokas i.e. worlds swarga (the heaven) Mrutya
(the Earth) and Patal (the under world). She has
six arms and sports the sacred thread of
Yagyopavit Shandilys, the ascetic. Her devotees
are blessed with the eternal light from the
outer world.
The members of
the Gujar and Pahadi Communities, residing in
the nearby area of the "Shardi" village had an
abiding and unalienable faith in the sheeladevi
shakti peeth (a source of power). They offered
cow's milk and cereals and other agricultural
produce to Goddess Sharda. In the recent times,
Swami Nandlalji a famous Yogi (a hermit) from
Kashmir had his hermitage near the Sharda
temple, and his disciples were both' Hindus
This is how the imposing and
magnificent history of Goddess Sharda for a few
centuries in the post goes. The following lines
from a Sanskrit canticle are enough and
sufficient to stress the importance of the
history of Goddess Sharda.
Source: Kashmir
Sentinel
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