InderKrishen Koul (Talib Kashmir · Apr 23, 2012

( This post which had got omitted from my post 3 days back may be read in its continuation):

During the reign of King Harsha (1089 1101 AD) when Sussal's forces vanquished the Royal troops and drove them to Padampur (Modern Pampore) the king made Chandraraja, Commander in Chief and the latter gradually regained the lost territories and killed the enemy commander inside Awantipura.
It was again in Sussal's reign (1121 to 1128 AD) that his Commander in Chief Harashmitra was defeated by the deposed King Bhikshacher at Vijayeshwar (Present Vijebror) who fled and took refuge in Awantipura. In the battles witnessed in subsequent times the one deserving mention is about slaying of the rebel Commander Utpala (who had become a detractor of Jayasimha for killing his father King Sussal) by Pinchadeva, Commander of a watch station at Shurapura ( presnt Hurapor above Shoipan) and presenting his head in the court of the King. This served as an effective warning to the rest of the rebel elements who thought their good in surrendering to Jayasimha's forces. After the ascent of Jayasimha to the throne of Kashmir, the Brahmins of Awantipur were subjected to excesses by one of his Ministers, Chitraratha, like increasing the imposts etc., and they undertook fasts to register protests against such excesses.
Awanitpura was an important centre of Ganesha worship according to Kshemendra (a poet and polyhistor who lived about a century before Kalhana), who states that bowls of sweets offered to the deity Ganesha were resold by the Brahmin priests in the town. A large number of huge earthenware jars and other vessels have been recovered through archaeological excavations from Awantipur which are believed to have been used for storing grains etc. It was not only during the time of Hindu rulers that Awantipur has had military importance, but even in subsequent Muslim rule too the town was having military significance. For instance in 1587 AD, Yaqoob Shah Chak, who had regained throne of Kashmir after defeating powerful Mughal Commander Qasim Khan and forcing him to flee to Kishtwar, made Awantipur his Hqrs., for effectively defending the Capital city of Srinagar and launching counter attacks.


Inder Krishen Koul
(Talib Kashmiri)

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Inder Krishen Koul (Talib Kashmi · Apr 19, 2012

AWANTIPURA OR VONTIPUR (Town & ruins)

This town is located on the right bank of Vitasta or Jhelum at 75 4' long. and 33 55' lat. on the western foothill of Wastarwan range in the present distt. Pulwama, about 19 miles from the capital city of Srinagar. The town was founded by King Awantivarman who ruled Kashmir from 855 AD to 883 AD. This town was established at a site previously known as Vishvaiksara. Forester and Vigne describe the town by the name of Vyethpur. Before his ascent to the throne of Kashmir in 855 AD, Awantivarman had built the shrine Awantiswami in this town and after ascending the throne he built Awanteshwar. The ancient remains of Awantipur consist chiefly two ruined temples. The larger one lying about half a mile to the north west of Awantipur village and close to the hamlet of Jaubrar or Zewabrar is that of Awanteshwar. The wall around the periphery of Awanteshwar temple is quadrangular measuring about 218 ft. X 200 ft. while the length of the solid stone platform of the Temple itself measures about 57 ft. on all four sides with a height of about 10 ft. from the ground level. On each of the four corners of this platform was a 16 ft. square pedicle over which small temples in stone had been built in typical Gupta architectural style. The main gate of the temple was towards the west as is usual for a Shiva Temple under the science of sculpture. A large earthenware jar with the number '1583' having been engraved upon it could still be found at the site. On the backside of the courtyard the remnants of two smaller temples can be seen, one of which is stated to be the site of Panchratan temple where presently a heap of carved stone can be seen. Vigne also mentions that a bathroom with a burning oil lamp had been discovered in this temple. Sir Richard Temple has written that the ancient ruins of Awantipur were scattered upto an area of 5 miles from the right bank of Vitasta.
On the contrary, the Awantiswami temple is smaller in size but more decorated than the Awanteshwar temple and is situated in the Awantipur village itself. Percy Brown has assumed that the highly sophisticated design of construction suggests that it must have been the temple where the king himself offered prayers etc. The construction of this temple can be compared with that of Martand. The courtyard of the temple measures 174 ft. X 148 ft. but the stone platform on which the actual temple had been constructed is only 33 ft. square. However, one inexplicable feature of this temple which bears its name with the deity Vishnu (Awantiswami) is that it has its entrance towards the west like a Shiva temple. Hugel considers it as a Buddhist temple and names it as 'Awantima'. Henry Hardy correctly presumes the date of its construction between 852 AD and 854 AD i.e., two or three years before Awantivarman ascended the throne of Kashmir. The architectural design of the temple shows Greek and Gupta style of stone art. The stone columns in the front are adored with the beautifully sculptured images of Vishnu and Lakshmi. The walls on its inside show Ganga and Yamuna riding a crocodile and turtle, respectively. The images of King and Queen skilfully cut into the stone have been shown seated on the throne. The entire complex of ruins was discovered after excavation done under the guidance of Daya Ram Sahni in 1915 AD. James Ferguson opines that gun powder appears to have been used to demolish the temple and some of its stone pillars seem to have been utilised in the construction of the pavillion of Shalimar Garden.
During the reign of King Kalasha (1063 1089 AD), the shrine of Awantiswami was deprived of its endowments comprising several nearby villages. The town is associated with several fierce battles of historical importance in late Hindu period. After Jayasimha's ascent to the throne in 1128 AD, Bhasa, a Commander of Royal troops was besieged by the rebel Damaras of Holada distt. (Vular presently Khrew area) in the courtyard of this temple. During the reign of King Harsha (1089 1

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