Finished reading a Kannada Novel #Kasheera by @SahanaVijay last night. Must confess, I’ve wept many a times while turning over pages. 376 pages aren’t just enough to capture the agony Kashmiri Pandits faced nor it has an end unless we Indians come together in their support.
Except for visiting the KP settlements in the valley, my trip to Kashmir valley in April-May 2017 was almost similar - encounter with youngsters that want a better & free life, ruined temples that scream the Hindu Glory of Kashmira, an all sublimed Shankaracharya Mandira & so on.
First on my list were the Krimchi Group of Monuments - Temples built in the “Nagara” style and legends say that Pandavas built these. Nestled deep in woods, this is a wonderful place to visit.
From Udhampur I booked a cab to take me to Srinagar by road. I badly wanted to have Rajma-Chaval at Chenani-Patnitop & moreover see the tunnel!! Sadly, the cabbie declined it for obvious reasons. Stone pelting in few areas in the valley. So I went to Jammu and flew to Srinagar.
Unless the shops are open, the moment you get out of Srinagar Airport, you’re welcome with slogans saying “Go India, Go Back” on shutters of almost all shops. Fools don’t know that one neither needs to be welcomed in his own land nor be sent away.
#KashmirBelongsToIndia
After checking-in at the boathouse managed by a father-son duo, most of which the son looks after, I prepared my travel itinerary. Srinagar is any other normal city for a traveler. Just the one needs to scan around to understand what’s lying beneath!
The boathouse had a direct view of Śankarāćārya Parvata & Mandira!
#AdiShankara
That evening by 4pm I left for Śankarāćārya Mandira. Maintained and protected by #IndianArmy, that is the same place where #AdiShankara composed #SoundaryaLahari! I quitely recited the #MohamudgaraStotra and was about to leave, was when I was taken aback!!
A group of 38 women - an all women group - from Tirunelveli clad in Blue Sarees are all climbing the hill reciting the same #MohamudgaraStotra - #BhajaGovindam in all its beauty. Upon being asked if they weren’t scared to visit Srinagar, one elder woman said -
“If my fate is to die here where #AdiShankara visited, so be it. Will happily go at the feet of the lord. Who can stop me from that?”
I smiled with joy and pride!
Back to boathouse, I asked the owner to take me to all possible Hindu Temples in and around Shrinagar to which he resisted. He insisted taking me to Gulmarg & Pahalgam. After I threatened him of canceling my trip, he budged down and obliged.
Next day I woke up by 4am, even before the cacophonous Azans spoiled the mood at that serene locale, turned on my JBL speaker and started listening to Śri Rudra. Should some manmade hymn resonate well with that locale, it has go to be Vēdas and Vēdic hymns only!
By the end of it, I noticed the owner guy sitting across me with a bedazzled look on his face. I cared a damn for I had Śankarāćarya Mandira in front of me and Rudra! 🙏🏻
First of the Temples to visit were the Pandrethan Mandir and Kheer Bhavani Mandir. Had a blessful time there too!
Later the owner guy asked what was I listening to and I explained him the significance of Rudra from my limited knowledge and ability.
I didn’t miss the opportunity to add “For a thing you do everyday, you guys are being woken up by loudspeakers and are reminded to carry out the chores. But we are not compelled to do any of that sort. Yet we do it all by our own will.” I only got a lame smirk in return.
He requested me not to click anything roadside while traversing through few neighborhoods in the city. I nodded but managed to click a couple Abandoned Kashmiri Pandit Houses that need a revival - a cultural revival of filling in life into them and making them “homes again”!
On our way back he took me to a “mosque” per him. But a “Temple” in reality! Checkout the pics yourself. Name, although, is on top of my head now but is behind Shah-e-Hamdan shrine.
An ironic pic I clicked at Shah-e-Hamdan Shrine - it is infested by pegions - symbol of peace!
Calling it a day with nice Kashmiri Pulao I went to sleep. But sleeps evaded with every Kashmiri Pandit house coming into picture. #KashmiriPanditExodus
Next day was to Mārtānd Sūrya Mandira in Anantnag District built by the mighty Lalitāditya MuktāpīDa of the glorious KārkōTa Dynasty. The temple was built much before Islam came into proper existence and is now maintained by ASI.
Martand Sun Temple offers an amazing view of the Pulwama valley with snow cladden mountains visible at a distance!
Ruins of the temple will haunt you more and are a mute witness to all the atrocities that have happened over centuries in the Hindu Kashmira.
Any google page will fetch us the architectural details of the temple.
On our way back to Shrinagar, we stopped at Avantipura - home to two beautiful temples, each dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva - Avantisvāmin and Avantīśvara Temples. Everything is in an unimaginable state of ruin.
It just aches, aches and aches to see the ruins, and more for those stones yell at you for being helpless when we let all such things happen to our culture in the valley.
Few more pics from Avantipura Temples -
Another ironic and oxymoronic pic from Avantipura - “Coexistence?”
The Kannada saying “kallaraLi hoovāgi” which loosely translates to “a stone blooming into a flower”, for me loose all its meaning every time I see a Hindu temple destroyed by a Muslim.
The last day, I asked him to take me around the city and in particular to #Nouhatta. I got off the car amidst his protest at the Jamia Masjid and clicked a few pics of it. Yes, I did.
Then to a local weaver family’s house to buy some shawls. I demanded for a proper receipt for my purchase and bought two beautiful pashmina shawls.
Then to Parks and Baghs-
Shikara Rides
The boathouse owner - the son, born in 1994 has no clue of the event called “Kashmiri Pandit Exodus”. He denied any such thing happening in the valley and the valley was eversince “Muslim”. Not to forget, he was indeed shocked to see Martanad Temple.
I explained him how Kashmir was a Hindu Desha even before Islam reached there and that Kashmiris did learn how to lead a life from Persians.
He has never been out of Srinagar-Pulwama region in his life till date. He now follows me on Instagram and keeps messaging me that India is beautiful :)
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