Sh.Haroon-Kamran
Hiking in Sharda-towards Sharda Castle (1)
On 2nd May 2009 We Start Hiking Towards Sharda Mandir and University .while Crossing a Hanging Bridge an army soldier told us do not take pictures of these bridges and Sharda Mandir or university.. any way A Great Landscape in May and we realy enjoy the Hiking which was literly 90 Digree High and make our toungs out of our mouths ..
:::Sharda History::
Great effort, one can never escape history. The Sharda temple has a special significance in the evolution of the Kashmiri Pandits as an intellectual identity.It is the ancient site of learning in the subcontinent.The script of Kashmiri language is also called Sharda and the script has been named in the honour of the Presiding deity of the temple i.e the Goddess Sharda- the Goddess of learning.Even to this day the Saraswat Brahmins who migrated to the other parts of India due to the successive intrusions and invasions of the religious zealots from Kashmir make their prayers, while the yagnopavit ceremony(putting on the sacred thread) by chanting the sloka-Namastey Sharda Devi Kashmirpura Vasani (salutations to the goddess Sharda who has her abode in Kashmir).
Kashmir's association with Hinduism is very old. The very name Kashmir derived from Kashyapa, one of the seven Rishis in Hindu mythology. Kashmiri Pandit are an ancient people and are often mentioned to to be the purest of Aryans. All evidence points that this Race had its origin from the Vale of Kashmir and its neighbourhood. Moreover, many ancient epics refer to Kashmiri Brahmins as people of great learning.
Kashmiri Pandits have made significant contributions to thought and science. Abhinavagupta, Kalhana have been stalwarts in the fields of, philosophy and history respectively. Kashmir figures prominently in Sanskrit poet Kalidasa's compositions. The birth place of Charaka one of the founders of ayurveda and Indian medice in general is also considered to be in Kashmir. Many Sanskritic scholars and poets (i.e. Bilhana, Mahimbhatta, Ksemraja, Vasugupta, Anandvardhana, Ksemendra) were Kashmiris.
During the period of Islamic rule of the Kashmir valley, hundreds of Hindu and buddhist temples in Kashmir were destroyed.9 As a result, Kashmiri Pandits gradually migrated to other parts of India to escape persecution. Many Kashmiri pandits and buddhist were forcefully converted which in time resulted in Kashmir becoming predominantly Muslim. The devastation wrought by the Turkish general from Turkmenistan Zulju in 1320, during his conquest of many regions of Kashmir Valley was especially noteworthy.
Sultan Sikandar Butshikan (1389-1413), the seventh Muslim ruler in Kashmir, is known for his oppression of non-Muslim populations, which caused many Kashmiri Pandits to leave the Kashmir valley.[1] Historians call him an idol-breaker (or iconoclast) and he is said to have killed several thousand Kashmiri Pandits and/or forced them to convert to Islam or flee.[2] Sultan Ali Shah and others followed suit.[3] There have been a few Muslim rulers who were tolerant towards the Pandits, however they were not able to ultimately alleviate the plight of the Pandits. This can be ascertained from the fact that the Pandits never rose to their pre-Islamic glory and that their population in the valley continued to decrease over time. From the 14th century due to the growth of Islam their numbers in the valley began to diminish and the Muslims by spreading Islam began to outnumber them.
Hiking in Sharda-towards Sharda Castle (1)
On 2nd May 2009 We Start Hiking Towards Sharda Mandir and University .while Crossing a Hanging Bridge an army soldier told us do not take pictures of these bridges and Sharda Mandir or university.. any way A Great Landscape in May and we realy enjoy the Hiking which was literly 90 Digree High and make our toungs out of our mouths ..
:::Sharda History::
Great effort, one can never escape history. The Sharda temple has a special significance in the evolution of the Kashmiri Pandits as an intellectual identity.It is the ancient site of learning in the subcontinent.The script of Kashmiri language is also called Sharda and the script has been named in the honour of the Presiding deity of the temple i.e the Goddess Sharda- the Goddess of learning.Even to this day the Saraswat Brahmins who migrated to the other parts of India due to the successive intrusions and invasions of the religious zealots from Kashmir make their prayers, while the yagnopavit ceremony(putting on the sacred thread) by chanting the sloka-Namastey Sharda Devi Kashmirpura Vasani (salutations to the goddess Sharda who has her abode in Kashmir).
Kashmir's association with Hinduism is very old. The very name Kashmir derived from Kashyapa, one of the seven Rishis in Hindu mythology. Kashmiri Pandit are an ancient people and are often mentioned to to be the purest of Aryans. All evidence points that this Race had its origin from the Vale of Kashmir and its neighbourhood. Moreover, many ancient epics refer to Kashmiri Brahmins as people of great learning.
Kashmiri Pandits have made significant contributions to thought and science. Abhinavagupta, Kalhana have been stalwarts in the fields of, philosophy and history respectively. Kashmir figures prominently in Sanskrit poet Kalidasa's compositions. The birth place of Charaka one of the founders of ayurveda and Indian medice in general is also considered to be in Kashmir. Many Sanskritic scholars and poets (i.e. Bilhana, Mahimbhatta, Ksemraja, Vasugupta, Anandvardhana, Ksemendra) were Kashmiris.
During the period of Islamic rule of the Kashmir valley, hundreds of Hindu and buddhist temples in Kashmir were destroyed.9 As a result, Kashmiri Pandits gradually migrated to other parts of India to escape persecution. Many Kashmiri pandits and buddhist were forcefully converted which in time resulted in Kashmir becoming predominantly Muslim. The devastation wrought by the Turkish general from Turkmenistan Zulju in 1320, during his conquest of many regions of Kashmir Valley was especially noteworthy.
Sultan Sikandar Butshikan (1389-1413), the seventh Muslim ruler in Kashmir, is known for his oppression of non-Muslim populations, which caused many Kashmiri Pandits to leave the Kashmir valley.[1] Historians call him an idol-breaker (or iconoclast) and he is said to have killed several thousand Kashmiri Pandits and/or forced them to convert to Islam or flee.[2] Sultan Ali Shah and others followed suit.[3] There have been a few Muslim rulers who were tolerant towards the Pandits, however they were not able to ultimately alleviate the plight of the Pandits. This can be ascertained from the fact that the Pandits never rose to their pre-Islamic glory and that their population in the valley continued to decrease over time. From the 14th century due to the growth of Islam their numbers in the valley began to diminish and the Muslims by spreading Islam began to outnumber them.