Sir,
On the one hand leaders of all political parties trumpet from their roof tops:” Kashmir is in complete without Kashmiri Pandits” and on the other hand do not check the trend on the part of print and electric media duly supported by administration who change the names of the places associated with the religious sentiments of the Kashmiri Pandits. They Call Shankracharya Hill as Takh-e-Suleiman, Srinagar City as Shahar-I Khas and now Hari Parvat (Kashmiris pronounce it as Parbhat) as Koh-i-Maran. Let put the record straight.
Hari Parvat is the focal point in the Kashmir landscape, rising amongst historical ruins in its environs and commanding a panoramic view of the majestic and glistening hill tops girdling the extensive valley, the shimmering lakes which touch its boundaries as a mark of respect for its traditional associations and being a place of great sanctity in Kashmir. In ancient times, it was known as “Sharika Parvata”, the hill of Sharika. The crowning glory is the “Shrine of Cakreshvari”, the Almighty Mother Sati, the controller of the titanic forces of nature. The cognoscenti have seen the mystical Shri Chakra represented in the shrine which structures her magic and mystery in the cubes, triangles, squares and circles represented therein. This then is a place of special veneration since the dawn of history. Besides, what is important is that all the important deities of the Hindu Pantheon have a traditional seat for themselves in and around “Sharika Parvata” as a mark of obeisance for Almighty Sati who had delivered the valley from the depredations of the demon “Jalodabhava” residing in the lakes. Thus it is a shrine which has a unique place in the history of Kashmir, since millions of Kashmiris have been worshipping the related shrines since the day the valley became fit for habitation and life flourished. The legend adds that the deities in grateful memory of their deliverance took up their abode here, which accounts for the fact that every important individual stone or prominent rocky area is revered by the faithful.
At present important rocks depicting Jwala, Maha Ganesha are situated on the south-western side of the Parvat. Further on, the rock known as “Sapta-Rishi”, with which the earliest scientific calendar devised by Kashmiris and now 5078 years old is associated, is worshipped. Thereafter, we have the shrines of Mahakali and Siddha Laxmi. The resting place of Abhinava Gupta, the well known founder of Kashmiri Shaivism is also associated with Sharika Parvata.
Yours etc…
Predhuman K Joseph Dhar
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