Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 6: The new book `Sharika Parbat Hari Parbat’ was released at a simple function held at Press Club here today. The function was organized by Prakash- a cultural initiative of Panun Kashmir.
The book which has been authored by Prof Mohan Lal Kaul and Upender Ambardar is a saga of onslaught and destruction.
Those who were present on the dais included Prof M K Teng, Prof P N Trisal, Prof M L Koul, Dr Agnishekhar and Dr Ajay Chrungoo. Besides many eminent dignitaries, intellectuals, and scholars attended the function.
Prof M K Teng presided over the function and Upender Ambardar, general secretary Prakash conducted the stage.
Commenting on the books the speakers said that the Sharika Parbat popularly known as Hari Parbat has been the oldest spiritual centre of Kashmir and preserves the Vedic origins of the Kashmiris prehistoric past and its grandeur and glittering glory. Kalhan Pandit in his Rajtarangini, makes a mention of the holy hillock as the focal point of Kashmir’s well entrenched and protracted history of spiritualism, they added.
They said as the seat of Vaishanavite thought and credo, the holly hillock is described as Pradhuman Peettha. The Mahabharata and numerous other religious scriptures have projected the Sharika Parbat as an embodiment of spirituality and divinity, they added.
In the literary works in Sanskrit the authors having Kashmiri origins and invested with aesthetic fertility have depicted the holy hillock in all its inherent picturesque and beauty replete with the fragrance of almond blossoms.
The speakers said the holy hillock of Sharika Parbat as per the Nilmatpuran and Sharika Mahatamya has direct linkage with the birth of Kashmir. The mountain grit Valley of Kashmir is called Kashmira in the Nilmatpuran for the reason that it was built by Prajapati called `K` and Kashyapa who is also Prajapati. The legend as is unfolded in the Nilmatpuran establishes Kashmir as a vast lake that was drained to catch and kill Jalodabhava the demon who had wrought destruction on innocent lives, they added.
The scholars said that hence no doubt the entire spiritual and cultural history of Kashmir, thrived with Sharika Peeth or Hari Parbat as its focal center with three crore Hindu gods and goddesses, believed to have their abode there.
They said after Islam came to Valley there was relentless onslaught on the spiritual and cultural tradition of Kashmir right from Sikander in 14th century followed by Shite rule and the shrine and entire area including scores of temples and Deviangan as well as Parikarama were put to arson.
They said it was only during Sikh and Dogra rule that Hari Parbat was restored to Hindus after 300 years but in 1990 the onslaught ahs reemerged with impunity, they added.
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