A Window on Kashmir

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

Kashmir has been written about and described by numerous authors of different languages. This book is different in as much as it does not describe the natural beauty, the landscape, the lofty mountains, the gushing waters, the picturesque meadows and the flora and fauna of this enchanting valley. It describes the intrinsic beauty, inherent greatness and the cultural richness of the land. It is an insider's account of the place where he was born and brought up. It describes the people who have lived here for many millennia, their ways of living, their customs and their philosophy of life. It is truly a window on their life, language, culture, philosophy and customs. It throws light on the literature, festivals, shrines and the sages of this land of Kashyapa. It also touches briefly upon the turmoil, the terrorism and the political upheaval that has resulted in mass exodus of three lakh Kashmiri Pandits from their hearths and homes and has threatened their very identity. It is a faithful account of the milieu of this Paradise on Earth.

Born and brought up in Kashmir, T.N. DHAR (b. 1934) is an Hons. graduate from Kashmir University and a qualified ICWA from London. A renowned poet of Kashmiri language, he started his career by writ- ing for Radio Kashmir. He has worked in various capacities in the Audit Department of the Government of India, apex bodies of Sanskrit and Veda-Vidya as also in Shri Lal Bahadur Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, a Deemed University. He has authored several books in Hindi, Kashmiri and English including two volumes of his Hindi poems and a book on Education. His book on Indian Culture has been pub- lished by the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan as a part of its Golden Jubilee series. His interests include Indian Philosophy, Culture, Com- parative Study of Religions and Education, in addition to his creative writing as a poet. He is at present the Consulting Editor of a journal of 47 years' standing issued from Delhi. He has been contributing his poems and articles to various journals and the Anthologies compiled by the Sahitya Akademi and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Language.

Kashmiri Pandit community is more than five thousand years old. They are Saraswat Brahmins, who have adopted, Saptarishi Calendar (current year - 5078), and follow rituals formulated by Rishi Logaksha, as against those of Rishi Katyayan followed in other parts of the country. However, all the sixteen rituals called shodasha sanskara are observed. This community believes in Shiva and Shakti worship and follows Kashmir Shaiva Darshan for spiritual purposes and the Vedas for rituals. Apart from the common festivals and religious functions like Diwali, Dussehra, Ganesh and Lakshmi Pooja, we have some peculiar festivals of our own. The most important of these is Shiva Ratri, a socio-religious function celebrated over a period of a fortnight (the dark fortnight of Falguna of the lunar calendar). The New Year's Day is celebrated on the first day of the Bright fortnight of Chaitra. In addition to Swami Amarnath, the other important shrines of Kashmiri Pandits are those of Goddess Sharika at the Hari Parbat hill in Srinagar, Goddess Rajna in Tula Mula village, Goddess Jwala Ji at village Khrew and the Sun Temple at Mattan. Another important shrine of Sharada, because of which Kashmir is also called Sharada Peeth, is now in the part occupied by Pakistan.

Although the migration of the community started afresh in 1948, because of the denial of admissions and employment to their youth, yet the migrants had been keeping close liaison with their roots in Kashmir. All the important ceremonies of their near and dear ones would be performed in Kashmir; be it Yajnopavit or marriage or the last rites. This would ensure the safeguard of their distinct identity and thereby the community felt secured. The position has changed with the forced mass exodus brought about by the militancy since 1989-90. This is said to be the fifth such large-scale exodus. Consequently, the hapless members of this community are scattered all over the country and have become refugees in their own homeland. Some are languishing in camps, some in tattered tents, some in one-room tenements and others in rented shelters. The vagaries of the weather, the lack of privacy and the depression caused by displacement have affected their health, reduced the birth rate and increased the mortality rate. Even after more than a decade in exile, there is no light visible at the end of the tunnel. The community fears near extinction. It is in this backdrop that the different topics related to Kashmir and Kashmiri Pandits have been dealt with in various chapters of this book. At the outset an overview of the five millennia old culture and literature of Kashmir has been given in Chapter 1. After explaining the political scenario in 2nd and 3rd Chapters the problem of literacy promotion in Kashmiri has been dealt with in Chapter 4.

**Contents and Sample Pages**