Ancient Vishnu Temple of Kashmir - Avantiswami
Avantiswami temple of Kashmir was constructed by Great King of Kashmir, Avantiverman in 9 CE near Avantipora. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple had images of Ganesh, Lakshmi, Bhumi devi, and Garud. The very sight of the temple will make the visitor spell bound by the shear grandeur and size. Documentary prepared by Sunil Raina Rajanaka
10 Ancient but forgotten Temples of Kashmir
Images taken from :
1) shehjar.com
2) searchkashmir.org
3) ikashmir.net
Udhampur, Kashmir, India: Kiramchi Temples - A Hidden Wonder | HISTORY
Avantiswami Temple Picture of Temple, Kashmir History, Reviews, Photos
Avantiswami Temple Picture of Temple, Kashmir History, Reviews, Photos
Avantipur is located 28 km south east of Srinagar in Anantnag district overlooking the Jhelum river. The foundation of the town is ascribed to Avantivarman (AD 855 – 883 AD), the
first king of the Utpala dynasty.At Avantipura itself Avantivarman erected two magnificent temples, one dedicated to Lord Vishnu called Avantisvamin and the other to Lord Siva
called Avantisvara, the former built before his succession to the throne and the latter obtaining sovereignty. During the medieval times, these temples witnessed mass destruction and
were reduced to ruins.The early part of twentieth century witnessed large scale operation by D.R. Sahni who exposed the entire quadrangle of the temple down to the floor of the
courtyard and reclaimed the extant basement of the central shrine and remains of the subsidiary shrines. The excavation yielded a rich crop of antiquities including 121 coins issued by
Toramana, Sultans of the Shah Miri dynasty, Durrani Afghan rulers etc. Sahni also excavated the quadrangle of the Avantisvara temple and brought to light a small earthen jar having
108 copper coins issued by various rulers, fragments of birch manuscripts containing accounts of articles of worship, inscribed earthen jar etc.The layout of the original complex
consists of a temple erected in the central part of a spacious oblong courtyard, four smaller shrines at the four corners of the central shrine, a running roofed peristyle with an array
of cells ranged around the periphery of the paved courtyard, and an imposing gateway. In front of the staircase of the central shrine was a sort of a pillared mandapa with open sides,
containing within perhaps garudadvaja. The temple is effectively distributed with exuberant carvings and refined, graceful sculptures which is a masterly symphony of architecture
and art.
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16th century temple in Kashmir
16th century temple located on hilltop in Mattan Anantnag Kmr.
Live video by Syed Bilal on Kashmir Reportage
List Of Lost Temples Of The Kashmir Valley
We have all heard about the Amarnath Cave, the Raghunath Mandir and even the Dargah of Peer aba. All of course, in Jammu & Kashmir. But, what about Bumzu, Krimchi or Martand? No? Well then you are like many of us who have forgotten the great temples of the Kashmir Valley, which scholars believe were way ahead of their contemporaries in the plains and in peninsular India.
These temples have been cast away from their past grandeur, and for all purposes forgotten.
Share this video to enlighten people about the lost history, architecture, culture and heritage of the Kashmir Valley.
Background music: Don't Hold The Wall (Instrumental) by Justin Timberlake
Martanda Sun Temple, Near Pahalgam, Kashmir, India | HISTORY
Sharada: The Forgotten Script Of Kashmir
The Śāradā, Sarada or Sharada script is an abugida writing system of the Brahmi family of scripts. The script was in widespread use between the 8th and 12th centuries in the northwestern parts of India (in Kashmir and neighbouring areas), for writing Sanskrit and Kashmiri. The Gurmukhī script was developed from Śāradā. Originally more widespread, its use became later restricted to Kashmir, and it is now rarely used except by the Kashmiri Pandit community for ceremonial purposes.
Sharada was in use in large areas of South Asia, including Kashmir, Punjab, and Afghanistan, but its use later became restricted to Kashmir where the script is considered sacred by some Hindus. It is named after the Goddess Śāradā, (another name for Saraswati, the goddess of learing), the main deity of the Sharada Peeth temple.
The Bakhshali manuscript uses an early stage of the Sharada script. The Sharda script was used in Afghanistan as well as in the Himachal region in India. In Afghanistan, the Kabul Ganesh has a 6th century Proto-Sharda inscription mentioning king Khingala. At the historic Markula Devi Temple, the goddess Mahishamardini has a Sharada inscription of 1569AD.
Sharada script is a unique and important feature of the heritage of India. This script was mainly used to write Sanskrit and Kashmiri in the regions of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and the North Western Frontier Province for centuries and served as a vital link in the chain of communication of ideas, knowledge, and culture. The script is believed to have been evolved from Brahmi at around 9th Century AD.
The script owes its name, Sharada, to the region in which it was most popularly used, which was called Sharadadesh or Sharadamandala a country whose main goddess of worship was Sharda, or Sarasvti, the goddess of learning. The other name of this script is Siddha Matrika. This name was given because of the beginning line of the alphabet which is Om Svasti Siddham.
Another anecdote holds that the name refers to one Shardanandana, who first developed a writing system for the Kashmiri language. The name is not found in early sources and is believed to be of relatively later origin. The script is also referred to as ‘Kashmiri’ in several European sources. The name Sharada appears in several English sources as ‘Sarada’ and ‘Sharda’, but the preferred form is Sharada.
The earliest known records of the Sharada characters are the coins of the Utpala dynasty of Kashmir (9th century CE) and a brief record carved on the fragment of a broken jar discovered from the precincts of the Avantiswami temple and containing the name of Avantivarman, the founder of the temple. Of about the same date is the Sarahan Prashasti of queen Somaprakha, spouse of Satyaki, a ruling chieftain of Sarahan, opposite Saho in ancient Chamba, Himachal Pradesh. Among the other records of slightly later date, mention may be made of the Dewai inscription of the Shahi king Bhimadeva (l0th century AD) and inscriptions of the reign of queen Didda. The latest inscriptional record in Sharada is dated at 1789 and was found at Digom, Kapal Mochan, Shopian district of southern Kashmir in India. There are in all over 100 inscriptions found written in Sharada, 13 in North Western Pakistan, 34 in Kashmir, 6 in Jammu, 5 in Ladakh, 39 in Himachal Pradesh and 1 in Delhi.
The core geography of Sharada is roughly the area between longitudes 72° and 78° east and latitudes 32° and 36° north.
Sharada inscriptions, coins and manuscripts have been found as far west as Afghanistan (Gandhara and Bamiyan), as far south as in the village of Palam, south-west of Delhi, and on account of the migrations of Kashmiri Pandits, as far east as Benares in Uttar Pradesh.
The development of Sharada characters is characterized in three stages: 1. Inscriptions and coins of 9th-10th centuries AD. 2. Records in 11th-13th centuries AD and 3. Literary and epigraphic records since the 14thcentury AD.
Some modern Indian scripts like Gurumukhi are direct descendents of Sharada. Devanagari emerged around 1200 CE out of the Sharada script. Sharada script is first seen used in a manuscript discovered from the village Bakhshali in the Peshawar district of Pakistan. The manuscript, the title of which is lost, contains an important work on Mathematics, written in 12th century CE. Next in date is an old birch bark manuscript of Munimata- mani-mala which is the earliest known Sharda manuscript discovered so far in Kashmir, which dates to 14th century AD.
The Sharada script was accepted for encoding in the unicode standard recently with given range of U+11180..U+111DF. Researchers have also prepared specific Sharada fonts to write the Kashmiri Language.
Background music: Cinematic/Emotional/Dramatic/Action music by Osiris
Kashmir Pandits throng three ancient temples in Kulgam
Kashmir Pandits throng three ancient temples in Kulgam
NARANAG Ganderbal
Naranag (or Nara Nag) is a tourist village of Ganderbal district, Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is located around 8 km from Kangan, 6 km upstream from the Sind River. Noted for its scenic meadows, lakes and mountains, it is a base camp for trekking to the Mount Haramukh 16,870 ft (5,142 metres) and Gangabal Lake. The village lies at the left bank of the Wangath river, which is a tributary of the Sind River.
Naranag Temple .
The Naranag temple is the main attraction for the tourists. It is one of the important archaeological sites of the country. The site consists of a cluster of temples facing each other at a distance of about 200 meters. Historians say that the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and was built by Lalitaditya Muktapida, of the Kayastha Naga Karkota Dynasty in the 8th century AD. It is believed that the king Awantivarman paid a visit and donated a pedestal for bathing at Bhutsher.
It is also believed to be dedicated to the ancient Nagas. Hence, the name Naranag. It was built by the Naga Karkotas, who are said to be Hindu Kashmiri Kayasthas of the Naga sect, known for their reverence of serpents.
Its architecture reveals the art of the 8th century. The government has only constructed walls to protect it from encroachments and nothing else has been done. It is now left in ruins of which only faint traces have survived.This temple has the typical Aryan structure as was present in Aryan Kashmir.
Old Kashmir traditionalbeautiful architecture Part 1
Beautiful Kashmir Paradise on Earth also named as an alpine Switzerland with Heaven Grasslands. Kashmir Valley Beautiful traditional Architecture.
During ancient and medieval period, Kashmir has been an important centre for the development of a Hindu-Buddhist syncretism, in which Madhyamaka and Yogacara were blended with Saivism andAdvaita Vedanta. The Buddhist Mauryan emperor Ashoka is often credited with having founded the old capital of Kashmir, Shrinagari, now ruins on the outskirts of modern Srinagar. Kashmir was long to be a stronghold of Buddhism.[11] As a Buddhist seat of learning, the Sarvāstivādan school strongly influenced Kashmir.[12] East and Central Asian Buddhist monks are recorded as having visited the kingdom. In the late 4th century CE, the famous Kuchanese monk Kumārajīva, born to an Indian noble family, studied Dīrghāgama and Madhyāgama in Kashmir under Bandhudatta. He later became a prolific translator who helped take Buddhism to China. His mother Jīva is thought to have retired to Kashmir. Vimalākṣa, a Sarvāstivādan Buddhist monk, travelled from Kashmir to Kucha and there instructed Kumārajīva in the Vinayapiṭaka.
Karkota Empire (625 CE - 885 CE) was a powerful Hindu empire, which originated in the region of Kashmir.[13] It was founded by Durlabhvardhana during the lifetime of Harshavardhan. The dynasty marked the rise of Kashmir as a power in South Asia.[14] Avanti Varman ascended the throne of Kashmir on 855 A.D., establishing the Utpala dynasty and ending the rule of Karkota dynasty
The legend of Kashmir says that at one point there was a beautiful lake here, beloved of the gods. The gods played happily by this lake till a demon began to haunt the land. The villagers sought the help of a holy man who drained the waters of the lake and thus created the valley of Kashmir. Is it myth, or is it fact? Marine fossils and corals excavated in Kashmir reveal that a large lake did once exist here!
Water, in many forms, is one of Kashmir's charms. Lakes, rivers, springs make music all over the valley. And majestic sweeps of forested mountains are tempered with miles of flowering meadows.
In this breathtaking land, fruits grow in abundance: apple, cherry, peach, pear, plum, loquat, almond, walnut and pine nut. And you know why the gods must have loved it here!
About Kashmir
Set like a jeweled crown on the map of India, Kashmir is a multi-faceted diamond, changing its hues with the seasons – always extravagantly beautiful. Two major Himalayan ranges, the Great Himalayan Range and the Pir Panjal, surround the landscape from the north and south respectively. They are the source of great rivers, which flow down into the valleys, forested with orchards and decorated by lily-laden lakes.
The Mughals aptly called Kashmir ‘Paradise on Earth’ where they journeyed across the hot plains of India, to the valley’s cool environs in summer. Here they laid, with great love and care, Srinagar’s many formal, waterfront gardens, now collectively known as the Mughal Gardens. Anecdotes of four and five centuries ago describe their love for these gardens, and the rivalries that centered around their ownership. They also patronized the development of art & craft among the people of Kashmir, leaving behind a heritage of exquisite artisanship among these people and making the handicrafts of the land prized gifts all over the world.
Kashmir is a land where myriad holiday ideas are realised. In winter, when snow carpets the mountains, there is skiing, tobogganing, sledge-riding, etc. along the gentle slopes. In spring and summer, the honey-dewed orchards, rippling lakes and blue skies beckon every soul to sample the many delights the mountains and valleys have to offer. Golfing at 2,700 m above the sea, water-skiing in the lakes and angling for prized rainbow trout, or simply drifting down the willow fringed alleys of lakes in shikaras and living in gorgeous houseboats are some of the most favoured ones.
Awantipura.mpg
Awantipura.mpg
Avantipora (kashmir)1100 yr old temple
Avantipora (kashmir)1100 yr old temple
CONDITION OF HINDU TEMPLES IN KASHMIR ,FROM 1986 to 2018 Part-2
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Kashmir flatland rolling into Avantipura (Cam Fog)
Rolling into Avantipura after a lengthy descent through the twisties.
Know this 9th century historic temple in Kashmir
Avantiswami temple symbolises the history of Hindu culture in the region. This centuries-old temple is a well-known tourist site in Jammu & Kashmir.
ART 25 Kashmir Temple A Page from the History
CONDITION OF HINDU TEMPLES IN KASHMIR ,FROM 1986 to 2018 Part-3
I AM DEEPAK ARORA RAJU WORKING FOR ELECTRONIC MEDIA FROM LAST 30 YEARS AND I PRODUCED A LOT OF PROGRAM FOR DIFFERENT CHANNELS . MY FATHER LATE. SH.V.P.ARORA WAS A HEAD OF CINEMATOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT IN DELHI DOORDARSHAN , AS WELL AS HE WAS IN SRINAGAR DD ALSO . AS A KASHMIRI MIGRANT I KNOW THE ROOT PROBLEM OF KASHMIR THROUGH MY CHANNEL I WANT TO BE PART OF SOLVING THE KASHMIR ISSUE . I HOPE YOU WILL LIKE MY PROGRAM AND GIVE ME SUPPORT.
My Channel is to serve Masses to Explore their problems , Help them to find out the Solutions & make able to feel happy by entertain them.
#Kashmir #LIVE_IMAGE #Condition_of_Hindu_Temples_in_Kashmir_from_1986_to_2018 #kashmiri_bhajan #Education_V/S_Kashmir
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Ancient Kashmir And The Martand Temple
Above is an artists drawing of the ancient Martand temple, built over a thousand years ago as an offering to the Sun God Surya. Martand is a name for Surya, the great personality behind the Sun. This “Marta” we find in words such as “mortal” and “mortuary” and which means “death” the “Anda” means “darkness” its name expressing Surya as he sinks below the horizon ushering in the night.
The temple was built upon a hill with a view of the entire valley. Kashmir is well known for its beauty and originally the temple was surrounded by a crystal clear lake. Generations of Kashmiris worshipped Martand upon this alter, the temple was the heart of the Kashmiri civilisation and their spiritual and material prosperity was seen as intimately connected to the worship of this deity.
The pandits of Kashmir also called the temple the “Kaurau Pandau” which was dedicated to the Kauravas and Pandavas of the Mahabharata. Sir Francis Younghusband commented “Martand has a very high place in the worlds great archetectural designs, it is an example of not only the Kashmiri architectural skill but it has the pride of being built at a fine spot which is prettier than the places where the “Taj Mahal” and “St Peters” were built. It gives an insight into the greatness of the people of Kashmir”.
The architect was a great Ksatriya warrior known as King Lalitaditya, a powerful ruler of the Karkota empire which flourished throughout Kasmir for some 400 years, between 625 and 1003 AD. Renown as a great builder he constructed many temples to Lord Siva and Lord Visnu, his yearnings to create a monument of lasting beauty produced a vision, a temple complex of unparalelled excellence and so he began the construction of the great Martand temple in Kashmir.
Kashmirian architecture flourished during his reign. In the words of British architect and scholar, Sir Alexander Cunningham The architectural remains of Kashmir are perhaps the most remarkable of the existing monuments of India. The design also reflected Greek architecture, and is sculpted from blue limestone. The lofty pyramidal roofs, trefoiled doorways and the great width of the intervening columns all show a unique architectural style, quite distinct from rest of the Indian architecture of that period.
The Martand temple is an amazing example of the great craftsmanship of the Kashmiris. The 6 - 8 feet limestone blocks were brought manually to the temple area after being delivered ashore on boats. Bereft of any modern tools and technological know how, the architects built this magnificent structure. The temple was designed in a unique way so that the sunlight would fall upon the Sun God Surya throughout the day and the various wall carvings leading to the temple depict “Visnu” “Gangadevi” and “Yamunadevi”. At present, only the plinth and few pillars survive but the beautiful facade, rich panellings and intricate stone carvings describe the expertise of the craftsmen of a bygone era.
The temple resides in Anantnag, an ancient city of Kashmir which has been inhabited for at least 5000 years. A Sanskrit name, the “Ananta” meaning “endless” “boundless” and the “Naga” meaning “snake” “serpent”, its name is immortalised in the tenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita
“Of the celestial naga snakes i am Ananta, of the aquatic deities i am Varuna, of departed ancestors i am Ayama and amongst dispensors of law i am Yama the Lord of death” Gita 10.29
Throughout the region of Anantnag are names which express the ancient Vedic culture which once flourished “Nagabal” “Maliknag” “Kadipora” “Sarnal Bala” “Janglatmandi” “Khanabal” “Anchidora” “Harnag” “Hutmara” “Ruhu” “Ashajipora”.
Nearby is the famous Sheshnag lake, its name is “Shesha” which means “remains” and “Naga” which means “snake” the meaning is that “Sesa is the celestial snake which “remains after the universe has been annihilated. There is also the famous Amarnath cave, seen as a holy shrine which houses a Siva lingam formed by a stalagmite. One stalagmite represents Lord Siva, another Parvatti and the other is Ganesh. The name “Amarnath” means “the immortal lord” the “Amara” meaning “immortal” and the “Natha” which we see in “Jagganatha” and “Somanath” means “lord” “master”.
The temple resides in Anantnag, an ancient city of Kashmir which has been inhabited for at least 5000 years. A Sanskrit name, the “Ananta” meaning “endless” “boundless” and the “Naga” meaning “snake” “serpent”, its name is immortalised in the tenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita
“Of the celestial naga snakes i am Ananta, of the aquatic deities i am Varuna, of departed ancestors i am Ayama and amongst dispensors of law i am Yama the Lord of death” Gita 10.29
Throughout the region of Anantnag are names which express the ancient Vedic culture which once flourished “Nagabal” “Maliknag” “Kadipora” “Sarnal Bala” “Janglatmandi” “Khanabal” “Anchidora” “Harnag” “Hutmara” “Ruhu” “Ashajipora”.