Roots and Reflections - Exploring Ideas, Experiences and Wisdom

Tilakacharya: A Buddhist Adviser to Budshah Tilakacharya holds a distinctive, though sparsely recorded, place in the historical narrative of the Kashmir Sultanate. Early accounts describe him as a Bauddha Acharya, or a Parmukh, who rose to become an influential adviser to Sultan Ghiyas-ud-Din Zain-ul-Abidin, the illustrious ruler of Kashmir from 1420 to 1470, affectionately revered by his people as Budshah, meaning the Great King. The Buddhist Parmukhs of Central Asia To comprehend the reasons behind the appointment of Buddhist Parmukhs by certain Muslim sovereigns, it is essential to examine the historical connections with Central Asia. Derived from the Sanskrit term Pramukha, signifying a leader or chief, the designation Parmukh was associated with the hereditary custodians of the renowned Nava Vihara monastery at Balkh, several of whom traced their origins to Kashmir. These distinguished intellectuals possessed exceptional linguistic abilities, mastering Sanskrit, Bactrian, Tibetan,...

Background and location:          (Temple in dilapidated condition) The Shivalaya/Shiv Temple is situated in the Gundi Jaffar area of Vessu near Sadoora Railway station, Anantnag. It is a historical shrine of Kashmiri Hindus known for its strange structure and shape of Shiva Lingum. This temple was constructed in 1970 on land donated by Amar Nath Pandit, a resident of the village. The sacred Dhara-linga, or Shiva-linga, was discovered by Pandit Lassa Koul of Gundi Jaffar, who was working in the Forest Department. He found it beneath a tree in a dense forest near Lamber in Devsar, Kulgam district. Lamber is also known in official records as Brinial Lamar or Lammer and is situated in the Kund area of Kulgam. After its discovery, the ancient Shiva-linga was first brought to Vasuk Nag at Kund. It was later shifted to the present temple at Gundi Jaffar. According to eyewitnesses, the sacred stone was transported by truck to its present location. The newly constructed...

               (Shiv Mandir, Qazigund )          (Entrance Door of the shiv Temple)  Introduction :  I first visited this sacred Shiv Temple at Qazigund with one of our neighbours, Sh. K. N. Bhat, who resides in a rented accommodation in a building where we are temporarily putting up. He originally hails from Tarigam village in Qazigund. I visited this temple on several occasions along with his family during summers. From Bhat Sahab, I got to know about this temple and he told me in deep detail about the temple's religious, cultural and spiritual significance with regard to KP community. There is also a KP shopkeeper, Sh. Inderjeet Tickoo, who resides near this shiv temple and many a times he used to accompany me to this sacred and pious place and seeks blessings from Lord Shiva.  Located in the historical town of Qazigund, at the foothills of the majestic Pir Panjal mountain range, stands the ancient Sanata...

          (Portrait of Ghani Kashmiri Poet) Introduction: This illustrious seventeenth-century poet flourished during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb and continues to command an eminent position in the illustrious annals of Persian literature. A towering literary figure from Kashmir, he left an indelible imprint on the evolution of Persian and Urdu poetry in the Indian subcontinent. Renowned as an accomplished exponent of Sabk-e-Hindi, or the Indian Style of Persian poetry, which received considerable patronage under the Mughal emperors, his poetic genius transcended geographical and linguistic boundaries. Such was his literary eminence that Mirza Ghalib translated more than forty of his couplets into Urdu, an enduring testimony to the profound admiration he inspired among subsequent generations of poets. The celebrated Kashmiri poet Ghulam Ahmad Mahjoor also pays homage to this remarkable literary luminary in his renowned poem, ‘Arise, O Gardener!’ You know ther...

Lalitaditya Muktapida: A Glorious Epoch in Kashmir’s History Lalitaditya Muktapida (C. 724-760 CE) takes a special place in the history of Kashmir. This great ruler of the Karkota dynasty deserves his place in history for his military genius, ability to rule, patronage of the arts and architecture, and his contribution to the cultural history of ancient Kashmir. The reign of Muktapida is considered to be one of the most brilliant epochs in the history of Kashmir when the region flourished as a political, cultural and religious center. Kalhana, the famous 12th-century Kashmiri historian and author of Rajatarangini, describes Lalitaditya as a great conqueror whose ambitions knew no bounds. According to Kalhana, the king’s military campaigns knew no limits and took him beyond the borders of modern-day Kashmir. Lalitaditya faced the ruler of Kannauj, King Yashovarman, and defeated him before undertaking new campaigns in the east and south of the subcontinent. However, the great king’s fame...

       (Photo of Late Shri. Jagernath Koul) Lt. Shri Jagernath Koul: A Life Rooted in Service and Shiv Bhakti                                      Lt. Shri Jager Nath Koul is son of Late Gasha Lal Koul a respectable Kashmiri Pandit of 20th century. He was born on First April 1916 at Village Bugam  then Tehsil Kulgam District Anantnag now Tehsil Kulam, District Kulgam. Lt. Jagernath Koul is remembered as a person who combined the dignity of government service with the simplicity, humility, and spiritual inclination of a saintly  human being. His life represented  an older Kashmiri ethos in which public service was not merely  a profession but a  responsivity towards society. Born and brought up in Bugam, Kulgam, Jagernath  belonged to  a generation  that valued simplicity, honesty, punctuality, dedication to service, learning and...