Kashmir: Muslims greet Hindus on Kheer Bhawani festival

By AIP Bureau

Srinagar: Thousands of Kashmiri Hindus from across the country Saturday thronged the Kheer Bhawani temple in north Kashmir’s Ganderbal district for an annual festival. Local Muslims greeted them with sweets as part of a centuries’ old practice in the state where the two religions have traditionally lived in harmony.

The temple in Tullamulla village, about 25 km from here, is dedicated to Ragnya Devi, one of the many incarnations of Goddess Durga.

Muslims lined up outside the temple Saturday with ‘kheer’ (a sweet dish made of milk) in earthen pots for their Hindu brethren.


Legend has it that Lord Rama worshipped Ragnya during his entire 14-year exile. When this ended, Lord Rama asked Hanuman to relocate the shrine of the goddess. Hanuman relocated it to Shadipora in Kashmir. But the deity appeared in a local priest’s dream asking him to relocate the shrine at its present location.

Devotees of all ages throng the shrine each year and engage in prayers and meditation to seek the blessings of the deity.

The spring water inside the temple complex bears special significance as it is believed that the colour of water on the festival day foretells the year’s future for the state.

‘The colour of the spring water is milky white which foretells a prosperous year for the state,’ said Radhakrishan Bhan, 56, who came here all the way from Pune.

http://twocircles.net/2010jun19/kashmir_muslims_greet_hindus_kheer_bhawani_festival.html

I am currently reading a book called 'Subhashitavali: An anthology of comic, erotic, and other verse'; it is an anthology of verses collected by a Kashmiri scholar Vallabhadeva in circa 15th century A.D.. The book i have is an english translation of the original Sanskrit by A.N.D. Haksar.Verse 425, pg 124 of Haksar's book has the following verse:


"Why serve Krishna
who churned and hurt me,
and sleeps all day
upon my waves?
Better wait on someone
who understands, is kindly
and always wide awake."


Thinking thus, and cognizant
of your fame, O King,
the sea of milk has here arrived
in the guise of snow to serve you.


On pg x of the introduction to his book, Haksar tells us that the reference to the 'King' in the verse is Sultan Zainu'l Abidin. In Haksar's own words:

"The subject of one (v. 425) is clearly Sultan Zainu'l Abidin (1420-1470), a famous ruler of Kashmir who is known to have patronized Sanskrit letters."

The dates given for the king by Haksar are the years during which he ruled i.e. the years during which he was king of Greater Kashmir.

I vaguely remembered hearing or reading of some Kashmiri muslim king who was very liberal in his religious outlook and who was an atavistic version of Akbar; it was clearly Zainu'l Abidin. I tried searching for biographical information on this king online, and this is what i found:

Zain-ul-Abidin’s accession to the Kashmir throne ushered in an era of peace, religious tolerance, justice, material progress, prosperity and glory of the valley. He has truly been called Budshah for his benevolence. He is chiefly being remembered for the following:

1. Recall of the Hindus: For bringing order in the country, he wanted the old class of officials, the Pundits, back with guarantee of full civil and religious liberties. Providence also helped. He fell seriously ill. He was cured by the famous physician Shri Bhat. The king wanted to give him a valuable gift. Shri Bhar refused to take anything for himself. Instead he wanted the king to remove all restrictions on Pundits imposed by Sikandar including poll tax (Jazia). The king at once granted him the request. He took the following steps:

a) Pundits could perform their religious functions freely.
b) Made Shri Bhat his prime minister.
c) All persecutionary laws made by Sikandar were withdrawn.
d) Thos who had migrated, were invited back and most of them did come.
e) People were permitted to build new temples, some old ones were repaired.
f) The king built two temples near Ishbur with land grants.
g) Poill tax (Jazia) was abolished.
h) Killing of cows was banned.
i) During Hindu festivals, the king himself abstained from eating meat.
j) Killing of fish in springs sacred to Hindus was forbidden.
k) He would take part in Hindu festivals and go on pilgrimage to Hindu Tirthas including once to the holy Sharada Temple.

2. a) He built numerous houses for widows of Brahmins killed in the reigns of Sikandar and Ali Shah.
b) He got Hindu Shastras including Mahabharata translated into Persian.
c) He entrusted administration to Pundits, encouraged them to learn Persian before it became the official language. Shri Bhat, Tilakacharya, Shiva Bhatt, Simha Bhatt, Bodhi Bhatt and Shri Ramanand were some of the learned men and prominent administrators.

3. Development of Arts & Crafts: Zain-ul-Abidin recognised the ability and zeal of Kashmiris
to learn certain arts and crafts, which he had learnt while at Samarqand. He introduced: a) Carpet Making. b) Papier Machie. c) Wood Carving. d) Silj Weaving. e) Paper Making. f) Stone Cutting & Poilishing etc. g) Window Cutting. h) Gold Beating. He invited competent teachers and craftsmen to train his subjects endowed with talent and natural aptitude. Soon these products acquired great fame in Asia and Europe. Pt. Anand Kaul says, “Zain-ul-Abidin turned Kashmir into a garden of industry.” Most of these are the bedrock of Kashmir economy even today.


4. Public Works: Zain-ul-Abidin built many towns and villages. He built several canals, many of them have been repaired or reconstructed and are under use. Bijbehara, Mansbal, Zainagir, Shahkul at Bawan are some of them revived for use. His engineer Damra Kach paved a road with stones. He also made Zaina Kadal, the first wooden bridge in Kashmir. The Sultan introduced wooden architecture. His 12 storeyed Zoona Dab is well known. (Also refer Pages 6,7,8 of Information Digest Vol.1)
In short Zain-ul-Abidin reversed the policy of his father Sikandar Butshikan, re-established a regime of religious tolerance, introduced measures to generate employment, improved irrigation and the economy of his State. And therefore called Budshah.

http://rashmun.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/09/sultan-zain-ul-abidin-of-kashmir-an-atavistic-akbar-2.htm

What happened to Jammu?

The origin of Amarnath Yatra dates back to the year 1850 A.D, when a Muslim shepherd from Batakot, named Buta Malik first discovered the cave in which lay enshrined the naturally formed Shivling (a Shivaite Fertility Symbol) made of ice. According to tale, Buta Malik was given a sack of coal by a Sadhu. Upon reaching his home he discovered that the sack, in fact, contained gold. Overjoyed and overcome, Buta Malik rushed back to look for the Sadhu and thank him, but on the spot of their meeting discovered the cave and eventually this became a place of pilgrimage for all believers.

So pleased was the Dogra king Maharaja Gulab Singh by this discovery that he decreed that a representative of the Malik family would always be present at the holy shrine, alongwith the Mahant (Hindu priest) and Pundits of Ganeshpora, during the period of the pilgrimage each year. Also the family of the muslim shepherd was granted a large estate near Pahalgam and exempted from paying land revenue to the state. Further one third of all the offerings made at the shrine each year are to be given to the Malik family as reward.

http://www.visit-himalaya.com/himalayan-pilgrimage/amarnath-yatra.html

Katra, Feb 4 (ANI): Muslim porters at the revered cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi in Kashmir have been earning the gratitude of Hindu devotees for many years.

Carrying luggage and children on their shoulder, porters popularly known as 'pitthu', say their work is one form of worship when they trek with the pilgrims along a eleven-kilometer hilly tract to the Vaishno Devi Temple.

"We offer namaz first and then go about our business. We carry the baggage of the pilgrims and they pay us something more than our fees," said Shamas Din, a Muslim porter.

The Hindu pilgrims said religious boundaries disappear when the porters enthusiastically chant hymns along with them on way to the shrine.

"We realise that being Muslim they are very cooperating. They have equal reverence for the goddess and they also chant hymns with us. It doesn't seem that there is any religious disparity among us," said Dinesh Baba, a Hindu pilgrim.

Perched atop Trikuta hills at a height of 1,700 meters above sea level, Vaishno Devi shrine is held in high esteem by Hindus all over the country.

It attracts more than three million pilgrims every year, particularly during summers, and is the main source of livelihood for thousands of residents. By Tahir Nadeem Khan (ANI)

http://news.oneindia.in/2009/02/05/pilgrims-to-vaishno-devi-shrine-helped-by-muslim-porters-.html

Note to self: Kashmir, Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, TN, AP, Orissa, and UP have now been covered.

note to self: do not laugh out loud during work hours with the door open

Propagandhi711 wrote:note to self: do not laugh out loud during work hours with the door open

Ditto.

Kayalvizhi wrote:With all the synthesis going on, if you hold a vote in Kashmir, overwhelminbg Karmiris would vote to get out of Hindian ruled India.

The word is not Hindian; it is Hindustani.