KASHMIR MINT...COINS ISSUED BY HINDU QUEENS OF KASHMIR.

         

KASHMIR MINT...COINS  ISSUED  BY HINDU QUEENS  OF KASHMIR.

(1)

Queen Didda

                                      

             

(bronze and copper coins issued by Queen Didda of Kashmir. Sharda script is distinctly visible in these coins.)

Didda’s (r 958-1003CE) rule represents the peak of women’s power in Kashmir.Didda was the daughter of Simharaja, of the Lohara dynasty (1003 CE – 1320 CE) which ruled some of the hilly principalities south of Poonch in present-day Jammu and Kashmir.

At the age of 26, Didda was married to Kshemagupta who became the ruler after the death of his father in 950 CE. He  was a weak king given to  drinking, gambling and hunting. As a result, the task of ruling the kingdom fell into the hands of his wife, Queen Didda.

Queen Didda was a firm ruler and administered  the kingdom in her own style. She is built many temples in the  memory of her son and her husband. According to Kalhana , she constructed more than  64 temples . A prominent  Shiva temple in Srinagar, called Diddara Math was named after her. The   temple does not exist at present but the locality is still known as Diddamar. 

Aurel Stein writes:-
“The statesmanlike instinct and political ability which we must ascribe to Didda in spite of all the defects of her character, are attested by the fact that she remained to the last in peaceful possession of the Kashmir throne, and was able to bequeath it to her family in undisputed possession.”

Queen Didda never yielded to the bridles of patriarchy and lived a full and fulfilling life, as a liberated and independent woman, as well as a sovereign. She ruled over Kashmir for 22 years and died in 1003CE.

(2)

Queen Sugandha

                               

                                     

(copper and bronze  coins of Queen Sugandha.Sharda script is distinctly visible in these coins )

While going to Baramulla from Srinagar city, one comes across two stone temples in ruined state near Pattan..  Known as Sugandesh and Shankar Gaurisa ,these temples were built by King Shankarvarman of Utpala dynasty of Kashmir.  Sugandha was  married to King  Shankaravarman  . Shankarvarman succeeded his illustrious father, Avantivarman in A.D. 883. 

On Shankaravarman’s untimely death, Sugandha Devi ,his queen displayed great courage by  concealing the fact of his death till she was ready to take on the guardianship of their minor  son, Gopalavarman, and rule the kingdom as a regent.

She proved a powerful ruler who crushed some revolts and many a court intrigues. 

Sugandha’s copper  coinage is an important corroborative evidence of her power and refers to her by the masculine epithet Sri Sugandha Deva. Goddess Lakshmi is seen in most of the coins relating to the rule of Sugandha Rani..

(Avtar Mota)

PST

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 Avantiswamin temple and containing the name of Avantivarman, (855-883 CE) the founder of the temple. 

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NATYASHASTRA AND SHILPSHASTRA IN ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL KASHMIR SCULPTURES.

                                            

SAMABHANGA ,  ABHANGA, DVIBHANGA, TRIBHANGA AND ATIBHANGA  IN ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL KASHMIR SCULPTURES.....

(Photo... Avantipora sculpture)

SAMABHANGA ,  ABHANGA, DVIBHANGA, TRIBHANGA AND ATIBHANGA  IN ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL KASHMIR SCULPTURES.....

(Photo... Avantipora sculpture)

 In the standing posture, many sculptures from  Kashmir depict Samabhanga ( standing posture without bends ) ,Abhanga ( standing with one bend )  and Tribhanga ( standing posture with three bends ) posture. These postures mentioned  in Shilpshastra, Natyashatra and other ancient texts have been seen in many stone and metal images of ancient and medieval Kashmir more particularly in stone images of Avantipora. In Kashmir, stone and metal sculpture art had touched its zenith during the rule of Avantivarman. The ancient and medieval sculptures of Kashmir follow guidelines of the Shilpshastra, Natyashastra and other texts of ancient art.

 In Abhanga ( with single flexion ), the feet of the Devi ( goddess ) or Nartaki ( female dancer ) are shown resting on the ground while one leg is in slight flexion with the hip protruding. The body weight rests on the stretched leg . A few broken sculptures in Atibhanga ( where body is shown with more than three bends ) posture have also been seen in Kashmir. 

Abhanga and Tribhanga  postures convey benevolence , divinity, grace and sensuality. A large number of  ancient and medieval stone or metal sculptures from South India depict the Devi ( goddess ) or the Nartaki ( female dancer ) in Abhanga or  Tribhanga  posture. The bronze Natjraja sculptures of South India depict Shiva in Atibhanga posture.

In the sitting posture, Padamasana ( lotus posture ),Virasana (heroic posture ) , Yogasana ( yoga posture ) , Sattvaparyanka ( noble posture ) ,Sattvasana (  showing attention to others ),Maharajaliasana ( relaxed position ) , Lalitasana ( position of serenity ) and Pralambapsana ( position of deep contemplation ) postures have also been seen in many metal and stone sculptures of Kashmir .

And almost every posture of Buddha as mentioned in sacred texts of Buddhism ,has been sculpted in ancient and medieval Kashmir.

                                                                        

   

(Avtar Mota)

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MAAYA. REMAINS THE GREATEST CHEAT

                                              

MAYA, MAHA THAGNI HUM JANI....

.." Maya Maha Thagni Hum Jaani 

Tirgun Phans Liye Kar Dole 

Bole Madhuri Baani

Kesav Ke Kamla Ve Baithi 

Shiv Ki Bhavan Bhavani

Panda Ke Moorat Ve Baithi

 Tirath Mein Bhai Pani

Yogi Ke Yogin Ve Baithi

 Raja Ke Ghar Rani

Kahu Ke Hira Ve Baithi 

Kahu Ke Kodi Kani

Bhaktan Ke Bhaktin Veh Baithi

 Brahma Ke Brahmani

Kahe Kabir Suno Bhai Sadho

 Yeh Sab Akath Kahani.."

( Kabir)

This is how I understand this Nirguna Bhajan ...

( Maya as I understand,

remains the greatest illusory cheat ;

 With a sweet tongue ,

Spreading her arms 

welcoming all, 

she opens her inescapable trap.

Like a lotus at the feet of Vishnu, the sustainer ,

she sits to demonstrate abundance.

Like a worldly queen,

she sits near Shiva the destroyer.

Near the priest,

she sits like the idol to be worshipped.

And at pilgrimages ,

She appears taking the shape of sacred water.

For a Yogi ,

she appears as spiritual companion.

And for the King's household,

She appears as his queen.

For some she appears as precious diamond ,

And for some a useless penny .

For the worshippers,

She appears as the object of their worship.

For Brahma , the creator of this universe,she manifests herself as his consort.

Says Kabir 

"Listen this untold story ,

 you seekers of truth .)

FOR A GOOD DAY...

(Avtar Mota)

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RAM NIRANJAN NYAARA RE.......KABIR

                                   

                                   

  RAM NIRANJAN  NYAARA RE......KABIR

( The untainted Nirguna Brahman is Unique )

Niranjan is better understood as opposite of Anjan or dusky or dark or tainted. Ram here means the Nirgun Brahman or the untainted reality. According to Adi Sankara , the doyen of Advaita Vedanta, and the proponent of Impersonalism, Brahman is viewed from 3 different epistemic  perspectives :-

(1)An absolute point of view Brahman is free from every conceivable limiting factor .It is beyond human conceptions ,inconceivable and inexpressible and is therefore Nirguṇa.

(2) A practical existential point of view ,as the manifest universe, Brahman appears to embody the qualities of nature - the three primary qualities of nature (prakṛti) are inertia or static energy (tamas), the dynamic or kinetic energy (rajas) and the harmonising or integrating energy (sattva).

(3) A  nescient point of view (adhyasa) ,what we perceive as reality is falsely superimposed onto Brahman the substrata of Being. The classical example used is  the example of the rope and the snake. In a dimly lit place, a coiled up rope appears as a snake and causes the adrenaline reaction of fright and flight. But when a light is shone on the thing it appears as a rope only and the fear and anxiety dissipate giving way to nervous laughter and relief. So the Universe that we are experiencing is likewise a product of our nescience.

According to Ramanuja , Brahman as Nirguṇa is absolutely free from all negative conception, connotations and qualities such as; delusion, ignorance, arrogance, anger, hate, vindictiveness, revenge, maliciousness, wilfulness ,etc. When speaking of Brahman as Saguṇa - he means that Brahman is replete with all positive qualities imaginable - giving examples such as, sarva-bhuta-suhṛt ( the friend of all beings),Parama-udara( the all- bountiful one), Sulabha ( easily accessible to all beings),Daya-sagara ( the ocean of mercy ) ,Vatsalya ( full of tenderness and affection),Saumya(approachable by all beings irrespective of their socio-psycho-physical differences or stages of evolution), karuṇya(  the one with infinite and unlimited and unconditioned compassion), audarya ( the one who is extremely generous to every creature ) and many more. By allowing the urge for devotional worship (Bhakti )  into his doctrine of salvation, he aligned the Hindu religion with the pursuits of philosophy and gave Bhakti an intellectual basis.Ramanuja transformed the practice of ritual action into the practice of divine worship and the way of meditation into a continuous loving and pondering of God’s qualities, both in turn a subservient to Bhakti, the fully realized devotion that brings the devotee close to the  Brahman or supreme reality. Kabir is profoundly influenced by Ramanuja .

So Saguna and Nirguna Brahman are two sides of the same coin. The same thing viewed under different conditions and variables appears with different characteristics. According to Kabir, the merchants of religion have become custodians of Saguna. With greed , they have tainted the name of Saguna Brahman and induced fear . Everything has been polluted by them except the Nirguna Brahman  or the untainted and unblemished reality. Kabir is never against scriptures  .He says :-

"Ved Kitab juthe na Bhai,

Juthe voh jo samjhe nahi.”

,( The  Vedas , the scriptures are not wrong. wrong are the people  who couldn't understand them.)

Kabir had been  one of the many disciples of the Bhakti poet-saint Swami Ramananda in Varanasi, known for devotional Vaishnavism with a strong bent to monist Advaita philosophy teaching that God was inside every person and everything. However , Kabir refuses to surrender to the merchants of Saguna .  Accordingly , fearless  he choses Nirguna path and sings in praise of the  untainted , the one  who according to him, is beyond the reach of the custodians of the religion . In one of his famous Bhajans, Kabir says this:-

" Nirbhaiy Nirgun gun re gaunga re

gaunga Nirbhay Nirgun

Ingala Pingala Sukhman *Nadi-ji

Tirveni Pe Haun Nahaunga"

(Fearlessly I will sing the attributes of the one without attributes,

Ingila, Pingala and Sukhman are the Channels,

I will bathe at the confluence of the three rivers.)

 Coming to the  main Nirguna  Bhajan :

"Ram Niranjan Nyaara Re,

Anjan Sakal Pasaara Re  

Anjan Utapati, Omkar,

Anjan Mange Sab Bistar 

Anjan Brahma Shankar Inder

Anjan Gopi Sangi Govind Re 

Anjan Vani, Anjan Ved,

Anjan Kiya Na Na Bhed 

Anjan Vidya Path Puran, 

Anjan Woh Kat Kat Hi Gyan Re 

Anjan Paati Anjan Dev, 

Anjan Ki Kare Anjan Sev  

Anjan Nache Anjan Gawe,

 Anjan Bhesh Anant Dikhawe Re 

Anjan Kahan Kahan Lag Keta,

Daan Punya Tap Tirath Jeta 

Kahe Kabir Koi Birla Jage,

Anjan Chaadhi Anant Hi Dage Re"

(Kabir)

I understand this Nirguna Bhajan this way....

(Matchless remains my Nirguna  Rama ,

the unblemished/ spotless one ,

The Nirguna Brahman  , the only pure

and untainted in the 

spread of the blemished and tainted  around us.

We polluted the  creation's womb ,

Omkar too , we tainted;

And now this pollution demands expansion in every sphere.

The Brahma ,Shankara, Indira,Govinda and his Gopis,

We blemished  them all.

We polluted the spoken words,

we polluted the listening as well.

This blemished conduct

created too many distinctions .

The knowledge,

the prayers,

the scriptures ,

our questions,

our  reasoning,

everything we polluted.

The green leaves,

the  enlightened beings,

 the  master,

the servant,

the singer,

the dancer,

this tainted now  exists in limitless or infinite shapes and  forms.

There is hardly any place in this world

where this polluted hasn't manifested itself .

In the philanthropy,

In our austerities,

and in our  pilgrimages,

the polluted has become victorious in every field.

Says Kabir ,only some exceptional individual lies awakened ,

Otherwise the blemished has left his imprints everywhere in every creature.)

About Kabir , Gurudev Tagore writes this :-

"Kabir belongs to that small group of supreme mystics— amongst whom St. Augustine, Ruysbroeck, and the Sufi poet Jalalu’ddin Rumi are perhaps the chief—who have achieved that which we might call the synthetic vision of God. These have resolved the perpetual opposition between the personal and impersonal, the transcendent and immanent, static and dynamic aspects of the Divine Nature; between the Absolute of philosophy and the “sure true Friend” of devotional religion. They have done this, not by taking these apparently incompatible concepts one after the other; but by ascending to a height of spiritual intuition at which they are, as Ruysbroeck said, “melted and merged in the Unity,” and perceived as the completing opposites of a perfect Whole."

(Avtar Mota)

PS

*RAM NIRANJAN  NYAARA RE......KABIR

( The untainted Nirguna Brahman is Unique )

Niranjan is better understood as opposite of Anjan or dusky or dark or tainted. Ram here means the Nirgun Brahman or the untainted reality. According to Adi Sankara , the doyen of Advaita Vedanta, and the proponent of Impersonalism, Brahman is viewed from 3 different epistemic  perspectives :-

(1)An absolute point of view Brahman is free from every conceivable limiting factor .It is beyond human conceptions ,inconceivable and inexpressible and is therefore Nirguṇa.

(2) A practical existential point of view ,as the manifest universe, Brahman appears to embody the qualities of nature - the three primary qualities of nature (prakṛti) are inertia or static energy (tamas), the dynamic or kinetic energy (rajas) and the harmonising or integrating energy (sattva).

(3) A  nescient point of view (adhyasa) ,what we perceive as reality is falsely superimposed onto Brahman the substrata of Being. The classical example used is  the example of the rope and the snake. In a dimly lit place, a coiled up rope appears as a snake and causes the adrenaline reaction of fright and flight. But when a light is shone on the thing it appears as a rope only and the fear and anxiety dissipate giving way to nervous laughter and relief. So the Universe that we are experiencing is likewise a product of our nescience.

According to Ramanuja , Brahman as Nirguṇa is absolutely free from all negative conception, connotations and qualities such as; delusion, ignorance, arrogance, anger, hate, vindictiveness, revenge, maliciousness, wilfulness ,etc. When speaking of Brahman as Saguṇa - he means that Brahman is replete with all positive qualities imaginable - giving examples such as, sarva-bhuta-suhṛt ( the friend of all beings),Parama-udara( the all- bountiful one), Sulabha ( easily accessible to all beings),Daya-sagara ( the ocean of mercy ) ,Vatsalya ( full of tenderness and affection),Saumya(approachable by all beings irrespective of their socio-psycho-physical differences or stages of evolution), karuṇya(  the one with infinite and unlimited and unconditioned compassion), audarya ( the one who is extremely generous to every creature ) and many more. By allowing the urge for devotional worship (Bhakti )  into his doctrine of salvation, he aligned the Hindu religion with the pursuits of philosophy and gave Bhakti an intellectual basis.Ramanuja transformed the practice of ritual action into the practice of divine worship and the way of meditation into a continuous loving and pondering of God’s qualities, both in turn a subservient to Bhakti, the fully realized devotion that brings the devotee close to the  Brahman or supreme reality. Kabir is profoundly influenced by Ramanuja .

So Saguna and Nirguna Brahman are two sides of the same coin. The same thing viewed under different conditions and variables appears with different characteristics. According to Kabir, the merchants of religion have become custodians of Saguna. With greed , they have tainted the name of Saguna Brahman and induced fear . Everything has been polluted by them except the Nirguna Brahman  or the untainted and unblemished reality. Kabir is never against scriptures  .He says :-

"Ved Kitab juthe na Bhai,

Juthe voh jo samjhe nahi.”

,( The  Vedas , the scriptures are not wrong. wrong are the people  who couldn't understand them.)

Kabir had been  one of the many disciples of the Bhakti poet-saint Swami Ramananda in Varanasi, known for devotional Vaishnavism with a strong bent to monist Advaita philosophy teaching that God was inside every person and everything. However , Kabir refuses to surrender to the merchants of Saguna .  Accordingly , fearless  he choses Nirguna path and sings in praise of the  untainted , the one  who according to him, is beyond the reach of the custodians of the religion . In one of his famous Bhajans, Kabir says this:-

" Nirbhaiy Nirgun gun re gaunga re

gaunga Nirbhay Nirgun

Ingala Pingala Sukhman *Nadi-ji

Tirveni Pe Haun Nahaunga"

(Fearlessly I will sing the attributes of the one without attributes,

Ingila, Pingala and Sukhman are the Channels,

I will bathe at the confluence of the three rivers.)

 Coming to the  main Nirguna  Bhajan :

"Ram Niranjan Nyaara Re,

Anjan Sakal Pasaara Re  

Anjan Utapati, Omkar,

Anjan Mange Sab Bistar 

Anjan Brahma Shankar Inder

Anjan Gopi Sangi Govind Re 

Anjan Vani, Anjan Ved,

Anjan Kiya Na Na Bhed 

Anjan Vidya Path Puran, 

Anjan Woh Kat Kat Hi Gyan Re 

Anjan Paati Anjan Dev, 

Anjan Ki Kare Anjan Sev  

Anjan Nache Anjan Gawe,

 Anjan Bhesh Anant Dikhawe Re 

Anjan Kahan Kahan Lag Keta,

Daan Punya Tap Tirath Jeta 

Kahe Kabir Koi Birla Jage,

Anjan Chaadhi Anant Hi Dage Re"

(Kabir)

I understand this Nirguna Bhajan this way....

(Matchless remains my Nirguna  Rama ,

the unblemished/ spotless one ,

The Nirguna Brahman  , the only  pure

and untainted in the spread  of the tainted and the  blemished  around us.

We polluted the  creation's womb ,

Omkar too , we tainted;

And now this pollution demands expansion in every sphere.

The Brahma ,Shankara, Indira,Govinda and his Gopis,

We blemished  them all.

We polluted the spoken words,

we polluted the listening as well.

This blemished conduct

created too many distinctions .

The knowledge,

the prayers,

the scriptures ,

our questions,

our  reasoning,

everything we polluted.

The green leaves,

the  enlightened beings,

 the  master,

the servant,

the singer,

the dancer,

this tainted now  exists in limitless or infinite shapes and  forms.

There is hardly any place in this world

where this polluted hasn't manifested itself .

In the philanthropy,

In our austerities,

and in our  pilgrimages,

the polluted has become victorious in every field.

Says Kabir ,only some exceptional individual lies awakened ,

Otherwise the blemished has left his imprints everywhere in every creature.)

About Kabir , Gurudev Tagore writes this :-

"Kabir belongs to that small group of supreme mystics— amongst whom St. Augustine, Ruysbroeck, and the Sufi poet Jalalu’ddin Rumi are perhaps the chief—who have achieved that which we might call the synthetic vision of God. These have resolved the perpetual opposition between the personal and impersonal, the transcendent and immanent, static and dynamic aspects of the Divine Nature; between the Absolute of philosophy and the “sure true Friend” of devotional religion. They have done this, not by taking these apparently incompatible concepts one after the other; but by ascending to a height of spiritual intuition at which they are, as Ruysbroeck said, “melted and merged in the Unity,” and perceived as the completing opposites of a perfect Whole."

(Avtar Mota)

PS

The three principal nadis run from the base of the spine to the head, and are the ida on the left, the sushumna in the centre, and the pingala on the right. Ultimately the goal is to unblock these nadis to bring liberation.Sushumna nadi is also called Brahmanadi, or the channel of the Absolute (Brahman). Some refer to it as the saraswati (wisdom) or shanti (peace) nadi. Kabir calls them three rivers or channels for the spiritual bath .

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BODHISATTVAS WITH MOUSTACHES..

                                            

                        ( Gandhara Sculpture)

  ( Buddha in Gandhara sculpture )

             ( Gandhara sculpture)

( Buddha meets a Brahmin )

       ( A Gandhara Bodhisattva) 

 ( A Gandhara  Buddha in Metropolitan Museum of Art New York. Greek influence is starkly visible) 

     ( A Gandhara Bodhisattva )

  ( A Kushana King  . Gandhara sculpture)

BODHISATTVAS  WITH  MOUSTACHES..

I have seen many Gandhara sculptures in museums wherein Bodhisattvas are shown with moustaches making them look like normal human beings .Many ancient Greek ,Roman and Bactrian sculptures have also beards and moustaches . 

The Gandhara School of art  developed in first century AD along with Mathura School during reign of Kushana emperor Kanishka. The Kushanas were patrons of Gandhara School.Possibly   Kushanas were first to sculpt  the Buddha in human form.The Gandhara region had long been at crossroads of cultural influences of East and West.

Between the first and fifth centuries of our time, Gandhara art flourished in the area that is northwest Pakistan today. 

Well-known cities of the Gandhara include Takshasila (Taxila), Purushapura (Peshawar) and Pushkalavati (Mardan), where remains have been discovered and continue to be found to this day.

Gandhara witnessed the rule of several major powers of antiquity .It was ruled by Persian Achaemenid Empire (c. 600-400 BCE), Greeks of Macedon (c. 326-324 BCE), Mauryas of Northern India (c. 324-185 BCE), Indo-Greeks of Bactria (c. 250-190 BCE), Scythians of Eastern Europe (c. 2nd century to 1st century BCE),Parthian Empire (c. 1st century BCE to 1st century CE), Kushans of Central Asia (c. 1st to 5th century CE), White Huns of Central Asia (c. 5th century CE), Hindu Shahi of Northern India (c. 9th to 10th century CE). This was followed by Muslim conquests by which time we come to the medieval period of Indian history.

I believe that the Gandhara sculptures are also highly influenced by Greek  and Bactrian style. The moustaches could be Greco-Bactrian influence. Any other opinion is welcome.

( Avtar Mota)

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IT IS PERCEPTION ONLY.

                                  

PERCEPTION.....

  Avtar Mota feels like this:-

"When we move  with other people,we can see loving human beings or indifference  around us . We can see repulsive individuals  or  fragrant minds  and sympathetic individuals   by our side  . Our own perception is what matters and what we look at may not be the reality. I have often felt that the moment we change the  perception, reality also changes for us  . Does it mean that the real trouble lies in our own  perception or I should say inadequacy of perception  ?Our own perception creates  our reality . Most often, we don't see things as they are  , we see them according to our own perception or I should say as we are. And our own perception keeps us  away from the truth ."

(Avtar Mota)

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'UNAFRAID ,I SHALL SING THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE FORMLESS' KABIR

                                            

NIRBHAY NIRGUN GUN RE GAAONGA..

"Nirbhay nirgun gun re gaaunga

mool kamal dradh aasan bandhu-ji

ulti pavan chaddaaunga

man mamta ko thir kar laaun-ji

paancho tat milaaunga

ingala pingala sukhman naadi-ji

tirveni pe nahaaunga

paanch pachhison pakad mangaaun-ji

ek hi dor lagaaunga

shoonya shikhar par anhad baaje-ji

raag chattis sunaaunga

kahat kabir suno bhaai saadho-ji

jeet nishaan ghuraaunga"

This is how I understand this Nirguna Bhajan:

( I will,

Surely I will sing ,

I will sing unafraid 

the attributes of the formless supreme being.

Binding this body at the lotus base ,

I shall make my breath go higher and higher.

Calming my feelings and my mind,

I shall unite the five elements .

The right channel,

the left channel

and the middle channel through

which the  prana of the physical body, the subtle body and the causal body flow, 

I shall take a dip at their confluence

I shall catch the five and the twenty five

and put them in one thread.

At the summit of emptiness,

the spot where the unstruck sound resonates,

I shall sing all the thirty six Ragas.

Kabir says 

" Listen you , the seekers of the truth ,this way alone,

I shall arrive at the winning post ) 

(Avtar Mota)

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THE GHORRA GALLI STONE SCULPTURES

                                               

                                            

THE GHORRA GALLI SCULPTURES AND THEIR POSSIBLE GANDHARAN CONNECTION

 The stone horsemen of Ghorra Galli in the Pir Panjal raise fascinating questions about the artistic and cultural connections that may once have linked the Jammu hills with the northwestern regions of the Indian subcontinent. Their appearance invites comparison with ancient warriors depicted in Gandharan art, where Greek, Roman, Iranian and Indian artistic traditions interacted over several centuries. Such comparisons are worth investigating, although resemblance alone cannot establish the date, origin or identity of the sculptors.

 Ghorra Galli, situated along the Gool and Sangaldhan road, preserves a remarkable group of stone sculptures depicting men riding horses. Spread across a forested tract, these figures are unusual in their scale, arrangement and artistic character. Some are intact, while others lie broken or partially buried. Their appearance raises questions about the historical communities that created them, the routes they travelled, and the artistic influences that reached the mountain valleys of Jammu and Kashmir. Comparable sculptures have also been reported at Gadi Nalla and Sildhar in the Reasi region. Their wider distribution suggests that these are not isolated objects but part of a significant, yet insufficiently understood, cultural landscape.

The most intriguing feature of the Ghorra Galli figures is their resemblance to warriors in ancient Gandharan art. The horsemen appear to possess a distinctive military character. Their postures, clothing and general appearance invite comparison with figures depicted in ancient reliefs associated with Greek, Central Asian and northwestern Indian traditions. The comparison is particularly interesting because Gandharan art developed through encounters between Hellenistic and indigenous artistic traditions. Under successive Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian, Indo-Parthian, Indo-Parthian and Kushan rulers, the northwestern region became a meeting ground for different artistic vocabularies.

 The connection becomes more compelling when we consider ancient terracotta art and sculptured tiles. Archaeological discoveries at Semthan in south Kashmir have yielded terracotta figurines displaying Hellenistic characteristics. These include representations of figures wearing garments associated with the Greek world. Kashmir's terracotta tradition also includes decorated tiles from sites such as Harwan. Such material shows that artistic ideas from beyond the northwestern frontier reached Kashmir and were adapted into local traditions.

                                                                                     

 (A terracotta tile from ancient Gandhara showing an Indo-Greek warrior on a horse ....Photo  courtesy...https://www.etsy.com/fr/listing/1501366622/)

 

These examples provide useful comparative material for studying the Ghorra Galli horsemen. The treatment of human figures, military attire, bodily proportions and the representation of movement may help specialists establish whether the similarities are merely visual or point towards a wider artistic relationship. A systematic comparison with Gandharan reliefs, terracotta figures and ancient sculptured tiles could yield valuable insights into the history of these sculptures.

                                                                           

                                                  ( Warrior sculptures at Ramban; Photo: Robin Koul )

Such comparisons, however, must be approached carefully. Gandharan art flourished over several centuries, and its artistic influence extended beyond the region in which it originated. The presence of Hellenistic features in Kashmir is evidence of cultural contact, but it does not establish that every sculpture resembling a foreign warrior belongs to the Indo-Greek period. The dating of the Ghorra Galli horsemen remains a subject requiring further investigation. Their possible Central Asian connections and the alternative hypothesis of a medieval Himalayan origin both deserve examination against archaeological evidence.

 The natural springs and stone baolis at Ghorra Galli add another dimension to the investigation. The association between horsemen, water sources and mountain passes may indicate that these places served as important stopping points along routes used by travellers, traders, herders or military groups. The ancient tracks connecting Kashmir with the Jammu hills and the wider northwestern region deserve systematic investigation. Whether these particular sculptures marked routes, commemorated individuals or served another purpose cannot yet be established conclusively.

 Local tradition attributes the sculptures to the Pandavas during their exile. This belief forms part of the cultural memory of the region, but archaeological evidence is needed to determine their actual date and purpose. They should neither be assigned an epic antiquity without evidence nor dismissed because their appearance suggests foreign influences.

 What is urgently required is a comprehensive survey, photographic and three-dimensional documentation, stylistic comparison, archaeological excavation under appropriate supervision and scientific examination of the site. The relationship between the horsemen, the baolis and the surrounding landscape must be studied together. Comparisons with Gandharan warrior reliefs and Kashmiri terracotta tiles should form part of this work.

 The Ghorra Galli sculptures are a neglected chapter in the art history of Jammu and Kashmir. Their possible connections with Gandhara, Central Asia and the medieval Himalayan world make them worthy of serious scholarly attention. Their protection cannot wait for every historical question to be settled. Broken sculptures, blocked springs and the reported disappearance of individual pieces demand immediate attention from the authorities responsible for archaeological heritage.

 The mystery of Ghorra Galli deserves research, not speculation alone, and protection, not neglect.

 

(Avtar Mota)               

CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.

MY MINI POEM JANUARY19,1990..

                                              

A mini poem January 19, 1990..

Just wrote today.. intensely  painful memories. 

"Aasmaan ke sabhi Jo taare thay

Toot kar gir gaye hain galiyon mein

Ab kahaan roshini nazar hogi

Ab kahaan zindagi basar hogi

Vo Jo sadiyon ke kuchh sahaare thay

Aaj Munh mod Kar guzarte hain

Koyi bandook le nikaab taley

Kar raha intezar aangan mein

Baat sachi karein to darte Hain"

(Avtar Mota)

CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.

SNOWFALL IN KASHMIR JAUARY 2021.

                

Snowfall in Kashmir .. January 2021..

                              

                     ( The frozen Dal Lake)

           ( Jogilanker bridge, Rainawari)

                      ( Shankracharya Temple)

                              ( Gulmarg)

                        ( Dal lake)

                     ( Hazratbal Dargaah)

                     ( Dal lake)

                             ( Nishat Garden)

              ( Chhatti Padshahi Gurudwara)

        ( Prayag or Shadipora Chinar tree)

                                          

                                           

             ( Saffron fields of Pampore)

                                            

Thanks to friends and groups in Facebook who shared these photographs.

( Avtar Mota)

CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.