CHHATTABAL WEIR VIEWS

THE CHHATTABAL WEIR  IN SRINAGAR 

Weir is an English word which literally means a dam across a river to raise the level of water upstream or to regulate the flow of the stream. It also means an enclosure of stakes set in a stream to trap fish.

It was in 2009 that the government decided to restore the year-round water level in the  Jhelum River by renovating the existing old weir near Chattabal. The weir had lost its use and was badly damaged. The  Deodar logs at many places had turned useless over time.

In 2009, I spent almost a full day at the weir and talked to some officials present at the site. I clicked some photographs of the weir and the connected spill channel.

“ Very soon, you shall see a new weir with a modern structure. It shall restore the age-old glory of the  Jhelum River. We intend to maintain and raise the present water level by 10 feet, and the river shall be fit for navigation round the year. The new weir has been designed by our own engineers, and we shall no longer be using Deodar wood but  43 steel trusses across the entire width of the river, which is around 150 meters,” said an official present on the spot.

Not many among us remember that the weir at Chattabal had its golden period. There used to be a Guest House near the weir, and Jawaharlal Nehru had also stayed in that picturesque  Guest House. Even top Russian leaders were entertained with a cup of tea at this Picturesque spot in November  1955  when they visited Kashmir.

Designed by British engineers, the Chattabal weir was constructed during the rule of Maharaja Partap Singh in 1906. The primary aim at that time was to make the Jhelum River fit for navigation by maintaining water level around the year, and also save damage to many wooden bases of houseboats and Doongas parked on Ghaats as the River bed turned dry at many places due to low water level. It was also meant to trap fish around the year in the Jhelum River.

The construction of the Weir at Chhattabal was started in 1906 by its contractor, Mr. Avery. The cost of the contract was ₹116700. Its length is 453ft. The weir was inaugurated by Maharaja Partap Singh in 1916. The Lock Gate of the Weir was capable of passing boats 20ft wide & 150ft long. The weir, when fully closed, used to raise the water level by 7 ft higher the minimum water level of  Vitasta. The weir was also built to maintain a sufficient depth of water in tributary canals of the Vitasta River, like Tsunti Kol, Mar Kol, Kutta Kol, Soner Kol, to facilitate water transport in the city.

Associated with our painful and also  Grand past, the River Vitasta has been a witness to the rule of  many Kings and emperors. It has been privy to many calamities and moments of happiness. Inspite of moments of Joy and misfortune, it has kept its pace and never stopped yearning for a peaceful future.  It has been privy to the march of civilisations that have flourished and vanished. Crowds have walked past its banks for centuries.

Is it a Highway of our existence?

  

Whenever I see Vitasta, I am reminded of a poem, 'Shah-Raah e Hayaat' by Ali Sardar Jafri or 'The Highway of Existence'. I add some lines from this great Poem……

Yeh aadmi ki guzar gaah shah-raah e hayaat

Hazaaron saal ka baar e garaan uthaaye huye

Guzarte waqt ke gardo – gubaar ke neeche

Haseen jism ki taabandagi chhupaaye huye

Guzashtaa daur ki tehzeeb ke manaazil ko

Jawaan maa ki tarah ghod me sulaaye huye

Idhar se guzrein hain changez o naadir o taimur

Lahoo me bheegi huyee mashaalein jalaaye huye

Safeid qaum ke ayaar taajiron ke giroh

Farebo makr se apni dukaan sajaaye huye

Yeh aadmi ki guzar-gaah shaah-raah e hayaat

The old weir served Kashmiris for about 100 years. Will the renovation serve the purpose? 

( Avtar Mota  )

SPRING TIME VISIT TO BARAMULLA KASHMIR

 . According to NEELMAT PURANA , sage Kashyapa drained the water of SATISAR LAKE( reported to be extending from present day Banihal Tunnel to Baramulla ) through Baramulla , whereafter Kashmir surfaced up as a beautiful valley. This town finds mention in Kalhana's Rajtaringini at canto  451 and 452 of Taranga Eight as under

“LAKKAKA the warden of Frontiers managed to reach Varahmula on his march “

“GARGA plundered the troops and the town of Varahmula “

The incidents described by Kalhana under these shlokas took place during the rule of SAHI King SUSSALA . The incidents in particular describe the attack of king SanjaPala on Kashmir . GARGA was commanding the troops of Sanjapala while Lakkaka was the Warden of frontiers during the reign of king Sussala . Kalhana took 2 years to compose RAJTARINGINI . He started in 1148 AD and completed his monumental work in 1150 AD. Sussala ascended the throne on 1113 AD thereby implying that Kalhana is first hand witness to the loot and plunder of Baramullah by troops of Sanjapala . ZULCHU ravaged this town again when he attacked kashmir with his 70000 strong Mongol and Turk troops . His troops looted and plundered entire kashmir for about 8 months after entering the valley through Baramulla in 1320AD .Large scale Death and destruction visited this town again in recent past when advancing Tribal raiders ravaged Baramullah in 1947.

Baramulla is a district Headquarter and is about 55 Kms from srinagar city approached by a beautiful road lined with tall poplars on both sides though a large number of them have been uprooted in the present road widening process. One can have picturesque views of fruit orchards or green paddy fields all along the road from Srinagar to Baramulla.. The old town lies across the river vitasta while a new town and army cantonment has come up on the other side of the river . Tongas continue to be the main local transport even after the establishment of a Rail link with Srinagar city . The mosque cum Dargah of JanBaz Sahib with a Gurdwara near by are impressive monuments on Jhelum Banks in the old town . The Shailputri temple on the opposite bank is presently  maintained by a CRPF unit camping inside it . The temple has suffered cracks due to massive earth quake which rocked the area some years back. The town has a good  sikh population  living in peace and harmony with other communities . .Besides Kashmiri , people also speak Pahari and Gojri in this area. SHEENA , a language of DARDI origin is also spoken in GUREZ and Tilail area of this District. Administratively, Baramulla was  divided into 8 Tehsils VIZ; sopore , Gurez, Pattan , Bandipore, Sonawari, Uri , Tangmarg and Baramulla . lately Bandipore has also come up as a new district.Gurez is a beautiful valley located 86 Kms from Bandipore town on the banks of river KishenGanga . Again Pattan is an old town and remained the capital of Kashmir during the reign of king Shankervarman . Sugandesh Temple ruins lie on the main highway in this town. In fact Bandopore town lies on the banks of Lake Wular and thus called   as   the “port of Wullar” The flow of river Jhelum turns rapid as it passes through hills and gorges in its journey from this town onwards . Enjoy the views and permit me to end this write up with some lines of Poet Dina Nath Naadim:-

Frakvin Phulayaa , Luk Arsaatha
Taaran Peth Peth Katiji Jamaata .
Zangtrei Hunz Grukh
Taafa pholvun
Val Saa Maaleyah
Gobra Tathyah
Dabluss Ponsuss Soruy Duniya
Meiti Guchh Peen Pan( Whistle )
Tot Kya baa Chhukh
 Tresha Chamhuvv.( Dina Nath Naadim )


Abundance of spring Flowers ,
Noise of sparrows on overhead electric wires ,.
A crowd celebrating Zangtrei festival,
Sun shine on all sides,
“Come dear child
Come son come dear
Entire world for a penny “
“ I too want to buy a whistle mother“
“Oh you are running temperature
Let us quench our thirst first .”

PS

These are some lines from A poem Titled From Kathi Darwaza to Residence written by Naadim sahib describing the visit of a poor mother and her son to Badam Vari Festival of Zangtrei.The child is tempted by the shops , birds ,kite sellers while the mother distracts his attention . In this journey covered on foot ,the mother repeatedly puts her hand on the forehead of the child telling him that he is perhaps running fever . She assures the child that soon she shall quench his thirst by a glass of water . The poor mother has no money except for buying KANUL HAK at Navid Kadal enroute. To my readers I would recommend reading of this poem which apparently looks simple but creates emotional turbulence in a sensitive mind when Naadim sahib touches the core issues of Poverty and mother son relation. Our own Shelleys , Keats , Byrons , and Tagores deserve some appreciation at least from the people for whom they wrote. Naadim Sahib’s poems are available from the sale outlets of J&K Academy of Art Culture and Languages in Srinagar ( Maulana Azad Road ) and Jammu ( Canal Road ). I would also like to make a special mention of Sh Rattan lal Shant noted Hindi and kashmiri writer for having done excellent job by translating almost all the major poems of Naadim Sahib in Devanagri in his book Awazon Ke Arth Published in 2002 by J&k Academy of Art Culture and languages . The book is priced Rs65/= and is readily available at these sale outlets of the academy. This is a treat for those who can not read Kashmiri in its Nastliq script.

AWANTISWAMIN TEMPLE RUINS OF KASHMIR

                     

WE VISITED AWANTISWAMIN TEMPLE RUINS IN JUNE 2009 WHEN A GROUP OF TOURISTS FROM GUJRAT WERE ALSO PRESENT IN THE COMPLEX.

" THIS IS A PANDAVA TEMPLE AND FIVE THOUSAND YEARS OLD. PANDAVA BUILT MANY TEMPLES IN KASHMIR . YOU CAN SEE SIMILAR TEMPLES IN MATTAN AND PATTAN "

SAID THE GUIDE TO INQUISITIVE TOURISTS WHO HAD BEEN BROUGHT TO THE TEMPLE RUINS IN A BUS FROM SRINAGAR AND HAD TO PROCEED TO PAHALGHAM..
THIS SPECIFIC ORIGIN OF THE TEMPLE RUINS OF AWANTIPORA WAS NARRATED TO ME NOT ONLY BY THE TEA STALL OWNER ON THE ROAD AT AWANTIPORA BUT ALSO BY SOME OF MY FRIENDS AS WELL .

THERE ARE TWO TEMPLE RUINS IN AWANTIPORA LOCATED WITHIN A DISTANCE OF ABOUT I KM. IN CASE WE ARE GOING FROM SRINAGAR TO JAMMU ,THE FIRST TEMPLE RUIN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD AT AWANTIPORA IS THE AWANTISWAMIN TEMPLE COMPLEX.AWANTIPORA LIES AT DISTANCE OF JUST 30 KMS FROM SRINAGR CITY AND THE RUINS CONTINUE TO BE THE IMPOSING STRUCTURES IN THE TOWN. THE TEMPLE IS A VAISHNAVA TEMPLE BUILT BY KING AWANTIVARMAN (855 - 883 AD ). THE TEMPLE HAS BEEN BUILT ON A TWO TIERED BASE IN THE CENTRE OF A PAVED COURTYARD ENCLOSED BY A COLLONADED PERISTYLE . AFTER SUN TEMLE OF MARTAND PLATEAU IN ANANTNAG DISTRICT , THIS TEMPLE COMPLEX IS THE MOST IMPOSING MONUMENT OF KASHMIR . THE ENTRANCE TO THE TEMPLE IS LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEST WALL AND IS APPROACHED BY A FLIGHT OF STEPS. THE WALLS OF THE ENTRANCE ARE SCUPLTED INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY WITH DESIGNS AND IMAGES OF GODS IN A BEAUTIFYL PATTERN AND STYLE. THE VAIKUNTHA VISHNU IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN LAID IN THE SANCTUM SANCTORUM OF THE CENTRAL TEMPLE WHICH IS COVERED BY A BOUNDARY WALL HAVING BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED STONE PILLARS WITH IMAGES AND RELIEFS DONE IN AN ARTISTIC MANNER .THE LAYOUT OF THIS VAISHNAVA TEMPLE IS SOME WHAT SIMILAR TO THE SUN TEMPLE OF MARTAND PLATEAU. BUDHIST INFLUENCE IN THE ARCHITECTURE AND LAYOUT IS STARKLY VISIBLE .EVEN AFTER 1200 YEARS APPROXIMATELY , SOME OF THE IMAGES SCLUPTED ARE DISTINCTLY VISIBLE EVEN TO THE NAKED EYE.THOUGH THE TEMPLE IS DEDICATED TO VISHNU , IMAGES OF SHIVA CAN ALSO BE SEEN SCLUPTED ON PILLARS AND OTHER STONES IN THE COMPLEX. THE OUTER BOUNDARY WALL OR THE COURTYARD HAS ALSO FOUR SHRINES IN ITS FOUR CORNERS . PILLARS AS TALL AS 12 FEET WITH A DIAMETER OF 3 FEET IN SINGLE PIECE HAVE BEEN USED IN THE OUTER COURTYARD . IN ALL PROBABILITIES STONES FROM ATHWAJAN AREA HAVE BEEN USED IN CONSTRUCTION OF THIS GRAND VAISHNAVA TEMPLE OF KASHMIR . USE OF ELEPHANTS FOR TRANSPORTATION OF STONES IS CONFIRMED BY MANY HISTORIANS .KING AWANTIVARMAN SHIFTED THE CAPITAL OF HIS KINGDOM TO AWANTIPORA . DURING HIS RULE KASHMIR SAW PEACE AND ONE OF HIS ABLEST ENGINEERS NAMED SUYYA , CONSTRUCTED EMBANKMENTS , BARRAGES AND DIVERTED THE COURSE OF THE RIVER VITASTA TO SAVE SRINAGAR CITY AND KASHMIR FROM THE FURY OF RECURRING FLOODS . THE RUINS LIE CLOSE TO DARGAH OF SUFI SAINT SYED MANTAQI.

I ALSO WANTED TO GO TO THE OTHER TEMPLE RUINS NEARBY BUT IT WAS GETTING LATE . WE COULD SEE BIRDS RETURNING AFTER A DAY'S HECTIC SEARCH FOR FOOD SO VITAL FOR EXISTENCE. THE ARMY JAWANS ON THE ROAD WERE PACKING UP AFTER ENSURING THAT THE LAST CONVOY HAS PASSED OFF . MINI BUSES AND TATA SUMO VEHICLES FERRYING BACK EMPLOYEES GENERAL TRAVELLERS FROM OTHER TOWNS TO THE CITY AND VICE VERSA HAD STARTED TO OCCUPY THE SPACE ON THE HIGHWAY.
I ASKED MY DRIVER TO JOIN ME IN A CUP OF TEA AND SITTING ON THE ROADSIDE BENCH OF THE MAKESHIFT TEA STALL ,MY MIND COULD THINK NOTHING EXCEPT THE FOLLOWING LINES OF LATE HARI VANSH RAI BACHAN:

DIN JALDI JALDI DHALTA HAI
YEH SONCH THAKA DIN KA PANCHHI BHI
JALDI JALDI CHALTAA HAI
BACHCHE PRATIYASHA ME HONGE
NEEDON SE JHAANK RAHE HONGE
YEH DHYAAN PARON ME CHIDIYA KE
BHARTAA KITNI CHANCHALTA HA

( HARI VANSH RAI BACHAN)

SO LONG SO MUCH..


( Autar Mota )


About Avantipora temple ruins , Historian  Noted Art  Dr A K Singh writes :
 

“After Lalitaditya, Kashmiri style appears to have changed slightly and in its new get-up it sustained till 10-11th century. This phase is supposed to be the most developed stage of Kashmiri art style when its famespread in the remote Himalayas and before facing decay in Kashmir due to lack of patronage and religious upheavel, it was grafted into Tibet for further flowering. Roerich has designated the Kashmir school of art of the 9th century as Avantipura school as the best examples of Kashmir art are found at Avantipura complex built by King Avantivarman (855-883 A. D.) of Kashmir who was a great lover of fine arts. This new style of Avantivarman's time is an amalgam of various earlier prevalent forms like Gandharan, Greaco-Roman, Sarcarenian, Chinese, Central Asian and over-all Indian. Best representation of this style is found in the good numbers of Kashmiri bronzes dated to 9th to 11th century cast by Kashmiri craftsmen for Tibetan patrons. The style of such bronzes presents a ramarkable affinity to thatof  wall-patintings dating to 10-11th century decorated in the Buddhist temples of Western Tibet. In this connection, Roerich opines that the act of Avantipura school stronglyinfluenced the development of art tradition of Western Tibet in 10-11 century. “

KATHI AND SANGEEN DARWAZA OF HARI PARBAT

Today i have uploaded Hari Parbat fort and two still erect gates one SANGEEN DARWAZA near FIRDOUS cinema and the other being KATHI DARWAZA near the Chhati Padshahi Gurudwara . .Emperor Akbar provided funds for construction of boundary wall aound this hill to settle residents of city inside this fortification known as NAAGAR nagar complex. Later a Fort was constructed by Afghan Governor Atta Mohd Khan ( 1808-1810 )on the top of the hill known as Haari Parbat or Kohe Maraan . Sangeen DARWAZA faces the temple of Sharika on Hari Parbat while the Kathi Darwaza faces the Chhati Padshahi Gurdwara . Anothr gate known as Bachhi Darwaza was totally dilapidated and has been put to extnsive repairs now . This gate faces the shrine of Maqdoom sahib.I have uploaded Sangeen Darwaza , Kathi Darwaza views from inside the Boundry as well as from outside . I have also uploaded a view of the fort taken from Saida kadal. A view from Sharika temple is also uploaded . Having spent my childhood i this area it is difficult for me to erase these views from my memory. Whenever i go to this area i am reminded of a gazal of Faiz Ahmed Faiz . I need to Clarify a little to let you know the context of this GAZAL.

In 1972 , Faiz Ahmed Faiz went to Bangladesh after the Birth of this new country for for the Afro -Asian Writers conference. He felt stranger in Bangla desh though most of the Bangla Deshi writers were his friends and well known to him till 1971. He wrote this Gazal on his return from Dacca . Enjoy the lines. One gets a little similar feeling in Kashmir especially if he is from the group of people who are living away from their mother land at the moment .
Hum Ke Thehre Ajnabi ……………
Ham ke Thehre Ajnabi itane Madaaraaton ke baad
Phir Banenge Aashnaa kitnii Mulaaqaaaton ke Baad
Kab Nazar me aayegi bedaag Sabze Ki Bahaar
Khun Ke Dhabbe Dhulenge Kitanii Barsaaton Ke Baad
(Faiz Ahmed Faiz)
( We continue to remain strangers inspite of this hospitality ,
How many times shall we have to meet to be familiar !
When shall we see spotless green spring in this garden!
How many rains shall wash down the blood spots from this land !)

TONGAS AND REDDAS OF KASHMIR

Dears

I have today uploaded TONGA and REDDA views of Kashmir. Though TONGA is totally exitinct from srinagar city , it continues to be the major source of public transport in villages and towns of kashmir. It is gradually being replaced by Matadors and TATA SUMO vehicles in rural areas but one can finds them in plenty in Baramulla, Pattan , Sopore , Handwara and Kupwara wherefrom the uploaded views have been captured by me during my recent visit to the area. Enjoy them

a k mota