Tuesday, September 29, 2009

MARTAND CANAL OF KASHMIR












































MARTAND CANAL




I have already conveyed much about river lidder flowing through Pahalgham valley or popularly known as Valley of Shephards .I have also posted much about SUN TEMPLE on MARTAND Plateau ( Karewa )built by King Lalitaditya of kashmir . 

While driving to Pahalgham by road , one notices a small barrage just 6 Kms after The Ziyarat of AISHMUQAM near village Ganeshpora . Water from Lidder is diverted to a canal here only. 

 Irrigated by Martand canal ,  the oldest canal in Kashmir,  the  Martand Karewa ( Plateau ) in south Kashmir produces , Vegetables , Paddy , Flowers and fruits , Almonds and Walnuts .  This canal moves through Village Aishmuqam , Silligam , salia and Seer and goes up the adjoining hills to irrigate the entire Khoveripora and Dachhinipora area around Mattan or MARTAND. In a way entire Martand plateau is irrigated by this canal only. The canal is reported to have been built during the rule of King Lalitaditya of Kashmir .

Trusting the irrigation potential of the canal and the open sunshine of the karewa , Budshah encouraged people on this plateau to raise sugarcane crop something unheard in Kashmir  .  As per Historian Shrivara ,  the wise king made a daring attempt to produce sugar in Kashmir  for the first time. The crop proved economically unviable and the idea had to be shelved .
He also imported many fruit grafts from central Asia and got them planted on this Plateau. Rice , Vegetables , Fruits and and Oats are produced from this Plateau as a result of this canal . As a result of this well laid out irrigation system on this arid Plateau , Sikh rulers of Kashmir settled sikhs from Frontier area in Ranbirpora and Chathi Singh Pora on this Plateau. .So did Afghans settle some Pathan families in Village Wantrag on this plateau. These Pathans still speak PUSHTO (their mother tongue) apart from Kashmiri . During my posting at Mattan , i had given loans to some Pathan families and they proved quite good in repayments .Both these communities continue to live in this area and are engaged in fruit growing and rice cultivation .This gravity based canal irrrigates about 9.5 thousand Hectares of land around Martand plateau.lately govt of J&K has planned to irrigate more areas of Ananatnag district through Upgradation of this canal at an estimated cost of 200 crores . The lift irrigation schemes of Brah , Hapatnaar , Ainoo and Vailnagbal are a part of this project.

Enjoy the views of MARTAND CANAL as it moves from Ganeshpora and Aishmuqam Ziyarat area .
Aadunuk Badaam Hue,
Dal Bathis Peuth Shaam Hue,
Gaam Peuth Yechkaali Vothumut Treil Heith Zun Maam Hue,
Assi wattan Rut Gaakm Hue.
( Dina Nath Naadim )

Like the fresh Almond fruit of the season ,
Like an evening on the banks of Dal lake ,
Like the maternal uncle , after long time ,bringing Treil fruit
from his village Orchard ,
Our country is like a beautiful Village .
( Autar Mota  )
( Treil is Small late Autumn fruit resembling an Apple. It is juicy and tastes like an apple. )

2 comments:

  1. Dear Autar jee,
    Thanks for the post. This canal is also known as shah kowl. I had some of relatives living on the banks of this canal in a village called lowktpora. I have spent many evenings on the banks of this canal eating roasted corn and walnuts and diving and swimming in the canal. from lowktpora we would walk to aishmukam. Once i remember i went along with my relatives to aishmukam ziarat. In the cave apart from us and the moulvi there was a young muslim couple recently married. All of us sat together in the ziarat and the moulvi started praying. At the end of his short prayer he started beseeching god for prosperity and well being of 'kuli duniyah ken musalmanan". Upon hearing this my relative got angry and he shouted at the moulvi telling him " batta gachana ghar chone". The moulvi immediately corrected himself and started praying for " kuli duniyah ken battan te musalmanan". very interesting.

    ReplyDelete

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