SOME SACRED MOUNTAIN PEAKS OF KASHMIR

                                   

( Photos..Top... The Gangbal Lake below Harmukh.. Below ..The twin peaks of Harmukh ) 

SOME SACRED MOUNTAIN  PEAKS OF KASHMIR 

Harmukh Peak above the Gangbal Lake has always been considered the abode of Shiva in Kashmir and a sacred mountain by Kashmiri Pandits . It is also known as 'Kailash of Kashmir'. According to the legend, the "Hurmukhuk Gosoni ", a hermit tried to reach the summit of Harmukh to see Shiva face to face. I quote from page 25 Volume I English translation of  the Nilmata Purana by erudite Sanskrit scholar Dr Ved Kumari Ghai:-

"Harmukuta or Harmunda is identified with Harmukh Peaks to the North of Kashmir . About 17000 feet in height , these peaks are surrounded by massive glaciers . The lake Uttarmanasa( Gangbal )  which is believed to be the source of Kashmiri Ganga , lies at the foot of the north- eastern glaciers of Harmukuta and the Tirthas of Nandikeshtra and Bhuteshwara are near it."

Kashmir 's tallest Sufi poet Shams Faqir says this :-

"Shams Faqir chhuya par tseun ye,

Chhuss na  dogun patah bronh kaanh,

Yee sar gom tee me vonuye ,

Harmokh su non ye draav "

( Shams Faqir is cut of from this world,

He has none as his companion.

None ahead of him and none behind ,

So whatever he feels, he conveys ,

" The lord is clearly visible at Harmukh Peak "

 It is believed that the Shiva Sutras were revealed to Rishi Vasugupta below the Mahadeva mountain  in the  Kashmir valley. Accordingly, Mahadev mountain is also considered sacred by Kashmiri Pandits . Mahadev is the highest peak of the Zabarwan range. Overlooking Srinagar city , it is  situated at an altitude of 13000 feet.

In Srinagar city, one finds two hills considered sacred to this day; the Gopadari known as Shankaracharya ( the abode of Shiva ) and the Hari Parbat ( the abode of Sharika goddess). The Bhadrakal hill in the Rajwar forest range near Handwara (Kashmir) has also been considered sacred since ancient times on account of the location of the Bhadrakali Temple. The temple finds mention in Kalhana’s  Rajatarangini and Aurel Stein visited the place and recorded the existence of a fresh water spring near the temple. Grdhrakuta and Indrakila, the two important mountain peaks of  Kashmir  that  find mentioned in the Nilamata Purana :-

“ By climbing Grdhrakuta and Indrakila, one gets the merit (the  gift ) of one thousand cows .”..( Sloka 1276-77 )

 The Nilamata Purana mentions that by a mere sight of Gauri-Shikhara (Gauri’s peak in West Kashmir  ), one obtains the calmness and serenity of the moon. It also says that going up to the source of the  Sindhu River in the Kashmir valley, one gets the merit of performing Rajasuya. The source of the Sindhu River lies in Machoi Glacier at an elevation of 4800 metres, East of Amarnath Cave to the South of Zojila Pass. The Nilamata Purana also mentions sacred Nandiparvata which can be identified with the glaciers feeding Nundkol or Kalodaka.  Bharatagiri mentioned in the Nilamata  Purana is the high ridge to the south-west of Harmukh or Harmukuta peak. The Nilamata Purana and the Rajatarangini also mention the sacred  Amreshwara  mountain  which is the snowy peaks of the Holy Amarnath cave. The sacred  Vaisravana  mountain mentioned in the Nilamata Purana and Rajatarangini is the Vastarvan mountain near Khrew in the Kashmir valley. The Nilamata Purana also mentions the sacred  Naubandhana peak below which lies the Kaundinyasara Lake ( Kounser-nag )  or the abode of Vishnu.

Tatakooti or Tatakuti Peak is another highest mountain in the Pirpanjal range located at an altitude of 15,560 feet  . During ancient periods, the mountain was associated with Lord Shiva . On account of difficult route, no regular Yatra was performed by Kashmiri Pandits . Dr Ernest Neve reached the summit of Tatakooti in 1901 .  It stands on the border of Budgam and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir.This is still a virgin peak challenging adventurers with crystal clear water, the alpine lakes viz; Sukhsar, Neelsar, Bhagsar, Nandansar and  some more . .Being the highest peak in the Pir Panjal range , many elders say that before 1947, the peak could be seen even from Lahore on a clear day. Hindus would bow to it from distance considering it to be the abode of Lord Shiva.

( Avtar Mota )

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