Sharda Peeth: The Forgotten Seat of Learning in Kashmir

 Sharda Peeth: The Forgotten Seat of Learning in Kashmir

– Anushka Sengupta

Sharda Peeth, situated in the Neelum Valley of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), is one of the oldest surviving centers of learning and spirituality in the Indian subcontinent. It is considered as one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas which holds great reverence in Hinduism and is also an ancient University. Sharda, derives its name from goddess of learning, Saraswati, who is also called as Sharda in Kashmir. This temple cum university used to beacon seculars and spirituals, but now exists only in dilapidated form, encapsulated by politics and time. A section of historians believe that Sharda Peeth dates back to at least the 6th century CE. However, some legends and local customs trace it to much earlier time. It thrived when Kashmir was a hub of learning, philosophy, and interfaith-religious tolerance. The region is known for its blend culture during which Hinduism, Buddhism and later Islam emerged and alternately influenced the region. This temple was not only a place of worship but also a center of advanced education like Nalanda and Takshashila. It fetched scholars all over the Indian subcontinent, Tibet, and Central Asia. A variety of subjects including Sanskrit, logic, grammar, and even astronomy were taught there. It is thought that scholars in this hallowed institution would defend or debate their theses at the institution before being awarded a degree or a ‘Sharda.’  

Sharada script, which was historically used to write both Sanskrit and the Kashmiri language, is also connected with Sharda Peeth’s development. Even though this script is now defunct, it is an important marker of this region’s heritage. As one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, Sharda Peeth holds tremendous religious value in Hinduism. The legend pertaining to the Shakti Peethas narrates that Sati, the goddess, when committing self-immolation to protest her father, Daksha’s insult to Lord Shiva, had different body parts drop on varios locations across the Indian subcontinent. These sites became revered as Shakti Peethas. At Sharda Peeth, the belief is that Sati’s right hand fell here. Goddess Sharda, is revered as the deity of wisdom, learning, and enlightenment. For Kashmiri Pandits, Sharda Peeth is not merely a site of religious pilgrimage but serves as a representation of their identity. As was the practice amongst the Kashmiri Pandits, they would offer the first step of their children’s education to Goddess Sharda, and some others would make it a life goal to visit her temple at least once.

The remnants of Sharda Peeth showcases temple architecture from the time of classical Kashmiri in the medieval period, even though it’s mostly in ruins. The temple is made of stone and consists of a sanctum (garbhagriha), which has intricate carvings and symbolic motifs. The weathered remains still capture the essence of magnificence of ancient Indian temples, even amidst centuries of damage and neglect. The temple is located at the intersection of the Kishanganga and Madhumati rivers which elevates the temple’s spiritual essence. The construction and orientation of the temple are strongly related to the customs of Hindu temple architecture regarding the integration of nature, the cosmos and divinity. After the partition of India in 1947 and the subsequent war regarding Kashmir, Sharda Peeth came under the authority of Pakistan. It is now situated in PoK which is not accessible to Indian citizens because of the Line of Control (LoC). Following this, the temple was left without maintenance which gradually escalated to it being in shambles. Unlike other centers of ancient education like Nalanda which suffered destruction due to invasions, Sharda Peeth was neglected and lacked preservation, which led to its eventual downfall.

The site has transformed into a representation of the cultural and historical loss that displaced Kashmiri Pandits and the Indian diaspora grappled with in recent decades. In India and in the world of the Kashmiri diaspora, there is a growing movement to revive interest towards Sharda Peeth. The advocates of the Sharda Peeth corridor claim that it would make it easier for Hindu worshippers particularly Kashmiri Pandits to visit this shrine without needing the full visa procedure. Although some hints of religious tourism cooperation have been made, formal steps remain elusive and negotiations towards Islamabad struggle due to the Indo-Pakistani geopolitical contagion. Sharda Peeth is not only a geographical place, it is the repository of civilizational memory. It recalls the period in history when India was the benchmark of unparalleled intellectual, multi-religious, artistic, and civilizational advancements.

The term Sharda or Sarada as we refer to it in Sanskrit, is known for its inclusion in the Kashmiri history literature. Sarada is a Hindu goddess of great renown and patroness of Kashmiri people as well as a script. Abdur Rahman derives the expression Śāradā‘ from an abbreviation of Śāradākṣarāṇī meaning ‘letters sacred to Śāradā or Sarasvati’ who happens to be the Hindu goddess of learning. In his works, Stein also employs the term Māhātmya where he describes other incarnations of the same goddess like Nārada, Vāgdevi or Sarasvatī. He cites the references from his work’s part called Māhātmyas concerning Śakti that is goddess personification of divine energy. Kalhaṇa in his work notes her as visible in the image of a swan in a lake and Basham notes that Brahma’s consort, Saraswatī, is also known as a master of music, art and literature. Along with the river of Rig Veda, in later Vedas she is considered as an eminent deity, depicted as a beautiful woman, often with a lute and a book, attended by a swan. She is traditionally believed to be the creator of the Sanskrit Language and Devanāgrī Script and later revered by students, authors, and musicians.

Śāradā script has been dominant for many Sanskrit texts of ancient India. It was the initial Mathuran Style of Brahamī, which had an impact on the northern states of the Guptas and resulted in Śāradā in Chamba and Kashmir. Abdur Rahman pleads for two plausible etymologies of the name of Śāradā Script. One, on the grounds of numerous terms in certain ancient texts, identifying Śāradā with Kashmir, it appears that it was not a name of script. But it was granted that the early script of Kashmir was within the summer time of the worship of the goddess of learning. Secondly, he, quoting Elmslie’s opinion that it was brought to Kashmir by Shāradah Nandan, asks whether it was most likely brought from Udabhāṇḍapura (Hund). He also referred to it as Śāradā prima facie, creating the impression that it evolved in Kashmir. It is to be researched whether the goddess and the scripture were created from Kashmir or not, but Kashmiri Panditas possess a tremendous reverence and respect for them than other Hindus. Opening up acess to Sharda Peeth, would  fulfill an obligation of India’s past. In addition, it provides an opportunity for promoting human interaction through the two countries that would serve as a pathway toward constructive massage for shared spritious and culture values.

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