Sharada Peeth

This article is about Sharada Peeth, Kashmir. For Dwaraka maţha, also called Sharada Matha/Peeth, the "western peeth", in Dwarka, Gujarat, see Dvaraka Pitha. For Śārada Pīṭha, the "southern peeth", see Sringeri Sharada Peetham.

Sharada Peeth
Ruins of the Sharada Peeth
Sharada Peeth Location in POK
Name
Devanagari	शारदा पीठम्
Sanskrit transliteration	Śāradā pīṭham
Geography
Coordinates
Location	Pakistan
Culture
Primary deity	Sharada (Saraswati)

Sharada Peeth (IAST: Śārada Pīṭh, Urdu: شاردا پیٹھ), located in the village of Sharda in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. It is situated near the Line of Control which divides Pakistan Occupied Kashmir from Indian Kashmir. The temple dedicated to the goddess Sarasvatī (Sharda) is on the banks of Neelum River in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Kashmir was once centre of learning of Hindu Vedic works until the region largely adopted Islam. Prior to this, Kashmir was sometimes called Sharada Desh because of this temple and Sharada was called Kashmira Puravasini (resident of city of Kashmir). Kashmiri Hindus remain highly devoted towards this deity, and by extension, to the Sharada Peeth temple. As part of their daily worship, Kashmiri Hindus utter the phrase" "Namastey Sharada Devi Kashmir Pur Vasini Tvam Ham Prartheye Nityam Vidya Danam Che De hi mey" (Salutations to you, O Sharada, O Goddess, O one who resides in Kashmir. I pray to you daily, please give me the charity of knowledge).

The temple had periodically fallen into disrepair by the 14th century, and was last repaired by Maharaja Gulab Singh of Kashmir in the 19th Century. Following the brief 1948 war in the region between Pakistan and India, the site came under control of Pashtun tribesmen who invaded the region. Control was then passed to the newly formed rebel government of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. The site was heavily damaged in the 2005 earthquake which struck the region, and has not been repaired since that time by the government of Pakistan. Pakistani Hindus rarely visit the temple, preferring to visit sites farther south in Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab provinces. As such, restoration of the temple is not considered a priority in the manner that Katasraj Temple was regarded by the Pakistani government.

The Temple as a "Shakti Peeth"

Main article: Daksha Yaga

Shiva carrying the corpse of Sati Devi

Shakti Peethas are shrines or divine places of Shakti formed due to the falling of body parts of the corpse of Sati Devi, when Shiva carried it and wandered throughout Aryavartha in sorrow. There are 51 Shakti Peeth linking to the 51 alphabets in Sanskrit. Each temple has shrines for Shakti and Kalabhairava. Sharada Peeth is one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peetha. Devi's Right hand is said to have fallen here. The Shakti worshiped here is the goddess of knowledge and education, Saraswathi otherwise known as Sarada. The mythology of Daksha yaga and Sati's self immolation had immense significance in shaping the ancient Sanskrit literature and even had cultural impact in India during olden times. It led to the development of the concept of Shakti Peethas and there by strengthening Shaktism. Enormous mythological stories in puranas took the Daksha yaga as the reason for its origin. It is an important incident in Shaivism and Shaktism.

Location

The temple is located in the remote village of Sharda, in Pakistan' Neelam Valley, at a distance of 60 miles from Baramulla in Indian-administered Kashmir, and 40 miles from Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. It lies 16 miles to the northwest of the Line of Control in a militarily sensitive area.

Sharada Peeth (Sarvajnapeetha) temple ruins, in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir

Given its close proximity to the contentious Line of Control, access to the site by foreigners is sometimes restricted during periods of heightened tension with India.

Place of learning

The place was once a celebrated centre of learning in the subcontinent. It was a centre of great Sanskrit scholars and Kashmiri Pandits and was a famous centre of Hinduism and Buddhism. According to the Prabhāvakacarita, a Jain historical work dated 1277–78, the Śvetāmbara scholar Hemacandra requested grammatical texts preserved here so he could compile his own grammar, the Siddhahema. The Vaishnava saint Swami Ramanuja traveled all the way from Srirangam to refer to Bodhayana's vritti on Brahma Sutras preserved here, before commencing work on writing his commentary on the Brahma sutras, the Sri Bhasya. Near Sree Sharada Devi temple, there used to be famous Sanskrit university.

Visit by Xuanzang

The Chinese Buddhist monk, Xuanzang visited this learning centre in 632 CE. He stayed there for two years and appreciated the mental gifts of priests and students of this learning centre.

The ancient temple of Sree Sharada

The temple is so ancient that Kashmir State was earlier known as 'Sharada Peeth'. It is at this temple that Sankaracharya received the right to sit on the Sarvanjnanapeetham or Sarvajna peetha(Throne of Wisdom).The temple is at a height of 11000 feet above the sea level and is about 70 miles from Srinagar, summer Capital of Indian Administered Kashmir. The length of the temple is 142 feet and width is 94.6 feet. The outer walls of the temple are 6 ft. wide and 11 ft long. And there are arches with 8 ft. height. It is a very good example of architecture. The Śāradā image at Shringeri Sharadamba temple was once said to have been made of sandalwood, which is supposed to have been taken by Sankaracharya from here.

Mention in historic period

Adi Shankara who opened southern door of Sharada Peeth or Sarvajna peeth

In a poetic work composed by Mahakavi Kalhana in the year 1148 CE, there is a mention of Sree Sharadad Devi temple and its geographic location. Kalhana mentions that in Lalitaditya's reign (8th century AD), some followers of a king of Gauda (Bengal), come to Kashmir under the pretence of visiting the shrine of Śāradā. The first verse of 'Prapanchsar' composed by Adi Shankaracharya is devoted to the praise of Sree Sharada Devi.

In the year 1030 CE, the Muslim historian Al-Baruni visited Kashmir. According to him, there was a wooden idol of Sree Sharada Devi in Sree Sharada Devi temple. He compared the temple of Sree Sharada Devi with the Multan Sun Temple, Vishnu Chakraswamin temple at Thaneshwar and Somnath temple.

During 16th century, when Akbar was ruling at Delhi, Abul Fazal, one of the famous 'Nava-Ratnas' in his Court, has written about Sree Sharada Devi temple that Sree Sharada Devi temple is near the banks of river Madhumati (currently Neelum river) which is full of gold particles and he also wrote that one can experience miracles on every eighth day of the bright fortnight of the month.

In the 14th century, the temple was attacked for the first time. After this attack, India started losing its contact with Krishanganga and Sharada Peeth. In the 19th century, Dogra king of Kashmir restored this temple.

Legends

Sage Shandilya used to meditate in Sharada-van. Near the temple of Sree Sharada Devi, there is 'Amarkund' lake. It is believed that Sage Shandilya got the 'darshan' of Sree Sharada Devi there.

Sharada script

Main article Śāradā script

Sharada script and Takri (from which Gurmukhi is derived) are originated here.

Visiting the temple

In 2007, a group of Kashmiri Pandits who were permitted to visit Pakistan Occupied Kashmir were denied permission visit the temple.

Citizens of Pakistan, including its Hindu population, do not face any official restriction in visiting the site. Visitors from India are generally refused access to the region, given its close proximity to the Line of Control, though foreigners from other countries do not face similar restrictions - although they may be denied entry during periods of heightened tensions with India.

Calls for Renovation

There is a demand from certain section of Indian politicians that Pakistan should renovate this temple, in the same manner that it renovated the Katasraj Temple in Punjab. No funds have been set aside for renovations by the Pakistani government, and no offers for financial or technical assistance have been offered by the Indian government. No other organizations in India have offered such assistance either. As such, there are no plans for the renovation of the temple, and its deterioration continues unchecked.

Gallery

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  View of Sharda (Shardi) village from the inside of Sharada Peeth temple

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  Ruins of Sharada Peeth temple in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir

See also

• Adi Shankara
• Śāradā script

References

• .

External links

• Photo gallery of Sharada Peeth