Sharda Peeth is a sacred Hindu site and an important ancient temple university located in the Neelum valley of India’s (POK) Pakistan occupied Kashmir. It is one of the most revered places for Kashmiri pandits and Indians who honour Goddess Sharada named after the goddess of Wisdom, Ma Saraswati. Sharada peeth was considered one of the most prominent and prestigious temple Universities in Indian subcontinent and reached its zenith between 6th and 12th centuries CE. The ancient university was most known for its magnificent Library and its influence on Sharda script and Kashmiri culture. This blog post will delve into History, Importance and present conditions of Sharada Peeth.
How was Sharada Peeth established and by whom?
Sharada Peeth is considered as one amongst the 18 Maha Shakti Peeths. As we know the back drop of the story when Sati’s self-immolation left Shiva with grief, sorrow and rage. In utter despair, Shiva brought forth the dead body of Sati and started performing the ‘Tandava’ – a cosmic dance of destruction born out of sorrow and anger. The dance symbolized not only individual grief but also the universal cycle of creation, preservation and destruction. The intensity of Shiva’s Tandava threatened to tear apart the very fabric of the cosmos resulting in potential for cosmic dissolution.
Shiva carried Shakti’s lifeless body across space unwilling to let her go in his anguish. His actions were motivated by deep sorrow from which he could not accept that Sati had left him. Universe saw grief and fear as the destroyer lord wandered in pain threatening to destroy its existence.
Being aware that this could lead to cosmic imbalance and annihilation, gods sought intervention to restore order. Vishnu Ji, who preserves nature did recognize that Shiva must be stopped from dancing again. In a bid to stop the havoc and bring Shiva back to his senses, Vishnu unleashed his Sudarshan Chakra, famous for being invincible. In order to achieve this goal, Vishnu cut Sati’s body into pieces with the help of Chakra which was later scattered throughout Earth. The act appeared violent but it was executed in total reverence to relieve Lord Shiva from torment and slow down cosmic destruction. It is believed that the right hand of goddess Sati fell at this spot when she was being carried by Shiva.
Other stories suggest that a Yudh (Fight) between “Devas” (Gods) and “Asuras” (Evils) broke out and just when “Asuras” appeared to win the battle and acquire the “Pot” containing Knowledge and Prosperity, Goddess Saraswati intervened to tilt the outcome of the battle. She hid the “Pot” beneath the ground where it is believed to be today’s Sharada Peeth.
Then there are other references too, some suggest that it was built during the reign of Kushans in the 1 Century CE while others suggest it was built during the “Karkota” dynasty reign of LalitAditya Muktapida during 7th and 8th Century CE.
The role of Sharada Peeth in the development of the Sharada script and the Kashmiri culture?
Sharada Peeth also influenced the Kashmiri culture, as it was a center of learning for various subjects, such as Vedas, scriptures, commentaries, philosophy, grammar, astronomy, medicine and music. Many Kashmiri Pandits consider Sharada Peeth as their cultural heritage and a source of pride for their land.
The ancient Sharada script which was used to write and develop Sanskrit, Kashmiri and other North Indian languages originated from Sharada peeth. This script itself and Kashmir were named after Sharada Peeth. Infact Kashmir was known as Sharada Desh meaning the country of Sharada.
It became a center of advanced learning for various fields like Vedas, scriptures, commentaries, philosophy, grammar, astronomy, medicine, music etc.
What were the main features and architecture of Sharada Peeth?
Sharada temple stood on a rectangular platform at the junction of three streams close to Neelum river.It had a width of 22 feet and a height of 16 feet. A wooden image of goddess Sharada was placed in the main shrine while there were four shrines for other deities. The temples architecture is Kasmiri with carved stone pillars, arches and domes and sculptures similar to the Martand sun temple in Anantanag.It also had a massive library that contained thousands of books and manuscripts on different subjects.
How did Sharada Peeth become a prominent temple university in the Indian subcontinent?
Sharda peeth was a renowned temple university in the Indian subcontinent known for its high quality teaching educational and research oriented resources and infrastructure. It drew scholars, students and pilgrims from all over who wished to access its library and learn from its Teachers (Guru’s) or pray at the Sharada Temple. It is said that Sharada University had close to 5000 resident students and scholars who came from all across the world including China and all the way from Greece and middle east.
Sharada Peeth was also known for its intellectual debates and dialogues among different schools of thought suck as Shaktism, Vedism, Shaivism, Buddhism. It instilled a spirit of enquiry and tolerance among its students and scholars.
What were the subjects and texts taught and studied at Sharada Peeth?
Sharada Peeth taught and studied a wide range of subjects and texts at its temple university. Some of them are:
– The four ancient Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas and scriptures that are fundamental and philosophical texts that form the ideology of Santan Sanskriti and Dharma like Mahabharat, Bhagvad Geeta, Ramayana
– Besides these there was Nyaya Shastra, Vaisheshika (Naturalism), Sankhya (Dualism and enumeration), Yoga Sutras, Mimamsa (Interpretation of Vedas), Vedanta (Upanishads and understanding of identity of individual soul and foundation of Metaphysics)
– Other Branches included Kashmir Shaivism: This school is a branch of monistic Shaivism that emerged in Kashmir and highlights the role of Shiva as the supreme reality and the origin of all creation.
– Shaktism: The school is a form of Hinduism that venerates Shakti, the feminine force and power as the supreme reality and source of all existence.
– Buddhism: This is a religion and philosophy that propounds the four noble truths and the eightfold path to end suffering and reach enlightenment.
Who were some of the famous scholars and visitors of Sharada Peeth?
–Sharada Peeth was visited by many famous scholars and visitors throughout its history. Some of them were- Adi Shankara: He was master philosopher and reformer who founded the Advaita Vedanta school of Hinduism in 8the century. He visited Sharada Peeth and debated with its experts on various a spects of Vedas, Puranas. He also wrote a hymn called “Sharada Bhujagam” in praise of Sharada, the goddess of wisdom.
Kumarajiva: He was a Buddhist monk and translator who travelled to Kashmir to study at Sharada Peeth for higher studies in the 4th century. He later went to China and translated many Buddhist Scholarly texts and scriptures into Chinese.
Kalhana: He was a poet and Historian who composed Rajatarangini, a historical chronicler of the kings of Kashmir in the 12th century CE. He referred to Sharada Peeth as one of the most revered temples in Kashmir.
Abhinavagupta: He was a 10th-century CE philosopher, mystic and a scholar of Kashmir Shaivism. He studied at Sharada Peeth under various teachers and authored many influential works on subjects like philosophy, theology, poetry, drama, music and art.
What happened to Sharada Peeth after Partition and why is it inaccessible for Indian pilgrims?
Sharda Peeth was turned into ruins. What was once an impeccable ancient center of learning becoming off limits for Indian Pilgrims after partition in 1947 and geo political blunders of the then Indian administration. Due to these Himalayan blunders, Sharada Peeth today is part of Pakistan occupied (POK) under Pakistan’s control but disputed by India. It is indeed a pity that due to these political conflicts, Travel bans, and significant terrorist threats emanating from Pakistan, Indian pilgrims need a Visa or special permission from both Indian and Pakistani governments to visit Sharada Peeth.
Sharada Peeth also suffered from years of neglect, vandalism and natural disasters over the years. It is now in a dilapidated condition, with only a few ruins remaining. Its library has been lost or destroyed, along with many manuscripts and books. Its wooden image of Sharada has also disappeared or been stolen.
What are the current efforts and challenges to revive and restore Sharada Peeth?
There are some current ongoing efforts and challenges to revive and restore Sharada Peeth as a cultural and religious heritage site. Some of them are:
Off late there have been several reports which have surfaced exposing Pakistan army’s nefarious design of systematically working towards damaging the remaining walls and structure of the Sharada Peeth. The Dara Shikho foundation based out of New Delhi have written to UNESCO complaining about this. There have also been reports that Pakistani Army is planning to expand a Cafeteria for its soldiers by getting rid of the structure altogether.
The following actions are aimed at reclaiming the Sharada Peeth.
– Save Sharda Committee- A Kashmiri Pandit group that has been advocating for the access of Indian pilgrims to Sharada Peeth since 2011. The group has been exerting pressure on both the governments as well as to international organizations like UNESCO, to make cross-border pilgrimage to Sharada Peeth possible.
Kartarpur Corridor Model: Another solution suggested was to apply the Kartarpur corridor model for Sharada Peeth too. This would enable Indian pilgrims to visit the temple without a visa. Just a brief on the Kartarpur corridor for those who may not know. Kartarpur Corridor is a border crossing lane constructed between India and Pakistan that facilitates Sikh pilgrims to go to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur along the border of India-Pak border into Pakistani territory. This place is of importance to Sikhs as this is where Guru Nanak spent his final years. It was opened in 2019 as a sign of goodwill between the two countries.
Archaeological Survey: This is an initiative which involves a project to conduct an Archaeological survey of Sharada Peeth by Pakistani authorities, with the assistance of Indian experts and specialists. The survey intends to record, protect and restore and rehabilitate the temple complex, as well as to investigate and explore its historical significance and cultural relevance and identity of Kashmir.
