Kashmir has been the cradle of wisdom, Indian culture, a land of rishis, philosophers, historians, scholars, monks, pilgrims, artists, rhetoricians and story tellers. It is the crown of India not only by virtue of its geographical location but also by the crowning contributions in all the cultural fields like literature and philosophy, performing and visual arts. Over the centuries the state has nurtured a distinct culture where people belong to diverse social and religious practices- Hindu, Buddhist and later on after invasions, Islamic. Hindu-Buddhist traditions have a history of more than two thousand years and Islam came in 13th century. Kashmir had ushered into a glorious period by 7th-8th century when it reached the culmination of arts and architecture.

 

The pious kings like Lalitaditya and Avantivarma built Hindu and Buddhist temples, chaityas and monasteries. As devotees of Shiva and Vishnu they built the Sun temple- Martanda, Shankaracharya temple and many more dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu that became renowned places of pilgrimage later on. The best history ever written in India is by Kalhana, a Kashmiri poet and son of maha amatya Champak Prabhu. He is remembered over the past centuries for his chronological work- Rajatarangini. The history of Kashmiri language goes back to the Vedic times. The script used in Kashmir for writing manuscripts and all kinds of the most important Sanskrit texts and documents is Sharada that came into use from 7th-8th century AD onwards. The earliest manuscript of Ramayana is in Sharda script, preserved at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune. It is said that Kashmir was a huge lake, and its water was taken out by Balarama.

 

The etymology of the word Kashmir is debated. Some people accept that it comes from Kashyapa pura and mira. According to the Nilamata Purana Kashmir was built by Kashyapa. The name simply comes from the Sanskrit word Kashmira. Its derivatives are commonly found in Sanskrit literature and grammatical works like kasmiri, kasmiraka and kasmira-mandala. Kashmir played an important role in international trade and dissemination of culture by virtue of its location. Major trade routes connecting Eastern and Central Asia, and Europe met there. It has been celebrated throughout Asia as the vale of wisdom, adorned by galaxies of scholars, and a land that humbles even Indra’s domain. Eminent poets blessed by the grace of Sarasvati made Kashmir envy of the Sanskritic world. The light of Buddhism and its artistic glories, meditational enlightenment and enchanting murals of the cloisters of Kashmir inspired artists to illumine monastic interiors in the kingdoms of Central Asia, in the snows of Tibet and in the sprawling monasteries of China. Kashmir had a highly developed and flourishing tradition of painting and sculpting.

 

In the eleventh century (A.D. 1052) Somendra the son of the polymath Ksemendra, bemoaned the fading glories of Buddhist convents: “Gone are the monasteries in the flow of time whose cloisters were painted with charming murals of Buddhist avadanas in golden hues and which held the eyes in rapture”. These murals found a new life in Tibet. Kashmir region has preserved the tradition of worshipping Kuldevis and Ishtadevis like Jwala, Sharika and Kheer Bhawani, venerating the feminine aspect of nature.

 

The great temples in Jammu are the Raghunath Mandir and the Ranabireshvara Shiva Mandir as well as the famous Vaishno Devi Shrine which attracts millions of devotees every year. Kashimiri bronzes are world famous for meticulous execution of finest details and intricate designs. In the field of performing arts the only extant and complete commentary on Natyashastra is by Abhinavagupta. A massive text of music and dance- Sangeetaratnakara is by Sharngadeva. Its 8th century paintings survive in Gilgit. The Amar Mahal museum in Jammu displays a superb collection of Pahari miniature paintings, as does the Dogra Art Gallery. Its craftsmen were long famed in Central Asia and Tibet. Rinchen-bzangpo, a great teacher from Tibetan called mahaguru, came from Tibet thrice to obtain services of Kashmiri craftsmen, sculptors, painters and even scholars to build 108 temples. Kashmiri scholars travelled to the farthest geographical limits to spread dharma like Dharmaraksh, Sanghadeva and Buddha Bhadra.

 

The father of Kumarajiva who is still highly respected in China and Japan was a Kashmiri Brahmana. Acharya Chintamani was a Kshatriya who travelled to then-capital of China Loyang. He dedicated the whole of his life and passed away there in the eighth century. Apart from translating he built a monastery also. They carried a number of Sanskrit texts with them to China via Central Asia. The Buddhist masters from Kashmir worked together with the Chinese to translate philosophical texts from Sanskrit to Chinese. They paved a path towards development of various Buddhist sects.

 

There are many references about diplomatic relations between India and China sending letters, messages and gifts etc. The impact of the knowledge of Acharya Praajna is traced upto Japan. Kashmiris hold a place of prestige because of the knowledge and the talent that was sought after by many countries. Wherever there are collections of sacred statues and paintings in the museums in the world, there are bronzes and other artifacts from Kashmir. Even the Palace Museum in Beijing holds such invaluable treasures. Kashmir spread the knowledge of Logic, Yoga and Dhyan abroad. Its geographical data is furnished by Chinese historical chronicles. The Mongols during their rule in Iran invited Buddhist monks from Kashmir. Kashmir still has a place of honour among the Mongols. The contribution of Kashmir in developing and spreading Indian culture is enormous. It requires further studies and dissemination of the information about its glorious history and heritage. (The author is Dean, Bhavan’s Nandlal Nuwal Centre of Indology) ■