New Routes Opened in Ladakh

New Routes for Ladakh 2019

The Government has recently announced the Opening of new Routes in Ladakh in order to promote Tourism in some of the more Offbeat Locations in Ladakh. Some of these Routes have already been used by some Travelers who got a Permit but now its open for all.

This is a welcome step and will help the People living in these Remote areas as they now have the opportunity to make a living from Tourism as well. Also it shows that the Government is a mood to open up new areas in Ladakh, a large part of which still is off limits to the General Public due to the Border disputes we have with our neighbors in the Region. It also signals that relations with China are easing off and hopefully one day the Border disputes wil be settled and the whole of Western Ladakh would be open to the Public.

Below is the Map of the Areas around the Pangong Lake and the Tso Moriri Lake which are mostly covered in the new Routes that are opened. This would also enable greater access to one of the most mind blowing part of Ladakh, the Changthang which extends into Tibet.

And these are the exact details of the Routes that have been opened and they have been Colour marked in the Map at the bottom

1. Merak - Loma Bend via Chushul (Instead of going straight from Chushul to Mahe you go left and get directly to Loma Bend. See Map 2 as well and this Route will take you over the Tsaga La Pass. (Shown in Green Colour)

2. Chushul to Mahe via Kakset La (The official release says Kartasangla but we assume this is an error). This is the direct Route over the Changthang and takes you to Mahe (Shown in Red Colour)

3. Dubruk - Erath - Chusul and then following no.1 Route onwards to Loma bend and then onto Hanle (Shown in Blue) : Instead of the traditional Route from Dubruk to Pangong Tso this Route will take you through the Route almost parallel to that and onwards to Chushul. From Chushul onwards you follow the Route 1 again.

4. Karzok - Nurbo - Sumdo - Parangla - Kazand (Shown in Pink)

The Elusive Kashmir Sapphires

The Elusive Kashmir Sapphires

It was a cold November day of 2015 in Geneva when Ronny Totah got the phone call. It was about a Sapphire coming up for auction. And not any ordinary Sapphire, it was the finest Sapphire known to exist, the elusive Kashmir Sapphire. The bidding for this Sapphire would open at just 12 million Dollars and this was an invitation to Ronny Totah to attend a viewing of the Sapphire in New York before the bidding. The description and details sounded hauntingly familiar.

The Kashmir Sapphire Bracelet that was stolen from the Four Seasons in Milan in 1996

If someone knew the value of a Kashmir Sapphire and as someone who could afford it, Ronny Totah, the partner in the Jewellery House, Horovitz and Totah was the man. But the phone call got Ronny thinking about an incident that took place 20 years ago from that date. Horovitz and Torah had an exclusive Kashmir Sapphire set in a Cartier bracelet which was supposed to be put up in an auction exclusively of Cartier pieces. And a few days before the Auction some of the pieces were put up on display at the exclusive Four Seasons Hotel in Milan. It was the November of 1996. On the fateful day there were 50 people in the Exhibition Hall and the unthinkable happened. The Cartier bracelet with the Kashmir Sapphire disappeared. Seemingly into thin air it seemed. At that time.  

A Pic of the Sapphire Mine by LaTouche

So where did these exclusive Kashmir Sapphires come from ? Like with all famous precious stones there are several versions to this story. A popular version goes like this. A Group of Lahouli traders turned at a Jewelers shop in Shimla and what caught the Jewelers eye were the brilliant Blue Sapphires they had to offer. And of course the Lahouli traders were averse to stating the exact origin of the Stones for obvious reasons. On being further pressed for information they conceded that they got the stones from the Mountains on the border with Zanskar. And apparently they didn't know the exact location as they in turn had got the Stones from a Shikari who had lost his flint. And he wanted to light his smoke. So he looked around for a quartz or a hard stone and found a blue stone which served his purpose rather well. He decided to carry it and later on gave it to one of the Lahouli traders. Even Shikari saab wasn't too sure where he found the Stones.

A Pic of the Apparatus used for Mining by LaTouche

But the news of the Blue Sapphires spread in Shimla and soon a few more stones turned and sooner rather than later the news wafted across and reached the the ears of the Maharajah in who’s realm these Stones originated. And he got his men working. Soon it was heard that the Stones had their origin in Padar, a Valley along the Chenab which bordered Himachal on one side and Zanskar on the other side. But initially it was mistaken as Padam instead of Padar so guys turned up in Padam in Zanskar looking for the whereabouts of the source of these priceless stones. But finally Padar was identified as the source and a body of Maharaja’s soldiers were dispatched to secure the Mine for the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir or the “Maharaja of Kashmir” as was more commonly known and hence the Sapphires got a name. The Kashmir Sapphires.

An unknown Trekker sitting in front of one of the Mine Shafts in the 80’s.

It was in 1882 when the Mine was secured and samples sent to the Indian Museum, where the experts were also astonished at the quality of these Sapphires. They were by far the best Sapphires that were ever seen. This was Music to the ears of the Maharaja and soon large scale mining of the Kashmir Sapphire started and it was soon on the wishlist of all the Maharajas and the Mem Saabs in the summer capital of British India, Simla. But exactly 5 years down the line after reaping great benefits the Mines seem to run out of Sapphires and the operation became unprofitable.

Gulabgarh, the main Village in Padar and the last Roadhead.

The Maharaja was alarmed and he invited experts from the Geological Survey of India to visit the Mines and give their expert advice. Tom D Latouche, the Deputy Superintendent of the Geological Survey of India led the team. And they managed to reach the Mines but not without some difficulty as the are to this day doesn't have Roads or Electricity and a 5 day walk apparently from the nearest Road head. He noted that the deposits in the Main Mine were almost exhausted and there was Mining activity a 100 meters below the main on the Valley floor. However the Sapphires from this location were inferior in quality to the Sapphires at the main Mine. However they did a study over a couple of months and made a detailed Report to the Maharaja. But it did nothing revive the Mining operations as the profitability was down as it seems the place had run out of Sapphires. Simple.

Typical topography of the area where the Sapphire Mines are located

Mining operations were shut down completely in 1889 till 1905 though Poachers would sometimes hit upon the Mines. In 1906 the Mines were leased out to a private Company  who mined for 2 years without much success. And so the story carried on with a new Company / Individual taking the lease every few years and then walking out as it was just too costly because of the inhospitable terrain and overall remoteness. After Independence JK Minerals took the Mines and again a number of classified Surveys and Mappings were done of the area. But nothing much came out of it. Every few years the Government of Jammu and Kashmir comes out with a new Scheme to lease out the Mines but nothing really happens knowing the dysfunctionality of my State.

Sumcham, the last Village on the trail that leads to the Hagshu La and into Zanskar

In the meanwhile the Mines are Guarded by the Police and are strictly off limits for everyone. Well almost everyone if you know what I mean. No one is simply allowed in the area and though you will find the location on the Internet I have purposely left out the exact location and details of the Mines. People who need to know already know it. Anyways its off limits so nothing much can be done even if you know the place. I will let it rest at that.

Hence the value of Kashmir Sapphires has only gone up and few are seen outside of Museums and Private collections. They are simply not found anymore.

Kashmir Sapphires in ready as well as raw form.

Ah and coming back to Ronny. After going through more details Ronny was convinced this is the same Kashmir Sapphire which was stolen in Milan. Though reduced in Caratage (thieves normally do that and alter the shape of the Stone for obvious reasons) the characteristics mentioned in the certificate were exactly like his Stone. The Stone was withdrawn from the Auction but Ronny didnt stop there. Though he got insurance amount of around 1.8 Million dollars in 1996 after the Theft but he needed the culprits to be caught. As we speak now Ronny is fighting out in the Courts with present owners to get viewing of the Kashmir Sapphire and have it verified by independent experts. More on that when something happens.

Coming back to the Kashmir Sapphires and this is what a Gemologist says about them  “The Sapphires of Kashmir form an exclusive class of their own. In the Jewel trade it is customary to attach the appellation 'Kashmir' to any fine Sapphire regardless of its geographical origin. This is an indication of the outstanding qualities of Kashmir Sapphires. The colour of these Sapphires resembles the beautiful hue of the peacock's neck. Even a small concentration of that fine colour illuminates the entire structure of the Gem.”

The Elusive Kashmir Sapphires

Mahasu Temple Hanol

One little thing has always struck me since childhood. In the Western Himalayas there are a lot of places connected with Hindu mythology and the Mahabharata to be particular. And out of the Mahabharata about the Pandavas and the time spent in “Vanvas”. Any and every place had something or the other to do with the Pandavas. So it seemed everything which couldn't be explained or attributed to someone was made a part of the Pandavas vanvas. All this sounded nice and dandy till the time you don't put your mind to it. And then I thought how could they be at all these places at the same time ? And then I asked myself who were the Pandavas. Well they were a part of the Epic. But these places do exist for real and they must be someone’s handiwork. And looking deeper a pattern emerged. Of course at that time no one really questioned the authenticity of these claims. Most will not even now. But I have the right to know who built the “Pandava Temple”, who made the Horses at Ghoda Gali attributed to the “Pandavas” or the countless other things that are attributed to them. Because if I keep believing the Pandava theory then it means I keep denying myself the history of the people who actually built this. And on a larger scale everything was attributed to Hindu mythology / Gods which again was a something hard for me to swallow. I guess you would have got the gist of what I am saying. Ok moving on to a more particular example.

In parts of Western Uttarakhand and Eastern Himachal Pradesh the people share reverence to a particular Devta, known as the Mahasu devta. Infact the Mahasu Devta seems to reign supreme in the Hilly/Mountainous areas between the Satluj and the Yamuna River. His domain also spreads to neighbouring areas in the lower Hills. The main stronghold of Mahasu Devta domain is the Jaunsar Bawar area in Dehradun District but Mahasu Devta is also revered in the neighbouring parts of Himachal Pradesh in Shimla and Sirmaur Districts.

I have been hearing of Mahasu Devta since I was born as my Mother's family had Apple Orchards in the Kotkhai region and we used to visit on and off. The Village where we had the Orchards came under the purview of a bigger Village known as Mahasu. Infact during the older times the whole belt of Himachal from Chopal to Kotkhai to Jubbal to Rohru was known as the Mahasu District. Also in the neighbouring areas of Uttarakhand especially the Jaunsar Bawar region also Mahasu Devta was the one of the main deities. Infact one of the main Temples of Mahasu Devta lies in Hanol which is in Uttarakhand adjacent to the border with Himachal Pradesh. Infact its now the Jaunsar Bawar Region that is considered the stronghold of Mahasu Devta.

Mahasu Devta now holds precedence over all the other local Gods and Goddesses and is the the supreme Lord of the Region. As per the legend there are four main Deities and Mahasu Devta is the numero uno. It is said that Lord Shiva’s son Kartik is personified by the four Mahasu deities, who are brothers, as Botha Mahasu, Bashik Mahasu, Pavashi Mahasu and Chalda Mahasu. Out of all the four the most important one if Botha Mahasu or simple referred to as the Mahasu Devta. Of course in the present time all the Devi Devatas are connected with Hindu mythology and their actual origin has gone into obscurity.

Moving away from the mythological account, as per some accounts the name Mahasu is a derivation of the word Mahashiv and and it came along when Shaivism was introduced in the region. Infact the deity worshipped as Mahasu Devta at Hanol is still actually a Buddha in a seated position. This points out to the fact that Buddhism was prevalent in the Ref]gion before the Shiva cult came in and a majority of the people turned to worship him. This was a continuation of the same events that took place in Kashmir. Infact it is said that it was a Brahmin from Kashmir, Huna Bhat who introduced Mahasu Devta in this area. It is said that the Brahmin was earlier serving the ruler of Kashmir at that time, Mihirakula who was an avid Shivite. Now Mihirakula who was an Alchon Hun (or Svet Huna / White Huns) , was deemed to be very cruel and destructive towards Buddhism and he is supposed to have destroyed many Buddhist Temples and icons. The Alchon Huns had themselves come down from Central Asia and conquered the Gandhar and the Kashmir region and even carried on their conquests in the Northern Plains. Mihirkula sent emissaries to spread the cult of Shiva into other places in the Himalayas as well. And Mihirakula is detested in Buddhist text for the destruction he wrought upon the Buddhists in Kashmir and its him thought to be responsible for the eventual disappearance of Buddhism from Kashmir.

Huna Bhatt, was probably a name given to this Priest who was himself probably a Hun or of Hunnic descent. And Hanol was named after him. Think about it. A Central Asian Hun who came down from Kashmir to Garhwal and laid the foundation of one of the most revered Devatas, Mahasu Devta and introduced the cult of Shiva.

Of course there is another tale which does rounds of how Huna Bhatt was a local Brahmin who was sent for penance into the Mountains of Kashmir and how Lord Shiva himself appeared before him and granted him….he thence returned to Hanol and set up the Temple.

What this points out to the fact that the whole of the Himalayan Region from Kashmir to Himachal to Uttarakhand was predominantly Buddhist or Animist/ Local Devta worshipping by some accounts. And to counter Buddhism and the Buddha in particular the cult of Shiva was propagated. And it helped that Shiva was shown as the God of the Mountains with his home on the mighty Kailash but the fact remains that the first time Lord Shiva or Osheo as he was called appeared in any physical form was in the First Century in a coin issued by Great Kushan Emperor Kanishka. The physical postulation of the Buddha in the form of visuals and sculptures pre-dates those of Shiva, which is a clear evidence of who came first. It would also be pertinent to point out that the name “Shiva” does not appear in the Rig Veda and it is said by some that he was called Rudra in the Rig Veda.

Anyways before ruffling more feathers let me state that the Himalayas predate “Religion” by millions of years. Religion is matter of personal belief but the Himalayas are the eternal fact. And quite a big one at that.

Disclaimer : The Vedic Religion of the Vedas is the fountainhead of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. All are Vedic Religions.

And I quote the Rig Veda Hymn 10:129

"But, after all, who knows, and who can say
Whence it all came, and how creation happened?
the devas (gods) themselves are later than creation,
so who knows truly whence it has arisen?"

This is what I believe in.

The Last Queen of Kashmir

The Last Queen of Kashmir

And back to Kashmir to tell you the story of an interesting time in the history of Kashmir. A story of the last Queen of Kashmir. A story of the first Muslim King of Kashmir who came from Ladakh. A story of Shah Mir. And a story of a Tragedy.

It was the 14th Century and the Lohara Dynasty was in power in the Kashmir Valley and as was usual with the Loharas there was intense infighting amongst the Loharas and with the local Chieftains known as the Damaras. And the Loharas had already repulsed a number of attacks by the Ghanivids but however Kashmir being a protected natural Fortress was a big advantage and the Invaders concentrated more on the easier conquests in the plains of North India.

Besides there were invasions from the Central Asian side by the Mongols and Turks who use to come in and occasionally raid the country. The later Loharas were weak incompetent Rulers and it was just a matter if time before they would fall. It was imminent and at the same time they relied more on outsiders in the matters of importance given the distrust between them. There were two notable outsiders there at that time who’s name would go down in history.

One was the Buddhist Ladakhi Prince Rinchen, who after failing in an attempt to take over the Kingdom of Ladakh had crossed over the Mountains into Kashmir and found employment with the King. The King Suhadeva who was in power made the Ladakhi Prince, who’s full name was Lhachan Gualbu Rinchana, a Minister in his administration. But he wasnt the only prominent outsider who King Suhadeva made apart of his administration.

The other one was Shams-ud-Din Shah Mir, a Muslim who had come to Kashmir from the region Swat which once was a part of the Gandharan Kingdom just like Kashmir and a great center of Buddhist learning. His exact origin is not known but most probably a Swati of Tajik origin (a Gebbari) and his exact reason of leaving his homeland unknown. Whatever the reason was it didn't matter and he was also appointed as a Minister by King Suhadeva.

And then like in every story the Villains turned up. This was a Mongol and Turkic Army under the Command of Dulacha which decided to march into and plunder Kashmir. The Pagan Mongol Commander was about give a lesson in Central Asian Warfare to the Kashmiris. And it hit them like only the Mongols could hit in those times. The King Suhadeva tried to bribe the Mongols into going back but this only increased the burden on the population and he became even more unpopular. He had no option but to flee and he did that and ran away to Kishtwar. The only person in the Kingdom who showed some semblance of resistance was Suhadeva’s General Ramchandra. And in doing so he also became the King. And in the meanwhile the general populace went into hiding and this included the wily Prince Rinchen with his band also went into hiding in what was known as Lars.

And finally the Mongols decided to leave and the country was utterly devastated. Ramachandra had managed to survived the onslaught but soon they had a problem of outlaws coming in from neighbouring regions coming in like Vultures to pick off whatever was left after the Mongol invasion. Ramachandra decided to put Rinchen in charge of whatever was left of the Army to drive out these brigands. This he did but in the process he managed to get a hold over the Army and knew they were at his beck and call. So what does the Prince, who always wanted to be the King do ? He marches back and kills Ramachandra and takes the throne of Kashmir. And he also did one more thing. He married Kota, the beautiful daughter of Ramachandra.

Now to get popular support of the local population who were largely Hindu he decided to convert to Hinduism so as to get maximum support but the powerful Brahmins straight away rejected this for reasons best known to them. And then, Shah Mir who was now a Minister suggested that he could convert to Islam as by this time there was a strong minority of Muslims in Kashmir. The exact story of why Prince Rinchen converted to Islam has many versions so just leave it to that. And soon Kashmir had a its first Muslim King, the first Sultan, Sultan Sadruddin Shah or Hazrat Sadruddin Shah or Hazrat Rinchan Shah as he is also called.

He soon had a son with the Kota Rani, Haidar Khan who was under the tutelage of Shah Mir who was his most trusted Minster. But the state was still under constant threat from Rebels and Brigands and it was on a campaign that Prince Rinchan, as he was originally known was assassinated which again plunged the Kingdom into crisis. And this was the opportunity that Udyanadeva, brother of the last Lohara King Suhadeva came into the picture and usurped the Throne. And not only did he usurp the throne but he also married Rinchan’s Kota Rani. King Udyanadeva was destined the last Hindu King of Kashmir of Medieval times.

But Udyanadeva provide to be a inept Ruler and the real power was held And as his ill-luck would have it another Mongol Turkic Army turned up at the gates and this time it was headed by Allacha, again a Mongol Pagan bent upon giving a dose of Mongol warcraft to the Hindu, Muslims and Buddhists alike. Just like his brother Suhadeva, Udyanadeva fled but to Tibet. And just like her father, Ramachandra, the Kota Queen decided to stand her ground. And she gave strong resistance to the Mongols and took the fight to them and managed to defeat Achalla and the Mongols but at great costs. But she had won and the Mongols left.

And Kashmir had probably its first reigning Queen, Kota Rani and unfortunately she would also be the last.

Shah Mir had played second fiddle for the longest time. It was already 1339 He had served under the different Kings and now with the Queen and her power weakened he decided to make his play. Shah Mir played well and managed to take the reigns of power from the Queen. But that wasnt all, he wanted to marry the Kota Rani as well.

What happened next is well known but how exactly it transpired is not known. And I am one for dramatic endings. It is said that the Queen agreed to marry Shah Mir, who established himself as the first Sultan of what would come to be known as the Shah Miri Dynasty. And the day they got married and Shah Mir came to her, Queen Kota cut her stomach with a dagger and offered her intestines to Shah Mir as a wedding gift. And thus ended Queen Kota.

The Last Queen of Kashmir.

PS: This is my version of Events. And it is an attempt at explaining simply a very complicated time in the History of Kashmir. A time which mostly doesnt figure in public discourse anymore.

To know more about the Queen do read The Last Queen of Kashmir by Rakesh Kaul. Harper Collins. Available on Amazon.

The Remanent of an Army

The Remanent of an Army

In John Keay’s epic "When Men and Mountains Meet: The Explorers of the Western Himalayas 1820-1875" there is mentioned a certain meeting between Raja Gulab Singh (The future Maharaja Gulab Singh of Jammu and Kashmir) and the British Governor of Punjab who’s name I cannot recall. It was sometime in 1842. And it was in Shimla. It was in the times of the Great Game.

After the traditional exchange of greetings between the two men, who didn't seem to be too fond of each other, they sat down. Raja Gulab Singh started the conversation. He said he had bad news coming from the side of Afghanistan. It seemed that the Sun had been eclipsed. The Great British Army of the Indus had been annihilated and only one person out of over 20,000 had made it back to safety into British territory. The Britisher looked up at the Raja of the Dogras, and without twitching an eyelid said that Raja Sahib I too have bad news for you. These come from the Trans Himalayan region of Tibet. Your General Zorawar Singh and his Army on its way to conquer Lhasa had been all killed in an engagement with a joint Chinese-Tibetan force and a few remnants of the Dogra Army had managed to make their way to the British Garrison in Almora. It seemed that the Moon too had been eclipsed, Raja Sahib.

Raja Gulab Singh had often retorted to the British that his (Sikh Kingdom) was a Moon in front of the Sun that the British Empire was. But for the time being both seemed eclipsed.

Whether both men were already aware of the happenings on either side of the Himalayas as they sat that day in Shimla is anyone’s guess. Both were tough Military men, being Generals in the most powerful Armies on the sub-continent were not me who would let go of their emotions. The Great Army of the Indus, of the powerful British had been all but massacred by the Afghans and on the other side the powerful Dogras led by General Zorawar Singh had met a similar fate at the hand of the Tibetans. It was a great set back to both parties and revenge was already on the cards.

It is often said that the achievements of General Zorawar Singh were overlooked by historians of that time as they were focused on the events in Afghanistan as the First Anglo Afghan battle was underway and even after winning the initial Battles and in control of Kabul they could not hold the Afghans under control for long. Kabul proved too much for the British to handle And in the beginning of January 1942 they decided to evacuate Kabul and crossover the Hindu Kush into friendly territory across the Khyber. The whole British enterprise into Afghanistan through Sikh territory was the fear of the Afghan Rulers getting an alliance with the Russians who were seen as actively trying to undermine British interest in Afghanistan like they had done in Persia.

The only surviving member of the Army of the Indus, was the assistant Surgeon William Brydon who was immortalised in this classical Painting by Elizabeth Butler called the “Remnant of an Army” as he trudged on his tired horse with the Fort of Jalalabad in sight. It is said that the Horse died as soon as he was put into a stable. Dr.Brydon also survived by sheer good fortune although a part of skull was sheared off by an Afghan sword but he had stuffed a Magazine in his hat to keep his head warm in the freezing snowbound Passes of the Hindu Kush. The Magazine took the brunt of that Afghan sword swipe and hence the Doctor survived. The only survivor of the Army of the Indus.

The painting is dated January 13, 1942.

PS: There were other survivors but they emerged later as they were rescued by successive punitive Missions by the British.



The Temples of the Indus : Kafirkot

The Temples of the Indus : Kafirkot

Bilot is a non descript little Village in the Dera Ismail Khan district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan. It is situated along the Indus where the lowest spurs of the Hindu Kush meet the Salt Range. There is nothing really special about the place except for something that lies on a Hill overlooking the Village. The locals call the place Kafir Kot. There are actually two ruins called Kafirkot at a distance of around 50 kms from each other but similar locations. One is called the Bilot Kafirkot and the other Tilot Kafirkot. Both the Temple Complexes are surrounded by ruins of Fortifications of what once would have been an impressive Fort watching over the Indus.

The temples of Bilot (and Tilot as well), among a chain of temples that stretch from Nandna on the eastern extremity of the Salt Range right though the hills to the Indus, are collectively known as the Hindu Shahi temples. There are supposed to be 8 Temples Complexes built by the Hindu Shahi Rulers till the time the Dynasty fell in the 11th Century.

The Hindu Shahi were a group of Rulers who’s Kingdom was located in the Gandhara and Upper Punjab areas and bordered the powerful Kashmir Kingdom in the North East to Afghanistan in the West and went down to the Punjab with the Indus running through the heart of their Kingdom. They were related to the Kabul Shahis, who were Buddhist once upon a time but had become Hindus and split into the Hindu Shahis and the Turki Shahis or the Patola Shahis. The Turki Shahis or the Patola Shahis in power in Dardistan / Gilgit Baltistan and they were staunch Buddhists.  

The exact origin of the Shahi clans is still a topic of discussion. The Title Shahi was derived from the Kushan Shao which was converted into Shah / Shahi later. Al Beruni writes that they descended from a Tibetan prince while other people stated and evidence speaks that they were descended from the later Kushans or the Hepthalites. Some also mention they were Turkic in origin and they came down from Central Asia. Yet others say that they actually descended from the Kamboja clans that were strong in this Region.

That being said the Temple complexes especially the ones are quite big and prominent and ringed by fortifications. It is a point noting that in the Ghaznavid invasions and later invasions from the West these Temples somehow managed to survive. Even more strangely there is hardly any mention of this Temple Complex at Kafir Kot, which at one time would have held quite a prominence in the Kingdom in any historical records of the period.

Also interestingly all these Temples of the Indus, as they are also called, show a distinct and strong Kashmiri confluence and a mix of Gandharan influence as well. It should be remembered that Kashmir itself was once a part of the Gandharan Kingdom under the Kushans. Hence there were relations between the Hindu Shahis and the Dynasties of Kashmir. Kalhana in his Rajtarangani also mentions the Hindu Shahi Rajas. They were also related to the Kashmir Kingdom by matrimonial alliances. Infact Queen Didda, the last Queen of Kashmir was said to be the daughter of of King of the Hindu Shahi Dynasty. The Kashmiri influence is strongest in the entrance and main squarish Pillars of the Temples. However the Gandharan influence is seen in the tops as they are rounder instead of the pyramidical tops that the Temples in Kashmir had. I imagine in simple terms in Kashmir a pyramidal roof enabled the heavy Snow to slide off easily and since these Temples of the Indus are in the lower foothills they needn't worry about snow like else-where in the plains of Northern India.

The Gazetteer of Mianwali 1915 describes the Kafirkot Temples complex as such : “The Kafirkot ruins consist of two forts, situated on the skirts of the district on small hills attached to the lower spurs of the Khasor Range, and overlooking the Indus River. One lies a few miles south of Kundal and the other near Bilot. These forts are of great antiquity and interest. Their main features are an outer defensive wall, consisting of rough blocks of stone, some of great size, and various groups of buildings resembling small Hindu temples and more or less carved. These are built of a curiously honey-combed drab-coloured stone not to be found in the adjacent hills, which is said to have been brought by river all the way from Khushalgarh. The area of the forts is considerable and they could have held a fairly large garrison. The only legends attached to them relate that they were occupied by the last of the Hindu Rajas, Til and Bil; but all traces of rulers and ruled are now lost.”

Another interesting fact point out by Sir Salman Rashid, a Travel historian and a Member of the Royal Geographic Society notes “Interestingly John Wood, the 19th century explorer, who journeyed up the Indus on his way to discover the source of the Oxus River, paused to explore another Kafir Kot. Called Kafir Kot Tilot it lies atop a low hill smack on the Indus about 30 kilometres north of Bilot. Like Bilot it has an encircling rampart but flaunts only three temples besides a ruined double-storeyed house, all apparently contemporaneous with Bilot. Tilot also finds mention is the works of Alexander Burnes and the mysterious Charles Masson, both Wood’s contemporaries. But strangely enough all three fail even to hear of this far grander Kafir Kot at Bilot. “

An aura of mystery still hangs around these Temples, their origin and people who built them and how they have survived the ravages of History and time as its clear that the condition that the Temples are in today is due to the passage of time and not due to wilful destruction by an iconoclastic invader.

And the name Kafirkot sums it up. Even the locals contend that these Temples were built by a people who are long gone. A People lost in History. Only the Temples of the Indus give us a hint of what these people were like and where they went. They still stand in the majestic opulence like they have for hundreds of years.

Pics credit : Sir Salman Rashid / Wikipedia / Other Internet Sources as mentioned. I would have loved to use my own pics.

This Article is the first in the Series of articles on the Temples of the Indus, there being 8 such reported sites which exist in different conditions.

Chitral Expedition

Chitral Expedition

Chitral is a town located at al elevation of around 1800 m in the Hindu Kush Mountains and its the district HQ of Chitral district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan.

Because of its strategic location it was witness to many events in the Great Game as it played out between the British Empire and the Tsarist Russia. With the formation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in 1846 and the subsequent conquest of Gilgit / Hunza the Chitral region also came under the influence of the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir in 1876 with the blessings of the British. However once they leased out Gilgit from the Maharaja to keep on eye on the Russians and thus the Gilgit Agency was formed. Chitral was taken out of the Maharaja’s realm of influence and made a part of what came to be called the NWFP.

However there was an incident in Chitral which tested the resolve of the British to hold on to Chitral. Chitral had a semi-independent Ruler called the Mehtar who was subservient to the British. In 1892 the Ruler of Chitral, Aman ul Mulk expired and he had ruled since 1857. His death was followed by a brutal war of succession between his sons. And the British watched this and so did their Garrison of 400 men who were housed inside the Chitral Fort by the Chitral River. The old Ruler was succeeded by a son but his brother (the departed Mehtar’s) also appeared on the scene from exile in Kabul. And so did another son who was under British protection. And if that wasn't enough an Afghan tribal leader with his men also turned up. Without getting into details let me say it was a mess and the British Garrison which had 5 British Officers commanding the 14th Sikh and Kashmiri Infantrymen from the Maharaja’s Army were under siege.

Meanwhile the British decided to send some relief columns to the aid of the defenders of the Fort. The troops were gathered in Gilgit and they consisted of 400 Sikh Pioneers mostly Road Builders, some 50 Kashmiri Sappers and a troop of irregular Hunzais numbering around 800 men. All tough Mountain men. They needed to be tough as it was March and between Chitral and Gilgit lay the formidable Shandur Pass crossing which in Winter was never really thought of as a possibility. This is the same Shandur Pass where nowadays the Shandur Polo Match is held between the Chitralis and the Gilgitis. At 3700 m it lay where the Karakorams met the Hindu Kush. Col James Kelly didn't really have an option and this was the option he had.

And they set off on March 23rd. By March 30 they had crossed 10,000 ft and well into the snowline and the snow was deep. But they had the element of surprise and the Chitralis on the other side of the Pass had no inkling that a whole body of troop could cross the Pass in late Winter. It's said that after crossing the Snowline the porters saw what was in store for them as the snow around Shandur was waist deep. And they decided to drop their loads and go back. But the Soldiers didn't really agree with them and you can't really win an argument with Men who carry guns. They got back to their duty and Sledges were used to transport the heavy Guns over the Pass. Once they were over the Pass did the Chitralis realise that they had uninvited Guests coming over to the aid of the besieged Garrison in the Chitral Fort.

In the meanwhile a huge British Force of 15000 was assembled in Peshawar and set off. Joining them unofficially was our old friend, Lt Col Francis Edward Younghusband. This force set off a week after Kelly’s force under General Law. The serious British reaction to this incident was due to the fear of the Russians taking advantage and Ivan and Cossacks coming to the party. They also faced the formidable Malakand Pass and the eventually the Lowari Pass. The Malakand Pass defended by Umar Khan’s 12,000 Afghan fighters which they overcame as the Afghans dispersed. And they crossed the Lowari on the same day that Kelly’s force entered Chitral and the Fort. And it is said that Younghusband ran in front of the detachment and was the first from this force to enter Chitral. And apparently they had finished the last bottle of Brandy the night before. Hangover makes you do crazy things.

Anyways at the end of the day the British got the Fort and the control of Chitral. Many of the Troops got the Chitral Relief Medal. And i should mention that my fellow team Member Rijul Gill’s grandfather was also awarded a Chitral Relief Medal which he still has in his possession.

As for Chitral once they re-established control in 1895 the British installed Shuja-ul -Mulk, a 12 year old son of the late Mehtar as the Mehtar and he ruled for a period 41 years till 1936 and peace returned for good to Chitral.

And I should mention that Chitral is beautiful country. And its the home of the Kalash. It used to be called Peristan as it was said that fairies lived there. If I was a Fairy I would Chitral as home. Its just beautiful.

Pic of the Chitral Fort by the Chitral River. Phot credit Syed Imran Scach.

Heating Systems in the Himalayas : Caution Advised

Heating Systems in the Himalayas : Caution Advised

CAUTION : While Traveling to the Mountains in the Winters

Recently we got the tragic news of a newly married Couple who died due to Carbon Monoxide poisoning while on their Honeymoon in the scenic Hunza Valley located in the Karakorams. There are many people from the Plains who travel to the Mountains in the Winters as well to experience the Snow and the Cold and are dependent on the Heating Systems locally available. Here is some advise on the Heating Systems and caution that should be exercised with them.

While growing up in Kashmir we relied on elementary Wood based Heating Systems, mostly the Bukhari, as there was always a dearth of Electricity as there still is. Every Winter we used to come across sad news of someone dying due to Carbon Monoxide poisoning mainly due to using a Coal Bukhari which gave a lot of heat but of the lethal kinds. There were also Wood fired Bukharis, which are still widely used but however we used Saw Dust fired Bukharis which though lowest on heat was the safest and it kept going once it was lit.

A Typical Saw Dust Bukhari. These are getting Rarer.

Now as more and more people Travel to the Himalayas and are introduced to new kinds of Heating systems you should understand that these need to be used with Caution. There are many kind of Heating Systems now in use and these Range from Wood based to Electricity based to Kerosene based to Gas based.

Wood based systems are mostly like a Bukhari which is likely fired with Wood. Coal based Bukharis are not really in use. Wood Bukharis are an option widely used in colder places. If you are using a Wooden Bukhari make sure that there is a Vessel filled with Water kept on or near the Bukhari. This helps in keeping the Humidity up in the Room and it doesnt go dry. And stop adding Wood once you are planning to sleep.

Electric Heaters are another option but these arent very heat effective as they need a constant Voltage and most Mountain places have paucity of Electricity as well as Voltage. But they are still effective in less colder places but again advisable to switch off before sleeping.

Kerosene Bukharis/ Heaters are another option. The New ones are quite effective but there is the problem of some smell and some people dont take very kindly to these fumes. So you need to see if it suits you. Again switch it off before sleeping.

A Gas Heater

And now we come to Gas Heaters. These are now being widely used. You dont need to rely on Electricity or Wood or smelly Kerosene. Just plug in a Gas Cylinder and you are good to go. But again a Gas Heater generates a lot of Carbon Monoxide. So as in other heating appliance switch it off before sleeping and make sure the Room is well ventilated. Keep a window open if you need to.

And then there are things like Electric Blankets. These are very effective if they are used under the Bed Cover and these ensure that you have a warm bed to get into. Again it goes without saying switch it off before sleeping.

Bottom line no matter which Heating System is used Switch it off before going to sleep and make sure that your Room is well Ventilated.

The best option is to make optimum use of your Body heat, use Thermals and Socks and Warm Woolen caps for Sleeping instead of using the Heater. Take an extra Quilt or two Extra Quilts but ensure that all Heating is off before you go to sleep. It could save your life.

Be Safe.

PS : I have used / using all these Devices in our Home. We use a Saw Dust bukhari which is the safest. And the Gas Heater we only use in the Dining / Drawing Room of the House. Areas where no one sleeps. Electric blankets and Electric Heaters else where as the Electricity condition is somewhat improved in Srinagar. But all Heating off before Sleeping.

RIP to the Beautiful couple who lost their life in this tragic incident of Gas Heater poisoning.

Dalhousie's Colonel

Col. Jagatram was a Doctor in the British Indian Army. Though originally a Dogra from Billawar near Jammu he was bought up in Mandalay in what was then Burma. He completed both his primary and secondary education in Mandalay and got his Medicine degree from Rangoon and went onto join the British Indian Army as a Doctor.

Colonel Saab served in the Second World War as well as the 1948 War and in the 1950's was stationed in Shillong. As it so happened a certain Lady Lawrence, who had a large Estate in Dalhousie, right below the Sacred Heart Convent, was looking at selling off her Estate as her husband had passe away and she wanted to go back to England. Colonel Saab was fond of the mountains and Dalhousie was close to his native place of Billawar. They struck a deal and Colonel Saab bought the whole Lawrence Estate.

Along with the Estate came two beautiful Cottages, one at the op of the Estaste and other one on the bottom of the Estate as it straddled a hill. The one on top was called Wisbeck and the lower one was called Beckules. From the upper Cottage one got a grandview of the plains of Punjab on one side and the Pir Panjals on the other side.

Having bought the Estate the Cottages were renamed as Parijat and Tapovan. Colonel Saab after retirement intended to grow Apples and Strawberries and Almonds on the Estate. But since he was still serving the Cottages were let out to the first wave of Tibetan refugees who came into India. Parijat, the cottage on top became the residence of one of the top Tibetan Lamas and his whole entourage took up residence in the Cottages.

After his retirement in the early 1970's Colonel Saab started working on his dream project of growing Apples in Dalhousie. But Dalhousie because of its location gets a lot of hail storms and hail destroys Apples. The Apple crop was always spotted as hail leaves its spots on Apples and they are no longer marketable. Even the Strawberries and the Almond didn't do very well. Anyways Colonel Saab did his best getting saplings all the way from Shimla in the winters and planting them before the snows came in.

A lot of time has passed since but the Cottages are both there but a lot of surrounding land has been sold off by the Colonel Saab's family and many Hotels have now come up in what used to be called the Col. Jagatram Estate.

And I happen to be married to a Grand Daughter of Colonel Sahib

British Museum Kashmir Collection Part II

Kashmir Collection at the British Museum Part II

Second Part of of the Kashmir Art and Antiquities on display at the British Museum. All pics and descriptions are from the British Museum website.

A figure of the Buddha seated in padmāsana, his hands folded on his lap in dhyānamudrā; cast in bronze with copper and silver inlay. 8th C

Despite its modest size this bronze has a monumental aspect with a fullness of face and body due to the influence of Gupta modelling absorbed by the art of Kashmir. While it resembles seated Buddhas in central and even eastern India on account of this common influence, its distinctively regional features appear in the shape of the head, the hairline and the upward tilt of the eyes. The copper inlay of the lips and silver in the eyes, like the flap of the robe hanging from the left shoulder, are Indian medieval characteristics; inlay became progressively commoner. The damage on the image may be due to casting faults.

Figure (Buddha). Standing on lotus. Made of bronze. 10th C - 11th C

Figure (Viṣṇu.fragment). With boar heads on shoulders,earring and necklace,worn. Made of marble (white). 9thC-10thC

Figure (Viṣṇu as Varaha). Made of stone (schist). 9th C

A bronze standing figure of Tara, missing proper right arm. 11th C - 13th C

A bronze standing figure of Tara, missing proper right arm. 11th C - 13th C

Part of a carved wooden Buddhist shrine (portable) with three niches: the central contains a figure of an ivory seated Bodhisattva flanked by many attendants. The left and right niches are are empty but probably contained standing figures of female attendants. 8th C

The empty niches on either side of the main figure held a pair of carved ivory female attendants now in the Cleveland Museum of Art.Zwalf 1985

This wooden panel, with one surviving seated Bodhisattva, probably belonged to a shrine imitating a Kashmiri temple which, even with a proportionately high superstructure, would have been readily portable. The Bodhisattva's crown, where a 'parent' Buddha might have been, is damaged and there is no other evidence to identify him. The flanking niches must also have contained acolytes. This form of Buddhist devotional object was a characteristic product of the Kashmir region.

Seated figure of the Buddha, with right hand in varadamudrā and left raised by the shoulder holding his garment end; cast in a copper alloy with silver inlay. Thin copper base plate; inscribed on the rear. 9th C - 11 th C

Standing figure of Vajrasattva, cast in a copper alloy, with a pointed halo, broken and repaired with straps and rivets. 15th C. Found in Tibet

Figure. Steatite stone figure of Gaja-Lakṣmī, seated on a lion. 7th C

Figure (Kārttikeya). Figure on a peacock holding a parrot. Made of carved and gilded agalmatolite. 8th C. Found in Khotan/ Yoktan

Part of an oval lid showing a women with a cup being held to her lips; carved in a grey steatite; broken. Hepthatilite 6th C

Originally labelled as possibly 8th-9th century, Ghose suggests an early 6th century date for this as part of a group of similar items in different collections

The Forgotten Kashmiri

The Forgotten Kashmiri

I had previously written about the amazing Munshi Aziz Bhatt Museum in Kargil and the amazing story behind the same. I had mentioned the number of priceless items they have on display and each and every piece has a unique story waiting to be told.

One of the most enchanting piece for me personally was certain carpet made in Eastern Turkistan of the old, Central Asia and inscribed with a name and with figures of Eight Tigers around it. It was made in Bokhara in the early part of the 1800s. A very Indian name. Mohan Lal.

Another name lost in history. Of course at the first glance and the first look I was too lost in the stuff at the Museum but later on the name came into my mind. It couldn't possibly be Mohan Lal Zutshi of Alexander “Bokhara” Burnes Munshi. Or was it. And it turns out it was the same Kashmiri who at the tender age of 19 went with Alexander Burnes on a trip to Bukhara across the Hindu Kush as his official Persian translator. And the same Mohan Lal who due to his good office with the Afghans managed to survive the annihilation of the Army of the Indus as well the killing of Alexander Burnes in Kabul.

And from what Ive read about him he had the looks and the attitude which made him a darling of the Courts of Eastern Potentates as well as the British. And a ladies man as well it seems. And of course he had this habit of making Notes on the Woman of all the lands that he visited. He had a keen eye for the ladies. A true Romantic one would imagine.

Mohan Lal as an explorer/ traveler of Indian origin would and right should rank alongwith Pandit Nain Singh but sadly Mohan Lal’s achievements have all been glossed over. His great Journal that he maintained never got published and he died unhappy and a broken man disowned by his own people as well as by his masters, the British.

I am posting the Preface of the Book written on him “The Life and Work of Mohan Lal Kashmiri 1822 - 1877 “ by Hari Ramg Gupta written in 1943 which I am currently reading :

"Mohan Lal was a great traveller, brilliant diplomat, reputed author, the first Kashmiri to learn English and probably the first Indian to educate his daughter in England. He commenced his travels at the young age of eighteen, and journeyed through the Panjab, North-West Frontier Province, Afghanistan Turkistan, Khorasan, Iran, Baluchistan, Sind and Northern India; and later on visited Egypt, England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium and Germany. Thus in Asia alone his travels extended from Calcutta to Qoclian and from Bokhara to Poona.

Through all his wanderings he won the approbation of all his companions for "displaying everywhere a rare union of zeal, tact and fidelity. “ Wherever he went, a warm welcome awaited him by high and low, and rich and poor. Dr. Gerard, one of his companions, wrote about him from Kabul ‘‘Shah Kamran of Herat was delighted with his accomplished Persian and unobtrusive address. At Kandahar he was much respected by Sirdar Raheem Dil Khan, who praised his acquisitions, and regretted that his sons could not partake of them. Here he is a favourite with the rulers. In truth, I know not of an exception in our long journey, to the uniform civility he has commanded.”

Mirza Abbas, the Prince Royal of Iran, created him at the age of twenty a Knight of the Persian Order of the Lion and Sun. Shah Shuja-ul-Mulk, the King of Afghanistan, granted him an Order of the Durrani Empire. Maharaja Ranjit Singh presented him with Rs. 500 and a robe of honour consisting of seven pieces. The Mughal Emperor, Muhammad Akbar Shah, conferred upon him a khilat “with some jewels on a turban which his majesty tied with his own hands.”

Such honours were paid to him not only by the Oriental potentates ; but he was “well received in England and other parts of Europe by the very first people, kings and queens not excepted.” Queen Victoria invited him to a royal ball. Prince Albert called him for an interview at the Buckingham Palace. In Germany, Frederick William IV, the King of Prussia, and the Queen, entertained him at a dinner. The King also presented him with a portrait of himself, bearing an inscription in his own hand.

In diplomacy he was unsurpassed. Kaye calls him a ‘‘charmer” 1 of men. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru speaks of him as one, who in a free India “would have risen to the topmost rungs of the political ladder.” His achievements during the first Afghan War, when he was only twenty-six years old, were most remarkable. His charm, his tact, his patience, his lucid intelligence, his incredible grasp of detail, and his clear understanding of the Afghan character, combined to give him an equipment, which was not found to that degree even in those officers who were in charge of the diplomatic affairs in that country ; and who frequently depended upon him for advice in most delicate matters.

He was an author of no mean repute. On his return from Central Asia in 1834, he “published a Journal of his tour, which considered as the work of an Asiatic in a foreign tongue, may be reckoned a most creditable production.” Twelve years later this work was again printed with an additional account of his journey across Sind and Afghanistan and his visit to Europe. At the same time he published his Life of Dost Mohammed Khan, the Amir of Kabul, in two volumes. On reading his article on the Greek antiquities in Afghanistan, James Tod wrote that "this most intelligent Hindu ought to be made an honorary member of every Asiatic Society.”

About his style of English, the Editor of the Calcutta Englishman remarks "He expresses himself with perfect clearness and intelligibility in English, though not with very idiomatic correctness.” His eccentric phraseology, however, is distasteful. He spoke “English with good accent and much idiomatic propriety,” and "with much fluency and readiness.”

Mohan Lai was obliged to retire at the young age of thirty- two on a pension of £ 1,000 per annum. There is no doubt that if he, had been allowed to continue in the British service, he would have won much greater renown.”

Now coming back to the Museum I am trying to figure out that a Rug which was made as a Gift/ or in honour of Mohan Lal ended up in the Kargil Sarai. And the significance of the Eight Tigers.

Well thats another story for another day.

Pic from the Munshi Aziz Bhat Musuem, Kargil.

Antiquities from Ladakh at the British Museum

Antiquities from Ladakh at the British Museum

Some antiquities and interesting everyday articles from Ladakh at the British Museum Collection. All pics and accompanying text is from the British Museum Website.

Phur-bu (part of), dagger (ceremonial). Snake design. Made of gilded bronze; also engraved iron

Phur Bu (part of), dagger (ceremonial). Snake design. Made of gilded bronze; also engraved iron. Finial (Phur Bu?). Figure of Hayagriva with 4 heads and 6 arms mounted on do-rje. Made of bronze.

A circular amulet-box (gau) with a pair of cylindrical loops for suspension attached to the sides, made of silver with copper alloy and silver filigree decoration; inside the box and behind a circular window is a painted clay plaque (tsa-tsa) depicting a seated Buddha flanked by bodhisattvas; below the opening, a pear-shaped fragment of turquoise is set into the filigree.

Food container in four parts. Made of lacquered wood and papier mâché. Decorated externally with Kashmiri floral designs and internally with fish. The base is also decorated with fish.

Lock and Key

Bell made of metal

Lid made of metal with onion-shaped knob on top and chain at one side

Bell (for horse) made of metal, wood.

Bell (for horse) made of metal, wood.

Case (for charm) made of metal, stone, textile

Perak : Woman's head-dress made of cloth, cloth (canvas), coral, beads (lead), brass, pearls, turquoise

Pendant (one of a pair). Made of cloth, stones (semi-precious), turquoise, coral, bronze

Snow-shoe (one of a pair) made of wood, hide.

A Crampon made of Wood and Hide.

Reverse side of the Crampon

Pack Saddle Wooden for Horse / Mule

Loom (part of) made of wood, textile

Wooden folding table intricately carved with traditional dragon, lion, cloud, geometric and floral motifs and laquered and painted red, yellow, orange, green, blue and gold. Red flat-top with multi-coloured semi-circles immediately below; underneath this, panel with Greek key style geometric design. Front panel with two dragons facing one another with group of six (scrolls?) surrounded by flames at centre; cloud designs all around. Front table legs painted red with yellow edges and gold floral motifs. Side folding legs similarly painted but central panels carved with lion design surrounded with clouds. Top and back sides of table roughly painted blue.

Another view of the Wooden Folding Table.

Kashmir Musings I

The first is the traditional Khatamband wooden ceiling which is made of small geometric pieces of Walnut or Deodar wood as seen in the pic below. This originated in Persia and made it down to Kashmir. These are traditionally made without any nails or glue and are just fitted together using joints in wood. These intricate pieces of art serve as a heat insulator as well. However it is a time taking task and expensive as such. Also with wood getting expensive this art form is slowly disappearing from Kashmiri homes. We are still lucky to have this ceiling in some parts of the house which was done more than 40 years ago and it even survived the floods.

The second which most of you must be familiar with is the Bukhari, which as the name suggests came from Bukhara in Central Asia. Traditionally we had three kinds of Bukharis: Wood burning, such was the original type, then the Coal burning and finally the Saw Dust burning. The Coal one was the hottest but it came with the danger of asphyxiation. The Wood one was the second hottest but it need a constant supply of wood but never the less was the most popular one. In our house we had the Saw Dust one as it was most convenient though heat generation was less compared to the other two. However Saw Dust as a waste product was easily available in those times. Nowadays these are being replaced by Gas, Kerosene and Electrical heaters. And slowly the Bukhari would only be found at places like this. The Bukharis in the pic below are the extra large variety types and wood burning.

The Residency, which lends its name to Srinagar's stylish (once upon a time) Residency Road, after the light snowfall day before yesterday. 

This served as the Residence of the Resident of the British Indian Government to the Court of the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir.

Set amidst vast lawns and surrounded by numerous Chinars hundreds of years old it sits right opposite to what used to be the Polo Ground. The building now serves as a Handicrafts Emporium showcasing arts and crafts from the Valley.

Unlike other Hill Stations which were a part of the British dominion, Kashmir wasn't and the Maharaja explicitly forbade any foreigner from owning any land in the Valley (it still holds true in another manifestation which is now a Political issue). So all the British used to stay in Houseboats as they were allowed to stay on these and even own them.

The Residency building is a beautiful heritage building with two magnificent gates on either side. One gate led towards the Lal Chowk area while the other opened towards the exclusive, white only, Srinagar Club.

The Keeper of Buddha's Bones

The Keeper of Buddha’s Bones

The Great Himalayan Complex as most must be aware includes the greatest Mountain Ranges which radiate from some point in Central Asia / Northern India. Looking at the historical context there have been few Rulers, infact not more than handful who have exercised control over this wildest of the wildernesses on the Planet.

One name which comes to mind is that of the Great Kushan Emperor Kanishka whose Empire ranged from Turfan in the Tarim Basin to beyond Bactria to Sodania. From Gandhara to Kashmir to Mathura to Patliputra and all the way to Gujarat. It was a massive enterprise with vast array of different people under their Rule. The Kushans actually originated from the Tarim Basin and were Central Asian nomads before they united and swept South and Westwards.  They were said to have originated from the Yuezhi people who were nomadic pastoralists.

Emperor Kanishka is widely believed to be the most powerful of the Kushan kings who left impressive historical records which are being discovered even to this day. The famous Rabatak Inscription talks of the great lineage of the Kushana Rulers as well as talks of their conquests.

One of the most enduring legacy left behind by the Kushanas were their coinage and notably that of Kanishka. The Kushans created a syncretic culture and had elements from all the Cultures around them. Kanishka was based in Gandhara, the region around Peshawar and Peshawar was the Capital of the Kushan Empire. The Empire stood at the crossroads of where Greek culture and its influenced Bactrian and Gandhara culture met Indian culture. It was here in the foothills of the Hindu Kush and the Himalayas that great monuments were built in Gandhara as well as Kashmir which was at that time a part of Gandhara as well the Swat Valley.

Kanishka himself became an adherent of Buddhism but his coinage reflected the multi-cultural aspect of the people they ruled over. The coinage had Hellenic (Greek), Mesopotamian deities, Iranian/ Avestan (Zoroastrian) deities, Buddha and last but not the least Osheo which is said to represent Shiva. This Kushan coinage has been unearthed at various sites all over the realm of the Kushanas giving historians a true sense of the size of their Empire.

Kanishka has been credited with the spread of Buddhism to Central Asia and Gandhara itself became the center of the Buddhist world. It was under Kanishka’s rule that the Fourth Buddhist Council was held in Kashmir and 500 Monks went all over Central Asia to spread the message of what came to be the Mahayana school of Buddhist tradition. He also favoured the Gandhara School of Buddhist Art as well the Mathura School of Hindu Art just like he believed in Buddha but in certain Avestan deities as well.

Well coming back to the Bones of Buddha part now. In 1908 - 1909 Archaeologists while working on excavations at the Kanishka Stupa, which at one point of time was the tallest Stupa in the entire subcontinent came upon a Chamber. This was at a place called Shah-Ji-Deri near Peshawar under the shadows of the Hindu Kush in the Peshawar Valley. The excavators chanced upon a Gilded Copper Casket, a reliquary of sorts and this priceless find was named as the Kanishka Casket and it was dated to the Second century AD. The Interesting part was the depictions on the Casket which point out that this was the place where different cultures met and infused and also the part that the Kushans in general and Kanishka in particular played in the same process.

The lid of the casket shows the Buddha on a Lotus Pedestal and Indra and Brahma on either side will folded hands in reverence. The edge of the lid is decorated by a frieze of flying geese, or hamsa, symbolizing the travel of departing souls and the removal from samsara. Some of the geese have a wreath of victory in their beak.

The body of the casket represents a Kushan monarch, which is unmistakingly Kanishka as we are familiar with his likelihood and especially his big boots, with the Iranian Sun god and Moon god at his side. On the sides are two images of a seated Buddha, worshiped a royal figures, possibly a Bodhisattva.

A garland, supported by cherubs goes around the scene in typical Hellenistic style.

There are also inscriptions in Kharosthi which underline these facts.

And now the most interesting part. Inside the Casket were found 3 Bone fragments which are said to be of the Buddha himself. They were concealed in a Crystal which was hollowed from one side and then sealed up after the fragments were placed there. And it had the Emperor’s seal on it. There had been another case of discovery of Buddha’s similar bone relics in the Terai foothills of Nepal much closer to where the Buddha was born. So what about these ? Well we all know that Kanishka was a great proponent of Buddhism. And as per certain Buddhist literature after the cremation of Buddha his remains were divided into 8 parts to be buried under Great Stupas to be built at various places. It is entirely possible that Kanishka got hold of some of the relics in his time and took them to his capital Purushapura as Peshawar was called at that time and had them enshrined under a great Stupa. The Chinese pilgrim Huen Tsang remarked in his journey that this place indeed held the relics of Buddha and he described the Kanishka Stupa as 170 m tall.

Ok the Bone Relics of the Buddha were sent were sent to Burma by the British where they are supposedly kept somewhere in Mandalay. As for the original casket it was sent to England. And in England a number of copies of the same were made of the original. The real one was then apparently sent back to Peshawar. One copy of the same is on display at the British Museum. Another copy is supposed to be in Oxford. The one on display in Peshawar is also supposedly a copy of the original. At the time of the partition there was a tussle between India and Pakistan over certain treasures but mostly the Indus ones as no one really cared much about Gandhara as the mainstream narrative in India never took on the Kushans as their own and were looked upon as outsiders.

As a result as of today no one is really aware where the actual Casket is. Some say it was taken to Karachi. Out of all the Scholars engaged in work on the Gandhara / Kushanas none has seen the original and no one has any clue to where it is.

One of our most priceless Treasures is now nowhere to be found.

The Consulate at Chini Bagh

The Consulate at Chini Bagh

Many stories have been told about the Great Yarakand to Leh Trade Route which went across some of the highest Mountains in the World and over some of the most inhospitable terrains. The Trade went up considerably after the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir and the British started to encourage the Trade in a big way and the so called Treaty Road was established. Those were the days of the Great Game and Trade was a perfect way for the British to compete with Russia over influence in Central Asia.

For facilitating the same the British had set up a Consulate in Kashgar which was on the Yarkand Leh trail and the first big city (If you could call it that) once you got over the Mountain wilderness in Central Asia. The Consulate for some reasons was called the Chini Bagh.Of course the Russians also had a Consulate in the same City. And the Russian and the British Consulates and the officials were constantly engaged in a games of one upmanship in order to gain favour with the Turkestanis as well as the Chinese who were nominally in control of the Region.  

The Chinni Bagh Consulate

A some of you must be aware that most of the Trading from the Indian side was done by the industrious Punjabi traders from Hoshiarpur, many of whom were based in Leh and Kargil for doing this Trade. Initially they used to only stay there during the Summers when the Trade was maximum and used to go down to the plains of the Punjab in the Winters. But with time many of them settled there permanently.

Presenting a British Passport issued to a Hoshiarpuri trader from Kargil, Shri Amar Chandji who was one of the big traders involved in this trade. And this Passport was issued at the  British Consulate at Chini Bagh on June 1937 and he was referred to as a British Citizen by birth as I assume all Indians would be at the time the subcontinent was colonised by the Britishers. Amazingly enough it was Amar Chandji’s family which still lives and trades in Kargil. They are the only remaining Hoshiarpuri family living in Kargil as most of the Traders left when the Trade ended abruptly in the early 1950’s. There is still a sign in the main Market saying Amar Chand Diwan Chand Traders and they have a prominent shop in the Kargil Bazaar where Amar Chandji’s son still looks at business. I had the pleasure of having Tea with him at his shop and I was accompanied by a friend, whose family was also originally from Hoshiarpur, but settled since long in the Kulu Valley and presently cultivating Apples in the Raison area. And of course within a couple of minutes the Hoshirapuri’s from Kulu and Kargil established that they were related also through some complicated family history. The World is indeed a small place.

Chini Bagh as it exists today. Pic credit flashme.wordpress.com

Moving on back to the Consulate. It continued as the British Consulate till 1947 when the British decided to grant Independence to India. With the British gone the Consulate was renamed as the India Pakistan Consulate. Yes India Pakistan Consulate and it was like a joint Consulate. And things went on for a couple of years till as per now declassified CIA report things started happening and the Communist Revolution started making its presence felt. As a result the Consulate Generals of Pakistan and India were shut in 1949. It needs to be noted that Trade even at this time was on at full swing and not affected by this development. And it seems that the Indian Consulate officials continued to work well into 1950 when one fine day they decided to leave. The Consulate Incharge at that time was Capt.Sathe (he later became the Indian Ambassador to China) and all of the Indians had to leave via the most dangerous Route ie over the Karakoram Pass into Ladakh. Even the American Deputy Consulate Head took the same Route to Ladakh and the onto Srinagar and thence to Delhi from where they flew back to the US.

So why did the Consulates close or were ordered to close. Well its a complicated different story and maybe it will be told here some day. To put it simply the Communists were not very trusting of foreigners especially in a frontier Region inhabited by Uighurs who were themselves not very fond of the Chinese.

The Great Game had long ended and the Cold War had started and one of its sad legacy was the closing of my beloved “Worst Trade Route in the World”.

As for the Passport it lies in the Munshi Aziz Bhatt Museum in Kargil, a little distance from where the son of Sh. Amar Chand runs his business establishment.

And business is still being carried out in the name of Sh.Amar Chand in the Kargil Bazaar.

Pic from May 2018. Kargil, Ladakh

The Uighur Hajis

The Uighur Hajis

Much has been written about the Trade Route which connected Ladakh with Central Asia across the high passes of the Himalayas, Karakorams and the Pamirs.I have also written on this and mentioned the Route as probably the Worst Trade Route in the World. Crossing the Highest Passes on the Planet over the Highest Mountains could never have been easy. The Men who undertook this Journey were majorly Traders and their hired Men. Well almost all except one Group of people.

This Group of people where Uighur Muslims (mostly older people) on their way down to Kashmir and the Indian Plains and ultimately to Arabia in older to undertake the Hajj pilgrimage. If you think of it that would be one of the most perilous Journey that anyone could ever undertake. For the Traders redemption lay once they reached Ladakh but for these Gentlemen the Journey had only started once they reached Leh.

From there they went onto Srinagar in Kashmir and then took the cart Road to Rawalpindi and then onto Lahore I assume and then they probably took a train Journey down to Mumbai. Once in Mumbai they got onto a Ship headed for Arabia which probably dropped them off at the Port of Aden I would assume. And then through the Arabian Desert all the way to the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina to perform the Haj, one of the pillars of Islam.

And once having done that repeating the perilous Journey on their way back home. Keeping in mind that most of these pilgrims were Men of advanced ages I cannot help but wonder what was the mortality rate of these Pilgrims. And another thing I wonder about is how long did the whole Journey take once they left from Yarkand and returned back to Yarkand. And of course you have to keep in mind that some of them must have come to Yarkand from further afield.

These Men were also Adventurers. The motives were Religious but that doesn't take away from the remarkable Journey that these men undertook. Hats off to them.

The Pic is of a Group of Uighur Hajis in Leh in 1912.

Around the Hari Parbat Hill

The Hari Parbat Fort as seen from the Badamwari below

The imposing Hari Parbat Fort. The present Fort was built by the Durrani Afghans in 1808 though originally the fortifications around the hill were built during the reign of Akbar who wanted to make a new capital here. I did some explorations around the Fort two weeks back and found some interesting things around. The original Fortification wall built by the Mughals still exist in parts around the lower parts of the Hill.

The most fascinating fact was that there was a tunnel from the Fort which led one to the shores of the Pokhribal Lake, an extension of the Nigeen Lake, right from the top of the Fort. The Tunnel entrance is still there at the Pokhribal Lake. Also a ventilation hole around 10 ft is still preserved in the Badamwari Garden. The Tunnel is now blocked so the secret passage way cannot be explored further. The Hill also holds the Shrine of Makhdoom Sahib such encompasses various historical structures of the Mughal Era, as well as the Sharika Devi Temple and the Chatti Padshahi Gurudwara.

The Akhun Mullah Mosque on the Hari Parbat

An alternate view of Srinagar old Town. As seen from above the Mosque of Akhun Mullah Shah near Makhdoom Sahib a little way up from the Kathi Darawaza. This little Mosque was erected by Dara Shikoh in attractive grey limestone to honor his tutor Akhun Mullah Shah. The Mosque was built in 1649 AD and it has a stone lotus over it's pulpit, the only one of its kind in Kashmir. Another little architectural gem of Kashmir. In the background is visible the Shankaracharya Hill with the Shankaracharya Temple, another gem that was made in the 7th century AD.

Massive Chinars overlooking the Srinagar city in the compound of the Akhun Mulla Mosque

The Chatti Padshahi Gurudwara as seen from the Hari Parbat

The Chatti Padshahi Gurudwara, one of the most revered Gurudwaras in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, in Srinagar as seen from the Akhun Mullah Shah Mosque. This Gurudwara is situated in the Rainawari locality near the Kathi Darawaza on the foot of the Hari Parbat. It is associated with the Sixth Guru who is supposed to have roamed around in the Valley spreading the message of Guru Nanak Dev ji.

Pokhribal Lake a part of the Nigeen Lake and the Lepers Colony behind it

The Boat Club at Pokhribal Lake at Srinagar

This pic was taken from the top of the now in ruins outerwall of the Hari Parbat Fort. The water body that you see here is called Pokhribal and it's an extension of the Nigeen Lake. Underneath the massive Chinars is a Shamshan Ghat run by the Ahle Singham, a local Sikh Group. The shed is where they cremate the bodies.

The White building is the Boat Club though there surely wasn't much boating happening and the place looked derelict. Just a few guys using the pier for trying to catch a fish on their improvised fishing rods. The White structure across the Lake is a water treatment plant or something on those lines.

Behind the plant there are old buildings and a big old Hospital. This is Kashmir's Leper Colony. This isolated spot was where all the Lepers in the state were kept. Due to ignorance Lepers were shunned and were forced to live in isolation over here. In time they married amongst themselves and had families. Now three generations of the Lepers families live here. The Lepers are still provided daily / monthly rations. Generally people tend to stay away from this place.

Next time will surely visit the Leper Colony. It's a place time and people forgot. And of course the pic has the Zabarwan, the Lakes, the Chinars and all other things usually associated with Kashmir.

A Family home and its field by the banks of the Pokhribal Lake. On the right you can see the Tunnel which linked the Lake to the Fort on the top of the Hill

An massive old Chinar by the Pokhribal Lake with an ancient structure. Next to the Chinar is a crematorium used by the Sikh families living in this area.

A view of the Nigeen Lake in the foreground and the Dal Lake in the background with the Zabarwan Mountains in the background.

The Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar as seen from the Hari Parbat

The Jamia Masjid in the Nowhatta area of Srinagar surrounded by the old part of Srinagar. This beautiful Mosque is one of the largest Mosques in Kashmir and has a capacity of well over 30,000. It was built in 1394 AD by a Sultan of the Shah Miri Dynasty. It is a beautiful piece of Architecture indeed though few outsiders visit this place. This was clicked from the Mosque of Akhun Mullah Shah above the Kathi Darwaza both of which are ASI designated monuments and again are beautiful examples of Islamic Architecture. 

The Pir Panjals in the background of Srinagar city as seen from the Akhun Mullah Mosque

Central Asian Arts at the Shanghai Museum

Mongol Brass Chess Pieces

Central Asian Arts at the Shanghai Museum

Ughyur Saddle with Painted Motif

Tajik Flute Made of Eagle Bone

Ughyur Foldable Book Rest with four folds

Ughyur Copper Bottle with Carved Motif and Arabic Lettering

Ughyur Copper Bottle w Carved Motif

Ughyur Brass Pencil Box

Ughyur Copper Pitcher with an openwork design and a Looped Handle

Mongol Headdress with coral beads

Kirkhiz Necklace

Ughyur Braided Ornament Adorned with Beads and Silver Khotan

Kazak Gilt Silver Ornament

Tajik Silver Eagle Shaped Head Covering Ornament with Inlaid Stones

Ughyur Necklace

Tajik Silver Filigree Earrings

Mongol Brass Copper Snuff Boxes with Inlay

Tajik Silver Pendants Strung with Beads

Mongol Wooden Bowl covered with Silver

Ughyur Velvet Dopa with Gold work Embroidery

Ughyur Dopa, four angled Caps wit Beads and Embroidery

Kirkhiz Waistcoat and Pants

Ughyur Dopa Embroidered Cap

Ughyur Velvet Waist Coat and Jacket with Embroidery and Beads

Ughyur Embroidered Satin Dress

Ughyur Men's Dress

Uzbek Woman’s Dress with Embroidery

Saddles of the Horse Empires

Central Asian Wooden Saddle.

The Saddles of the Horse Empires

I have already told you the story of the Munshi Aziz Bhat Museum. Of course like all Museums it holds so many Items and so many stories attached to them. Like a small cannon that belonged to General Zorawar Singh himself, Horse Bells gifted by the Raja of Kharmang to Munshi Aziz Bhatt, old Korans from the 16th Century and even a Rug made for one Shyam Lal who was a secretary to Alexander Burnes. 

Saddles Central Asia at the Mushi Aziz Bhat Museum

One of the most significant and important set of items on display is a collection of Saddles and Horse riding items from Central Asia, Tibet and even a Saddle of the mighty Mongols themselves. Of course these items carry little significance but in those days before the Internal Combustion engine came around the Horse was the means of transport and one of the most important weapons in Warfare especially on the Central Asian steppes. No wonder the Empires built by the Nomads of Asian Steppes including the one built by Mongols under Changez Khan were also known as Horse Empires. The tenacity of the Central Asian Horse and its amazing stamina and resilience made it one of the main factor in the conquest of the “civilized” world by these so called “Barbarians” who came in from the North riding their Horses. In fact Historians have credited the Horse as being the strongest strength of the largest contiguous Empire the world has ever seen, the Mongol Empire.

Tibetan Saddle

The Central Asian people from the Mongols to the Turkic people of the Central Asia like the Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Kazakh to the Persian Tajiks all revered the Horse and they were their most valued possessions. And of course one of most important Item required to ride a Horse was the Saddle of course and all other attached paraphernalia like the Stirrups and decorative ornaments and stuff for the Horses. 

Kirgiz Saddle

The display at the Museum has a great collection of these items as mentioned earlier. There are Saddles from Kyrgyz, the Uzbek, the Tibetans, even an English saddle and the most decorative being a Mongol Saddle. These Saddles are the same design that have come down from Millennia and not much has changed as far as the Saddles and their designs are meant. The fact that there is a great possibility that the Great Khan himself rode a similar Saddle when he subjugated the World is of course quite an overwhelming though.

English Saddle

Of course the Horse Saddles were important items of Trade on the Kashmir to Yarkand Silk Route Trail. I would assume that Horse Saddles from Central Asia were in demand on this side of the Great Mountain Wall. And the Central Asians were more sophisticated at this though the Europeans in the later ear were turning out good Saddles as well. One of the main difference was that Central Asian Saddles were made of Wood and Leather and were highly decorated reflecting the status of the Person riding that Saddle. European Saddles made of Leather and Metal were more work like and devoid of any decorative element. 

Mongol Saddle

In the pic below a few of the Saddles in the Museums collection are shown. The one on the right with Metal Studs is a Kyrgyz saddle from the 18th Century. The one in front is an Uyghur saddle from Eastern Turkestan. The one with a Carpet like covering is a Tibetan Saddle. The one next to it is the most prized one : A Mongol Saddle with a lot of decorations which sadly have deteriorated over time. And last but not the least an English Saddle in Leather and Metal.

European Saddle

The fact that people sat on these Saddles while crossing the Great Wall as I call it consisting of the Kun Luns, the Pamirs, the Hindu Kush, the Karakorams and finally the Great Himalayas themselves again gives one a sense of awe of the great Tradesmen and Soldiers who crossed this most formidable barrier for Trade and War. And their most faithful companion in both case was none other than the Horse.

A Visual Journey Through Dachigam National Park

The Dagwan which originates at the Marsar Lake is the life line and the main River which flows through the Dachigam National Park

A Visual Journey through Dachigam National Park

The Dagwan Nallah as it flows through the Dachigam National Park. The Dagwan Nallah is the main source of water for the Harwan Reservoir, which in turn supplied the water to Srinagar supply. The Dagwan flows down from the Marsar Lake through the pristine environs of Upper Dachigam.

The altitude in the Park varies from 5000 ft to almost 14000 ft and as such offers a variety of habitat. A true haven for wildlife and is preserved as such as the entry is strictly restricted. Hope it stays that way.

Mt Mahadev the highest Peak of the Zabarwan Mountains overlooks the Dachigam National Park

Mt. Mahadev as seen from outside the Dachigam National Park in Kashmir. Standing at almost 4000 m the Mahadev is the tallest peak of the Zabarwan Mountains. The Mountain provides a stunning backdrop to the lower areas of the Park.

Mustard Fields outside the Dachigam National Park

The Mustard fields and the blossoming trees and of course the cloud play on the mountains in the background. On the outskirts of Srinagar on the way to the Dachigam National Park.

The water from the Dagwan River being diverted to the Srband Lake which supplies drinking water to Srinagar City.jpeg

This little piece of engineering diverts some of the water from the Dagwan Nallah / River into the Sarband Lake, that traditionally was used to supply drinking water to Srinagar city. This system was set up way back in 1906. And for many years the water was just supplied raw so pristine was the water.

The Dagwan Nallah originates from the high altitude Marsar Lake which relies on the snow melt of the Peaks of the Kolahoi group at the base of which it lies. The Kolahoi itself the highest peak of the Valley. The Marsar Lake itself lies in the Upper part of the Dachigam National Park and the Dagwan flows down through it, in an area devoid of all human inhabitation, through the magical forests of Dachigam until it reaches this point from where a part of its water gets diverted to the Sarband.

The Dagwan itself finally gets amalgamated into the Jehlum into the journey south. Coming back to the pic and this piece of engineering thanks to which at one time the whole of Srinagar used to enjoy the purest natural water coming down right from the laps of the Himalayas from snow melts since of them above 5000 m and then further enriched by the primeval forest around it.

Himalayan Langur at the Dachigam National Park

A Semnopithecus Ajax (Kashmir Gray Langur/ Himalayan Langur) looking at the idiotic Homo Sapien who disturbed his Siesta.

A Group of Himalayan Langurs at the Dachigam National Park

A Group of Kashmiri Gray Langur / Himalayan Langurs at the Dachigam National Park.

The Rangers lookout hut at the Dachigam National Park

A Ranger's observation hut deep inside the Dachigam National Park. You can see a mix of mountain grasslands, Pine Fir forests and a primeval Oak forest along the Dagwan River.

This point is favourite one for spotting the rare Kashmiri Hanguls and usually sightings are quite common, except when I go there :). The Oak forests below are a favourite hang out for the Himalayan Black Bears and in September October you can see hordes of them trying to get some kind of fruit off the Oak trees. But again I couldn't find any.

The primary reason for not spotting the animals I wanted to see were two fold. First was that I was supposed to reach the Park at 7 but I got there well after 9. Secondly it was a cloudy rainy day so most animals were sheltering themselves from the rain. Thirdly when it rains the Hangul don't need to come down to the Dagwan for having a drink. They find little pools of rain water right in the pastures which they can drink.

Oak Forests at the Dachigam National Park

The dense Oak Forests are a favorite haunt of the Himalayan Black Bear in the Autumn as they come around looking for all kinds Nuts and Berries to fatten up before Winter arrives and they retire into hibernation.

A small Island in the Dagwan River

A beautiful island in the middle of the Dagwan Nallah that runs through the pristine Dachigam National Park on the outskirts of Srinagar.

The altitude varies from 5500 ft to 14000 ft and the Park is spread over 140 sq kms. It is the last stronghold of the Kashmiri Hangul and in spite of hiking around the Park for almost 15 kms we were unable to spot any. The Park is also home to Leopards, Himalayan Black and Brown Bear and even possibly Snow Leopards in the higher reaches.

Mixed Forests of the Dachigam National Park

The pristine and mesmerizing forests of the Dachigam National Park. Thankfully they're are still places in the mountains which still maintain primeval forests like they used to exist.

The Park is named so as 10 villages were moved from inside the present boundaries of the Park to establish this as a Nature Reserve by the Maharaja. Hence the Dach or 10 and Gam or Village.

Another view of the mixed Forests of the Dachigam National Park

The Park also served as the rain catchment area for the City. The Dagwan river flowing through the Park originates from the Marsar Lake and supplies water to the Sarband Lake which used to supply all the drinking water to Srinagar.

Entry to the Park is restricted and permission is required from the Regional Wild Life Warden to get entry to the Park. We got into the Park on a rainy cold April Day. We were unlucky not to have any sighting of the Himalayan Black Bear or the Kashmiri Hangul but the 20 odd kms that we hiked in the Park were totally worth. It was like being back in time.

Clouds building up at the Dachigam National Park. It snowed the next day

Looking towards the City of Srinagar on whose edge Dachigam actually lies.

The Sarband Reservoir which lies next to the Dachigam National Park and the Harwan Gardens supplies drinking water to the city of Srinagar

This Reservoir was built in 1906 as the main water supply for the city of Srinagar by diverting the Dachigam Nallah. The Hill behind is a part of the Dachigam National Park. The Reservoir is currently going repairs and hence an ugly mound of mud and cement. In olden days it used to be like a beautiful Lake with the imposing Mahadev in the background. Locally the reservoir used to be called the Sarband Lake as well. Truly a gem when in its glory.

The Dagwan River flowing through the Dachigam National Park

Mt Mahadev the highest Peak of the Zabarwan Mountains as seen from the Dachigam National Park