Saturday, April 17, 2021

Martund Sun Temple and empire of Lalitaditya

My knowledge of Cinema can be written on the back of a postal stamp – to those well versed, can you recall or do you remember these lines !

ஓடுகின்ற மேகம் வந்து உனை தொட்டு பேசும்

ஓடை நீரில் மேடை போட்டு வாடை காற்று வீசும்

– the following lines for sure, most of you have heard many a times !!

சத்தியம் தான் நான் படித்த புத்தகமம்மா !

சமத்துவம் தான் நான் அறிந்த தத்துவமம்மா !!

-these are lines from a famous song in MGR movie ‘Idhaya Veenai’ released in 1972, directed by R. Krishnan and S. Panju, starring MG Ramachandran in the lead role, with Lakshmi, Manjula, MN Nambiar and others.  The film was a hit running for more than 100 days .. .. and in case you are still unable to recall, the above lines are part of the song : “Kashmir beautiful Kashmir - Kashmir wonderful Kashmir” – it is a paradise on earth ! 

Bernier,  the first European to enter Kashmir, wrote  in 1665  : " In truth, the kingdom surpasses in beauty all that my warmest imagination had anticipated."  .. this beautiful land has all along been portrayed far differently in our school books and when we grew up -   it has a glorious history .. ..  Utpala dynasty, a Kashmiri Hindu kingdom, ruled over the Kashmir region from 8th to 10th century CE. The kingdom was established by Avanti Varman, ending the rule of Karkota dynasty in 855 CE.  The cities of Avantipur and Suyapur were founded during the reign and many Hindu temples dedicated to both Vishnu and Shiva.  Sadly the same Kashmir towards the end of last century became barren and devoid as Kashmiri pundits were driven out in pogrom.

Oct 26 has all along been an important day  – ‘Accession Day ‘  commemorating the day when the last Dogra ruler of Jammu and Kashmir Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession in 1947.   5th Aug 2019  is perhaps more important day that every other day. The historical day of Presidential promulgation which read : "All the provisions of the Constitution shall apply in relation to the state of Jammu and Kashmir." i.e., unification with the great Maha Bharat India.   After Kashmir's special status is gone, people from anywhere in India be able to buy property and permanently settle in the state.  

The valley of Kashmir is, generally, a verdant plain, ninety miles in length, and twenty-five and a half in its greatest width, which is at the southern end, between the cataract of Arabul and the ruins of the great temple of Martund : surrounded on every side by snowy mountains, into which there are numerous inlets forming straths on a level with the plain; but all having a lofty pass at their upper extremity.

At the village of Martund, or “ the Sun,” half an hour’s ride from Islamabad, is the most holy spring in Kashmir, called, par excellence, Bawun, or the spring. It is said that, after the valley was dried, small hills and caves appeared, and that Kashuf Rishi  walked about in the greatest delight; that he accidentally found an egg (the mundane egg of the Hindus) shining most brilliantly, which he picked up. It broke in his hand, and from it flowed the springs of Bawun or Maha-Martundf—sacred, of course, to Vishnu, who divided the mountains at Baramula.

Of all the cities built by the great Lalitaditya, Martund, Kakapur, and Paharispur, are the only three whose names I have been able to recognise. The modern account of Martund, as written for me by a native, is as follows ;—  “ They (that is, the temples and houses) were built on the top of Martundh, which appears to have been the name of the plain (of the sun), by Rajah Liltadith, or Lalataditya, who dwelt in the village of Litapur, in the province of Wuhu (perhaps Vehi). He reigned in the year of the Hejira 192. He was ruler of Kashmir for nearly thirty-six years, and con¬ quered the four quarters of the world. He built a new city, splendid in every respect, on the top of Martundh. Some of the houses were of copper, brass, stones, and bricks. He caused a river or canal to be cut from the great river Limnurdhi (hodie Lidur),

The facade of the building which stands in the interior is abreast of the gates of either colonnade, and one-third of the whole length of the quadrangle intervenes between it and the front gate, which faces to the west. A bank of stones and rubbish occupies the place where there was originally a flight of steps leading to the doorway. Though not a vestige of them remains, there can be no doubt of the fact, as many of the other old temples in the valley, and those in the Baramula Pass, are constructed more or less on the same plan as that of Martund, and have steps, or the remains of steps, in front of them.  

The Hindu worshippers of Siva in Kashmir exceed, I think, in number those of Vishnu, though I should say that the temples were generally dedicated to Vishnu. Abu Fuzl, in the Ayin Akheri, tells us that Kashmir is esteemed holy land, being dedicated to Mahadeo, the great god, or Siva, and some parts are considered peculiarly sacred. Such a remark, from such an authority, would help to raise a sus¬ picion, already noticed, that the Temple of Martund itself was dedicated to Siva, who also represents the Sun

~ wrote G.T, Vigne, Esq. F.G.S. (above in Green) extracted from his book ‘Travels in Kashmir’ Ladakh, Iskardo, the countries adjoining the mountain course of Indus and Himalayas – published in 1842.  



Sad, we were deprived of reading about the great ‘Lalitaditya @ Muktapida (724 CE – 760CE) a powerful ruler of Karkota dynasty of Kashmir region.  

The 12th century chronicler Kalhana characterizes Lalitaditya as a world conqueror, crediting him with extensive conquests and miraculous powers in his Rajatarangini. According to Kalhana, Lalitaditya defeated the central Indian king Yashovarman, and then marched to eastern and southern parts of India. He subjugated several more rulers on his way back to Kashmir, and then subdued several northern kings. Based on a reconstruction of Kalhana's account, art historian Hermann Goetz (1969) theorized that Lalitaditya managed to create a short-lived empire that included major parts of India as well as present-day Afghanistan and Central Asia.  Lalitaditya is accepted by historians  as the most powerful king of his dynasty. He commissioned a number of shrines in Kashmir, including the now-ruined Martand Sun Temple. He also established several towns, including a new capital at Parihasapura, although he also maintained the dynasty's traditional capital at Srinagara.

Emperor Lalitaditya Muktapida,  a name surprisingly not mentioned in the school books of India, was the fiercest and the most powerful ruler of the Karkota dynasty of Kashmir region. His name Lalit+Aditya means “beautiful Sun God”. His empire stretched from Kabul in the west to present day Kolkata in the east. A man of many interests, he has been lavishly eulogized by Kalhana, the contemporary poet and biographer in his historical account of Kashmiri kings “Rajatarangini”.   The Martand Sun Temple stood  as his most magnificent creation but sadly was ravaged by marauding invaders.

The Martand Sun Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Surya (the Sun God) and built during the 8th century CE. Martand is another Sanskrit synonym for Surya. Now in ruins due to Islamic Invasions of Sikandar Shah Miri. The temple is located five miles from Anantnag in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.  Buddhism was established in Kashmir in 300 BCE, but was eclipsed by the flourish of Hinduism in 800 CE. The region came under Muslim rule in 1400 CE. .. .. and those invasions sadly reduced the greatest of heritage temple to a mere film location ! remaining  forgotten and forlorn just outside a small village near Anantnag. The limestone pillars in Greek style hold the broken walls and high arches. Intricate carvings of gods and goddesses, musicians and dancers, flowers and creepers cover the outer walls. The overall design ensures that sunlight fell on the main idol throughout the day.

The Martand temple was built on top of a plateau from where one can view whole of the Kashmir Valley. From the ruins and related archaeological findings, it can be said it was an excellent specimen of Kashmiri architecture, which had blended the Gandharan, Gupta, Chinese, Roman, Syrian-Byzantine and Greek forms of architecture. The temple had a colonnaded courtyard, with its primary shrine in its center and surrounded by 84 smaller shrines, stretching to be 220 feet long and 142 feet broad total and incorporating a smaller temple that was previously built.  In accordance with Hindu temple architecture, the primary entrance to the temple was situated in the western side of the quadrangle and was of  the same width as the temple itself, creating grandeur.

Now after the plundering, the  Archaeological Survey of India has declared the Martand Sun Temple as a site of national importance in Jammu and Kashmir.  The temple appears in the list of centrally protected monuments as Kartanda (Sun Temple).  The Hindi film Man Ki Aankhen released in 1970  starring Dharmendra and Waheeda Rahman had Martand Temple as background for the Rafi-Lata song Chala Bhi Aa Aaja Rasiya. It also featured similarly in the Hindi film Aandhi starring Sanjeevkumar and Suchitra Sen. 

Sad heart-rending story.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
17.4.2021.

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                                        More photos - ruins of the once glorious temple  - some photos that makes one cry – shared by my friend Parthasarathy Ragavachari -  Travel Entreprenur : UnusualEscapes;  Soulful Travel








 

 

 

  

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