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Historical Places and Monuments in Kashmir
Historical Places and Monuments in Kashmir
The Kashmir region abounds in places of historical and archaeological significance,
important among which are :
Hazratbal Shrine
The Hazratbal Shrine, which is situated on the left bank of the famous Dal
Lake in Srinagar. This unmatched reverence is anchored in the love and respect
for the Prophet Mohammad(peace be upon him), whose Moi-e-Muqqadas, (the
sacred hair) is preserved here. The shirne is known by many names including
Hazrathbal , Assar-e-Sharief, madinat-us-Sani,Dargah Sharief and Dargah.Sadiq
Khan,laid out a garden here and constructed a palacial building,Ishrat mahal
or Pleasure House, in 1623. The construction of the present marble structure
was started by the Muslim Aquaf Trust headed by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah
in 1968 and completed in 1979.The Moi-e-Muqqadas is displayed on various
occasions related with the life of the Prophet and his four holy companions.
Shankarcharya Temple
It is located at 1100ft.above surface level of the main city on the Shankaracharya
hill, also known as Takht-e-Suleiman. The shiva temple, as Kalhana belives,
was constructed by Raja Gopadatya in 371 B.C.and as such is the oldest shirne
in Kashmir. Dogra ruler,Maharaja Gulab Singh, constructed stone stairs upto
the temple. In 1925,the temple was electrifed. The temple, besides a prominent
religious place of Hindus, is of great archaeological importance. The temple
commands a magnificient panoramic view of the Srinagar city.
Khanqah-e-Moulla
The shrine of Shah-e-Hamdan or Khanqah-e-Moulla is one of the oldest muslim
shrines in kashmir situated on the bank of the river Jhelum in the old city.
Jamia Masjid
It is one of the oldest and the most spacious of all the mosques in Kashmir,
situated in the heart of the city.The foundation of the mosque, an architectural
wonder was laid by Sultan Sikander in 1398 A.D.The area of the mosque is
384ftX381ft. spacious enough for over thirty thousand people to offer prayers
at a time.
Badshuhnun Dumat
The tomb of the mother of Sultan Zain-Ul-Abideen(1420-70) popularly known
as Badshah is a splendid representative piece of the Shahmiri architecture.
The monument,situated on the right bank of the river Jehlum near Zaina Kadal
is the only one of its kind in and around kashmir which, compared to the
wooden structures of the shahmiri period,is a wholly brick structure.
Hari Parbat Fort
Another historical monument of Srinagar is the Hari Parbat Fort constructed
by the Afghan Governer,Atta Mohammad Khan(1808-10),on the top of the Hari
Parbat or Koh-e-Maraan hill. The architecture of the Fort is similar to
that of the forts in Central Asia.
Khir Bhawani Temple
Situated at Tullamula in the Srinagar district,is an important hindu shrine.The
temple is associated with the hindu goddess,Ragnya Devi.An annual festival
is held here on Jesht Ashtami(May-June) when hindus visit the place in large
numbers to offer prayers and seek the blessings of the diety. In addition
,there are umpteen places of religious importance in Srinagar.
Mattan
The temples of Mattan are located midway between Anantnag and Pahalgam.
There is a Shiva Temple in the centre of a deep pond.
Martand
This is a significant Archaelogical site. Its impressive Architecture reveals
the glorious past of the area. All that remains of the temple is a central
rectangular building surrounded by a court and rectangular colonnade.