In 1896, a Brahmin living in village Arigom accidentally came in possession of an curious inscribed ancient stone. The stone had been in a piece of uncultivated land near the Masjid Malik Sahib by a farmer during a dig. The farmer sold the stone to the Brahmin. The Brahmin kept the stone with him for sometime and believing it to be a religious relic, did puja to it. People told him the message on the stone probably was a treasure map and that the Maharaja of the state may be the rightful owner of the stone. Afraid that he might lose it, the Brahmin hid the stone under the wall of his house and later threw it into a pit at the entrance of his cowshed, covering it up with cow-dung. The place from where the stone was found also offered signs of an ancient temple. The local called the place Ganesvara which just less than 50 years ago was known as Gangesvara.
In June 1908, Pandit Mukund Ram Shastri heard about the existence of a rare inscribed stone of Arigom and decided to visit the place on the insistence of Norweign indologist Sten Konow who at the time was visiting Kashmir on an epigraphical tour.
The inscription on the stone were found to be Sanskrit in Sharda script. On deciphering the inscription, it was found that the inscription was a material proof of an episode mentioned in Kalhana’s Rajatarangini and a proof the Buddhism lingered on in Kashmir till 12th-13th century.
The old name of Arigom was Hadigrama.
In the reign of King Jayasimha (A.D. 1128) Hadigrama was burnt down by one Sujji. The inscription was from a new building built in bricks replacing an older wooden Buddhist vihara.
The inscription (now supposed to be at SPS museum) read:
Salutation to the exalted noble Avalokitesvara.
Salutation to thee, the Lord of the World, who hast become a light to the three worlds,…who destroys transmigration, the moon of delight to the world.
Formerly the vaidya Ulhnadeva by name made a spotless vihara of wood, an abode for the Lord of the World, in the vicinity of the Gangesvara (shiv temple). After this, by the will of fate, has been burned by king (Jaya) Simha. Ramadeva, the son of Kulladeva, who was devoted to him (Avalokitesvara), made yonder (vihara) excellent with burnt bricks.
Samvat (42)73, the 5th day of the bright (half) of Marga (sirsha)
Sunday, the 16th November 1197.
-0-
Source: Arigom Sharda Inscription, Sten Konow, Epigraphia Indica, Vol. IX.1907–08.
-0-
[To imagine the way that old wooden vihara dedicated to Avalokiteśvara must have looked like, we can look at Alchi]
In 1911 Volume II issue of Journal and Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Pandit Anand Koul reported discovery of stone inscriptions at the springs at Kapal Mouchan by two priest named Lakshaman Bayu and Vishnu Bayu [‘Boi’ of Kashmiri, for priest or ‘Gor Boi’].
The stone inscriptions were in Sharda and of much interest because the date on them put them in 18th century, around 1789 when Afghans were governing Kashmir (Timur Shah (1772-1793 A.D.), a period which is now remembered as a period of much persecution. It is interesting that even around that time Sharda survived and Pandits were working on their holy places.
Bhushan Kumar Kaul Deambi in his work ‘Sarada and Takari Alphabets: Origin and Development’ (2008) mentions the inscription but reports that this important inscription is now untraceable.
A few pages from some rare old books in Persian, Sanskrit, Sharda, Urdu and Kashmiri. Shared with SearchKashmir by Anupama Tiku Dhar from personal family collection belonging to her grandfather. Some of them are handwritten. Offers a peek into reading habits of Kashmiris about hundred years ago. Interestingly, a bunch of these books were published in Lahore which was back then an educational hub for Kashmiris. This was a period when Sharda script was well past its prime, Persian was in decline, Urdu was on the rise, Sanskrit was getting revived under State patronage and their were signs English was going to be the language of future.
Anupama writes:
In 2003 when my late maternal grandfather Pandit Jia Lal Khushoo’s ancestral home at Exchange Road, Srinagar was sold, his vast collection of books also had to be appropriately disposed. The books included discourses in English on History, Literature, Indian Philosophy, Religion, bound copies of periodicals as well as some printed books in Persian/Urdu and hand-bound manuscripts in Persian, Urdu and Sharda. The Urdu and Persian manuscripts were rendered in beautiful calligraphy by Pandit Shridhar Khushoo, who was Pandit Jia Lal Khushoo’s grandfather. My grandfather himself was an avid reader proficient in English, Hindi, Kashmiri, Urdu and Sharda. He retired as the Chief Conservator of Forests, J&K.
The books in English were donated to the Jammu University Library as per the family’s decision. Those in Persian, Urdu and Sharda were retained to be gifted to a more suitable recipient. They were kept in storage with my mother in Pune, on behalf of the Khushoo clan. When I learnt about the existence of these rare works recently, I inspected them. I am not literate in Persian, Urdu or Sharda but my grandfather had fortunately annotated each of them in English. This led me to realize that these books were most suited for an institution like the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune. They are now in the process of being formally handed over to the Institute.
Information about the books was provided by various readers of FB: SearchKashmir, particularly Ayaz Rasool Nazki and Ovais Ahmad.
All the info. is compiled below:
Dewan-i-Hafiz published by Munshi Nawal Kishore Press Nawal Kishore was based in Lucknow.
Published books in Persian/Urdu including those by Chakbast/Sarshar etc.
Shivalagan and Valmiki Ramayan in Kashmiri ( in Urdu/Persian) from a copy by calligrapher Pandit Shridhar Khushoo.
Srimad Bhagwat Gita in Urdu , (Ganpat Karit ? ) Doesnt give the name of translator.
A Bhagwat Geeta by a Kashmiri gentleman, Madan, done in early 20th century, was praised by likes of Allama Iqbal and Tej Bahadur Sapru.
Back of the same book
It was published at ‘Gulzar-e-Hind’ Press in Lahore under the supervision of Munshi Gulzar Muhammad, Manager of the press. Published as desired by Haji Chiragudin, Sirajudin, Booksellers , Lahore, Bazar Kashmiri.
Sikandarnama in Persian, handwritten by Pandit Shridhar Khushoo
Top of the front cover has “Om Shri Ganesha Nama” while the lower half glorifies Allah and offers supplication to Prophet Muhammad.
Translation of Mahabharata in Urdu by Malik-u-sho’arā (Poet Laureate) Munshi Dwarka Prashad (Nom de plume – Ufaq Lakhnavi). Published posthumously by M/S Lala Ram Dutta Mal and sons from Kashi Ram Press Lahore. 1926.
A page from ‘Kashmiri (?) Mousiqui’ (Soofiana Kalaam) in Persian.
Handwritten by Pt. Shridhar Khushoo.
[Input by Amir Hosein Pourjavady on FB]:
Left page is about the right time of performing each ragas and raginies.
The right page also contains the famous poem by Zahuri Torshizi [?], written by a Shi’i Muslim since the author is talking about Shi’i ritual of Muharram. The books is probably a 19th century Nawabi musical treatise written in Lucknow.
A page from ‘Dashmas Kandas’ (90 Adhayas) of Bhagwat Gita in Persian handwritten by Pandit Shridhar Khushoo.
Probably one of the 5 from Nizami’s ‘Khamsa of Nizami’, probably the story of Sassanian Prince Bahram Gore titled “Haft Paikar”
‘Bhagwat Gita’ in Sharda script[?]
Vishnu Pooja’ in Sharda script
A page from ‘Shiv Pooja’, tantrik text.
‘Brihat Shiva Pooja’, tantrik text.
-0-
Interesting that while comments on Persian and Urdu texts arrived within hours of posting them to Facebook, Sharda and Sanskrit texts remained without comment and details.
A page from 17th century poet Sahib Kaul’s Devi Naam Vilas (archive.org)
-0-
October, 2016
Update: The book was scanned and uploaded by eGangotri, an initiative based in Delhi that provides free scanning of ancient manuscripts and old books.
