Kashmir is paradise on earth

There are certain places in Kashmir which are held in reverence by the members of the two communities alike. For example, at Fattehpura in the Vernag Ilaka, and at Waripura in the Magan Ilaka, the imprint of a foot in stone is worshipped by the Muslims as Kadam-i-Rasul (the Prophet’s footprint), and by the Hindus as Vishnu pad (Vishnu’s foot).

About the Kashmir valley itself the Hindus as well as the Muslims had a common belief that it was a vast lake on which the goddess Parvati sailed in a pleasure-boat from her mountain home in Haramak in the north to Konsa Nag in the south. In her honour the lake was called Satisar, the tarn of the chaste woman. The story goes that there lived in the lake a barbaric demon, Jaldeo, whose patron was Brahma. He destroyed all life on the shores and laid waste the country. Brahma’s grandson, Kashaf, incidentally visited the lake. Distressed to see the havoc wrought by Jaldeo he resolved to vanquish the demon. After 1000 years of religious exercises and penance Kashaf readied for a struggle with the demon but Jaldeo hid under the water.

Then Vishnu came to the help of Kashaf and struck the mountains at Baramulla with his trident, and the waters of the lake rushed out. But Jaldeo again eluded by entrenching himself in low ground near the Hari-Parbat. At last Parvati killed him by dropping a mountain on top of him.

The mountain is even now known as Hari-Parbat. After this the valley became famous as Kashafmar, the home of Kashaf, and it was corrupted to Kashmir. This myth was popular among both Hindu and Muslims.

The spirit of communal fraternity and co-existence was very much discernible when the Pakistani raiders along with Pak troops invaded the state on 22 October 1947. There are many instances when the local Muslim volunteers put up a gallant resistance and stopped the advance of the invaders. The martyrdom of Mohammad Maqbool Sherwani and Master Abdul Aziz speaks volumes of this spirit.