Pari Mahal, Srinagar

Pari Mahal is a structure of six terraces built by Dara Shikoh (1615-1659) on the top of Zabarwan mountain range for his Sufi teacher, Mulla Shah. The place was a Buddh Math, later converted into school of Astrology by Dara Shikoh. In the uppermost terrace, there are ruins of the two structures resembling a baradari and reservoir. In the middle of the second terrace there is a large tank. The façade of the retaining wall is ornamented with series of twenty-one arches built in descending order. The third terrace has the main entrance. On either side of it, there are series of spacious rooms. The fourth terrace has the remains of tank. The fifth terrace has an arcaded retaining wall with pigeon holes. The sixth terrace has a rectangular tank in the middle and octagonal bastions. Fractions of earthen water pipes are still to be seen in the structure. The monument is famous for its garden.

Tomb of Zain-ul-Abidin's Mother, Zaina Kadal, Srinagar

The Tomb was built by Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin (1418–1419 & 1420–1470 AD)
. Its superstructure comprises of a main central dome with four smaller domes in the corners. It is embellished with glazed blue tiles. Another enclosure with gateway to the north of the tomb contains a number of tombs one of which is said to be of the king himself.


The design of this tomb is said to be modeled on Timur's mausoleum, Gur-e-Amir in Samarkand. The building is earliest existing brick masonry structure in the region. The design with its central circular dome is a marked departure from the traditional wooden architecture of the region, and shows close affinity with the Persian-Central Asian tomb models.


The entrance is in the form of horseshoe. The building is a single chamber with a domed ceiling with a height of two storeys. The room has a central semi-circular dome, and a series of four smaller domes, covered by a decorative brick frieze of blind semicircular arches. An interesting feature of this building is the use of moulded blue bricks, studded at intervals on the external façade.

Avantiswami Temple, Awantipora

Built by King Avantivarman (855 - 883 AD) before becoming the King. It has been reclaimed by the removal of an enormous mass of silt and debris which during a thousand years of neglect (for the temple had already silted up when it suffered from the iconoclasts) had accumulated to a height of about 15 feet and buried the whole structure except the upper part of the walls of the gateway and a shapeless heap of stones in the centre.  This Vaishnava temple is constructed on two-tiered base in the centre of the paved courtyard enclosed by the colonnaded peristyle. The entrance loacted in the middle of the west wall is approached by the flight of steps. The walsl of the entrance are ornamented with sculptured reliefs both internally and externally. The pilasters of the stairs of the main shrine are also ornamented with sculptured reliefs. the courtyard has subsidiary shrines at the four corners. The famous Vaikuntha Vishnu is said to be found in this temple.

A large assortment of antiquities has been unearthed during the excavation of this temple. The most valuable are a series of sculptures which have been placed in the Srinagar Museum. The large jars arranged in a row on the lawn above the excavations were, doubtless, used for the storage of grain and foodstuffs. Among those that have been brought to the Museum is onewhich bears an inscription mentioning the name of Avantivarman. This record is of interest as being the only independent evidence of the correct identification of the site.
Kalhana states that the Avantisvami temple was occasionally subjected to sacrilegious treatment even in Hindu times. The tyrannical Kalasa (A.D. 1081-1089) confiscated the villages which formed its endowments. Its military possibilities do not seem to have escaped the notice of the ancients, for " its courtyard served as a fortification when, shortly after the accession of King Jayasimha (A.D. 1128), Bhasa, a commander of the royal troops, was besieged at Avantipur by the rebel Damaras of the Holada (Vular) district." In the fourteenth century Sikandar But-shikan completed the destruction which had already begun in the troublous times which followed the reign of Avantivarman.

Pathar Masjid, Zaina Kadal, Srinagar

شکر حق از دعای اهل یقین
باز آباد گشت خانه دین
گرد سردار خطه میر هزار
مسجد نو بپا به بصد  تزمین 
اختر دولتش فروزان باد
تا بود بر فلک مه و پروین
اینچنین مسجد از بلندی قدر
آسمانی بود بروے زمین
عاقبت رو سیاه و ملعون شد
هر که او غله می نهاد ورین
صدر از هاتفی بپر سیدم
تا کند سال این مرا تلقین
هاتفی گفت عهد میر هزار
نو شد آباد مسجد سنگین


The mosque is said to have been built in 1623 by Empress Nur Jahan. Its façade consists of nine cusped arches including an arched portion in the centre. Its roof consists of twenty seven domes which are partly ribbed and partly vaulted. The prayer hall has eighteen massive square columns. The plinth is surrounded by lotus-leaf coping.


Chinar trees are planted in the courtyard and building material used is polished limestone. Pathar Masjid is the largest surviving example of Mughal architecture in Kashmir. It's area is 180 x 51 feet.


The frieze between the projecting cornices and the caves is decorated with a series of large lotus leaves carved in relief. A flight of steps within the door jamb of the entrance gives access to the roof which is, as usual in Kashmir, sloping except in the centre, where there was originally a dome, which was later dismantled by Sikhs. The roof consist of 27 domes, the central one of which is the largest. The domes are mostly ribbed inside, though there are some that are flat or wagon-vaulted.


Unlike other mosques in Kashmir, this building does not has a traditional pyramidal roof. The roof is supported by 18 extraordinarily massive columns, having projections on two sides. The lower portion of the columns are of stone and upper portions of brick, covered by a thick layer of buff-coloured lime plaster. The overall style lacks any kind of ornamentation.


The construction of the mosque was supervised by the well known historian and architect Malik Haider Chadoora. He was influential landlord and very close to Emperor Jahangir and Noor Jahan.

Mughal Arcade, Verinag

The construction of an octagonal tank with arcade which now surrounds the natural spring was commenced by the Emperor Jahangir (1605-27) in 1620 and completed by Shah Jahan (1628-58). Jahangir wished to be buried here.
The brick facing of the majority of the arches, as well as ruins of the walls of the second storey over the entrance chamber, belong to the repairs done by Wazir Punnu in the reign of the late Maharaja Ranbir Singhji

The spring is reputed to be the source of the River Jehlum: "Lord Shiva struck the ground with his trident. Thus, from this spot emerged the goddess Parvati in the form of river Vitasta. The land is protected by Nila (Shiva), the lord of Nagas. Gauri, though she has assumed the form of Vitasta came out from Nilakunda."

پادشاه هفت کشور شهنشاه عدالت گستر

ابو المظفر نور الدین جهانگیر بادشاه ابن اکبر بادشاه غازی

بتاریخ سنه ۱۵ جلوس در این چشمه فیض آمین ناز الاجلال

فرمودند این عمارت بحکم حضرت صورت امام یافت از جهانگیر شاه اکبر شاه

این بنا سر کشیده بر افلاک

بانی عقل یافت تاریخش

قصرآباد و چشمه ویرناگ

1029AH

حیدر بحکم شاه جهان پادشاه دهر

شکر خدا که ساخت چنین آبشار جوی

این جوی داده است, ز جوی بهست یاد

زین آبشار یافته کشمیر آبروے

تاریخ جوی بگفتا سروش غیب

ز چشمه بهشت برون آمدست جوی   

   1036AH

Khanqah of Shah Hamadan, Srinagar

It is a square edifice which is mostly built of wood with spaces filled by dressed bricks. It is embellished with wooden mouldings and beautiful carvings over doors and windows. The roof is crowned by steeple shaped pinnacle. It was constructed by Sultan Sikandar in 1395. This is one of the architectural landmarks of Kashmir.


The main building is in plan a square, 70 x 70 feet and is two storeys tall. The pyramidal roof projecting over the whole structure is three tiered, surmounted by an open pavilion for teh muezzin, over which rises the steeple with its final 125 feet from the ground.
Khanqah was twice destroyed by fire, in 1479 and 1731. The present mosque was rebuilt by Abul Barkat Khan in 1732.

In 1372 AD Hamadani migrated to Kashmir. He descended where the Masjid now stands, and told the Hindu fakir to depart. He refused, upon which Shah Hamadan said that if he would bring him news from heaven, he would then believe that he was a great man. The fakir, who had the care of numerous images, immediately despatched one of them to heaven, upon which Shah Hamadan kicked his slipper after it with such force that the image fell to the ground. He then asked the fakir how he became so great a man; he replied, by doing charitable actions; upon which Shah Hamadan thought him worthy of being made a convert to Islam; and in a few days so many more followed his example that five maunds of Juneos, or sacred strings worn by the Brahmans, were delivered up by the Hindu proselytes. The converted fakir himself was called Shaikh Baba Wali. Whatever the religious value of this story, it is certain that the Sayyid must have been a personage of great importance, inasmuch as a number of shrines throughout the valley have been dedicated to his memory.

Hamadani went to Mecca, and returned to Kashmir in 1379, stayed for two and a half years, and then went to Central Asia by way of Ladakh. He returned to Kashmir for a third time in 1383 and left because of ill health. Hamadani is regarded as having brought various crafts and industries from Iran into Kashmir; it is said that he brought with him 700 followers, including some weavers of carpets and shawls, who taught the craft of pashmina textile and carpet-making to the local population

Ancient Temple of Martand

Description: Dedicated to Martanda (the Sun god), the sun temple was built by Lalitaditya Muktapida (724 -760 AD). The represents the apogee of Kashmir temple architecture and is unique for its dimensions and grandeur. It consists of courtyard with the principle shrine in the middle which stands on double base. The main temple is enclosed by 220 x 142 feet colonnaded peristyle. The peristyle contains 84 fluted columns. The entrance in the middle of western side of quadrangle faces in the sanctum. It has human figures, floral scrolls, pairs of geese and figures of Ganga, Yamuna and Vishnu. The walls are profusely decorated with pedimented niches. The main shrine has three distinct chambers and some of its walls are carved with images. It consists of an oblong, garbha graha (sanctum), antrāla and spacious mandapa. Two double chambered sideways flanking the mandapa are novel and special feature of the temple. The images carved on the sidewalls of antrāla and mandapa are of Ganga, Yamuna, Vishnu and other deities. There are also six subsidiary shrines in the courtyard. Fine dressed devri stone has been used in the construction of the temple. The large earthen jars within the compound, some of which are still in situ were unearthed during excavations. A beautiful garden has been developed.

Mythology:  The worship of Sun god is famous from the Rigvedic era. We find it's importance in Martanda Brahman and Somāvalopanishad. Gāyatri Mantra is also a mystical worship of Bhargaswarūpa Martanda.

भास्वत्पुञजकरं प्रसन्न वदनं पीतम्बरालिकृतं । पद्मेचाभय पुस्तके जपवदी हस्तेदधानं विभुभ् ॥
सवर्ताग्निसमानकान्तिममंल नेववयोद्भासितं । देविभि परिवारिन्त च वरदे मार्तण्डनाथस्नमः ॥

During Satya Yuga, thirteenth Surya Martanda was born in the house of Kashyapa and Aditi with the blessings of Lord Vishnu. In the previous birth he was the son of Vikarna Muni and because of the curse he had to live in Satisar, the unfathomable water body. When Kashyapa, with the help of Vishnu converted Satisar into the captivating region called 'Kashmir', they found a radiant oval pinda (ball) with the inspiration of Parvati. This pinda was bore by Aditi, that she threw in the Satisar. Then Lord Vishnu with his chakra divided this into two part, from which comes a light-mass that became famous with the name of Martanda.
                                               मृताद् अण्डात् आगतः इति  मार्तण्डंः
The two parts of this oval pinda and famous as the ponds of 'Vimala' and 'Kamala' and are present still today. And the stream that came out of them became famous and Chakrasuta (Chāka) 

How I reached there: I hired a taxi from Srinagar. As the temple is on the hill, the taxi driver asked for some extra money at the last moment...