DEVI SHIVA BHAGWATI

Acrylic on Canvas, 24in x 36in

Kashmir, often called the “Heaven on Earth” for its mesmerizing physical beauty is renown as the ‘abode of gods’ for its contribution in the realm of spirituality. Kashmir is the abode of Shiva and presence of numerous ‘sacred’ spots associated with Lord Shiva only go on to strengthen the tradition! And, with Shiva, comes Shakti, the embodiment of Divine Feminine, the Divine Energy. Adi Shankaracharya, composed his epic treatise ‘Saundarya Lahiri’ in Kashmir and the first Sloka reads:
 

शिवः शक्त्या युक्तो यदि भवति शक्तः प्रभवितुं
न चेदेवं देवो न खलु कुशलः स्पन्दितुमपि ।
अतस्त्वामाराध्यां हरिहरविरिञ्चादिभिरपि
प्रणन्तुं स्तोतुं वा कथमकृतपुण्यः प्रभवति ॥१॥

Literal Meaning:
"Shiva becomes capable of creating the Universe, only when united with Shakti. Otherwise, He is incapable of even stirring without Shakti. How then can one who has not acquired merit either in this and/or previous births worship You (Shakti) or even praise You who is adored even by Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma and others."

Kashmir has hundreds of places associated with ‘Shakti’ in its various manifestations – Parvati, Uma, Ragnya, Tripura, Jwala, to name a few. We have a tradition of identifying River Vitesta, Kashmir’s lifeline, with Devi Uma.

Akingam, a village located in Distt Anantnag about 45 km from Srinagar city, has a hoary history associated with spirituality – the name itself is a distorted version of a Kashmiri saying ‘Aki nyiv gaam’, meaning, a lone woman living in this village caused the emancipation of the entire village! Situated in what is known as the Brung valley, this village has, in Govt records, a house registered in the name of Shiva Bhagwati. This is the abode of Shiva Bhagwati, also known as Jaya Bhagwati, the ‘destroyer of unrighteous demons’ and one ‘who establishes dharma’! The temple was a two storied structure and had a ‘dharmshala’ – a living space for visiting pilgrims! Both, alas, were burnt by the jihadi elements that were trying to Islamise Kashmir in the 1990s.  

Akingam has a unique distinction of being home to a community of traditional performers known as ‘Bhands’ in Kashmir. Spread over the foothills of an endless mountain range, these people move from place to place with their extensive repertoire. A short distance up one of the smaller hills in this area sits a famous temple dedicated to the goddess Shiva Bhagvati. Once a year, in honour of this goddess, the Bhands who are Muslims by faith, perform a special ritualistic dance known as the ‘chhok done’ with great devotion and faith. During this performance, the temple is enveloped in an atmosphere charged with a sense of timelessness and of cosmic beauty. An extremely superstitious people, the Bhands perform this chhok only at this temple and nowhere else. Their performances elsewhere, at Muslim shrines and Sufi centres, are very different.

As terrorism has started waning in the valley, a new albeit small temple has been built to commemorate the presence of Shiva Bhagwati, installed in the form of a rock. My painting of Shiva Bhagwati is part of an initiate to share information with the younger generation who have lost touch with Kashmir’s traditional pilgrimage centres – so that they know of their heritage!

Website:- http://www.artistravidhar.in