Meditating in a Cave

Meditating inside a Cave was prevalent in ancient Kashmir. Hindus believed that mountain caves more specifically Himalayan caves were the abode of Shiva. Many Yogis , Saints , Hermits, Sadhus and later highly revered holy men of Reshi cult practiced it . Shaiva scholar Acharaya Abhinavgupta along with more than 1200 followers is believed to have marched insidethe Bhairva cave in kashmir for meditation and never returned thereafter .

Nund Rishi or Sheikh Noor Ud Din Alamdaar e Kashmir of Tsraar Sharif or Baba Zain Ud Din Wali of Aishmuqaam also meditated inside caves .Baba Shukar Din ( His shrine overlooks wular lake in Kashmir ) is also reported to have meditated inside a cave.
During Buddhist period, Monks meditated inside caves. Cave meditation was also practiced by Buddhist Monks in Ladakh and Tibet. Rishis believed in peaceful coexistence, humanism and non violence. The evolution of a Khraav or wooden sandal in Kashmir is a proof if it. The lower surface of the Khraav had minimum contact with ground so that no creatures would be put to harm upon it’s use.The followers of a Reshi would give due respect to the Khraav or wooden sandal of their Guru. No Reshi walked with bare feet.Even to this day, the Khraav of Reshi Peer (Ali Kadal) or Swami Ram Ji of Fateh Kadal is preserved and revered by his followers.

A Dynamic World Requires Inclusion and Diversity

Dr Nyla Ali Khan//

I had the honor of being invited to the Oklahoma Conference of Churches 2017 Annual Dinner by the Reverend William Tabbernee. This event was held at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, which, to my mind, symbolizes the dynamism of cultures and histories in the American West, was the perfect venue for this event.

I, a Kashmiri Muslim woman, had the pleasure of being seated at the Reverend’s table with Donald Karchmer, President Temple B’nai Israel, Hilary Karchmer, Archbishop Wise, and Margueritte Wise. The conversations and interactions that I had not just with those at my table but with friends in the lobby as well were a reminder that we, despite the polarizing politics in the United States and other parts of the world, retain the empathy and compassion to recognize the aspirations of distinct individuals, societies and variations in religious practices and laws from one cultural context to the other.

The entire evening, the invocation, short speeches by the interfaith award recipients, the keynote address by Rabbi Vered Harris, and the benediction brought home the strength of the human bond that unites us across divides created by cultural and religious fanaticism, globally. The camaraderie exhibited by the dynamic interfaith community in Oklahoma, one of the most conservative states in this country, effectively challenges the political myopia manifested during and post-the 2016 presidential election in the United States.

The rhetoric that we heard during the 2016 presidential campaign and election treated the idea of a multicultural/ multiracial/ multilingual nation as if it were a myth. The interfaith community of Oklahoma and the heartfelt words that I had the pleasure of listening to at the Oklahoma Conference of Churches Annual Dinner yesterday evening wase rightly critical of the folly of homogenizing an entire religion as well as an entire region.

“The sole reason the Oklahoma Conference of Churches exists is to connect, educate, and motivate people of faith to work together in promoting social justice, facilitating interfaith engagement, and providing emotional and spiritual care,” said the Rev. Dr. William Tabbernee, OCC’s executive director. “This is more difficult in the current prevailing ‘culture of fear,’ but by joining together we can defeat bigotry, racism, intolerance, and prejudice, and care for the poor, the disadvantaged, and those affected by natural and human-made disasters. We cannot do this alone–but we can do it together!”

“The event this evening was a powerful reminder that to love is to demand justice and to be merciful. It was also a reminder that the opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. Indifference in the face of evil is the same as consent” ~ Michael Korenblit, co-author of Until We Meet Again, and co-founder of the Respect Diversity Foundation.

“Judaism teaches the importance of working with others in the community to achieve social justice. In the Torah, Jews are taught to accept others, without prejudice or bias.  In Leviticus 19: verse 17 states, ‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.’ Verse 18 goes on to say ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord” ~Don B. Karchmer, President, Temple B’nai Israel.

“The messages of unity, compassion, and acceptance driving these Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and other various worldviews to seek unity is encouraging. But, I left asking whether there are unrecognized ideological barriers within this movement because White Evangelical churches were conspicuously absent. Is it because cultural diversity, social justice, full acceptance, and ‘multiple truths and paths to God’ are antithetical to the truths and morality of some? So the barrier is something more than different opinions on some social issues. Maybe the barrier is primarily political. White evangelical theology is influenced by a political ideology that favors the status-quo of the majority culture. Terms such as inclusion and diversity are seen as an infringement on their rights. If that perception is accurate, I guess it would be a challenge for them to join such a coalition. What about the Oklahoma Conference of Churches? Is there a responsibility that goes beyond connecting to groups where the commonality is more evident? What a wonderful event, but this was on my mind when I left. May Yeshua bless all.” Dwain Pellebon, Ph.D., LCSW-P

I was reminded that faith is much greater than mere dogma or tradition. Faith is the ability to organize and mobilize for social change, which requires the creation of awareness not just at the individual level but at the collective level as well. Faith is the courage to bridge divides and to pave the way for the education of the younger generation, which is the only viable response to ignorance and bigotry. Faith is the openness to diverse opinions, dissent, and differences of opinion, which is true grit. I saw shared consent on the fundamental principles of humanity, compassion, empathy, and open-heartedness, which blurs the divide between “us” and “them.”

The writer is the author of Fiction of Nationality in an Era of Transnationalism, Islam, Women, and Violence in Kashmir, The Life of a Kashmiri Woman, and the editor of The Parchment of Kashmir. Nyla Ali Khan has also served as guest editor working on articles from the Jammu and Kashmir region for Oxford University Press (New York), helping to identify, commission, and review articles

First Published in Daily Times here .

AJK President terms CPEC a win-win project

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a win-win project for both Pakistan and China; and is a reflection of the strong relationship between the two friendly countries, Sardar Masood Khan, the president of Azad Jammu & Kashmir State said in Kotli, AJK.
The AJK president made these remarks while addressing a seminar titled “CPEC and Azad Jammu Kashmir” organised by the University of Kotli on Monday. The event was the part of a series of seminars to be held at public-sector universities of AJK to highlight the opportunities and the challenges of the CPEC.
Sardar said that Kotli University has taken a positive initiative in arranging the seminar on CPEC, and would act as a catalyst for further research. The president said that CPEC was not a stand-alone project but is, in fact, a part of the One Belt and One Road Initiative. He said that almost 65 countries including Pakistan are part of BRI which was aimed at global economic connectivity across the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe.
Highlighting the prospects of CPEC, he said that the project was not to be considered as a substitute for Pakistan’s overall economic progress but rather a huge catalyst helping evolve and develop the national economy. Pakistan, he said, was an emerging economy, well on its way to becoming one of the leading economies in the next three decades.
Underscoring the importance of geopolitical stability through enhancing economic and commercial activities, Masood said that CPEC and the BRI were initiatives structured around inclusiveness which would be instrumental for connectivity, productivity and promoting conducive circumstances for prosperity and building peaceful neighbourhoods.
He said that under the CPEC project, Pakistan and China would in the medium-to-long run explore and expand the cooperation fields to financial services, science and technology, tourism, education, poverty elimination and city planning, to meet the demands of deepening and promoting substantive cooperation between the two countries. He also brushed aside all the apprehensions connected to CPEC being China’s plan for colonisation.
The president said that Azad Kashmir had been included as a key region for CPEC with multiple projects for highway linkages, energy generation and establishing an industrial estate would help revive local economy making it into an ideal location for business and tourism activity.
The AJK president said that with the formal inclusion of Azad Kashmir in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, four projects had exclusively been earmarked for the region which includes Karot (720 MW), Kohala (1124 MW) Hydro-power projects, Special Industrial Zone in Mirpur and the Mansehra-Mirpur Expressway.
He said that CPEC would generate thousands of new jobs in specialised fields like logistics, supply chain management, hydraulics, artificial intelligence and other post-modern subjects. He urged the students to understand and adapt to the upcoming challenges, especially in the ever-changing job market.
CPEC’s projects in AJK, he said, would also help promote national and international investors to the region. He said that an economic revolution is unfolding in Azad Kashmir, led by the present government’s transformative initiatives towards building new roads, energy production, health, industry, agriculture, promotion of tourism and telecommunications.
The president stressed a need to address the potential prospects of CPEC by adapting to the change and increasing our absorptive capacity. He said it could be achieved by the efficient and equitable allocation of resources by heavily investing in human and organisational development. He added, “We must innovate and strive for technological advancements in order to fully exploit the opportunities that CPEC will bring to the region.”
The seminar was attended by eminent figures including a large number of researchers, scholars, faculty member and students from various departments of the university. After the event, the president also inaugurated the newly built Administration Block at the university campus.

News Source: The Nation 

Martyrs Of Kashmir

Da'Hanan BLOG

There is something in air Sorrow,misery,mental distress,death.
Some people are asking for help,
They are yelling for help,
World is watching spectacularly the sight of paradise where six year old is sleeping in grave instead of her mother’s lap,
Where some noisy winds blow in order to wake up the world,
Where everyone in pain is unassisted,
Where people don’t have regrets,
Where Funerals are prayed more than obligatory prayers,
Where people want peace but mourning has become their destiny,
Where beautiful and innocent is saying what is my fault,
Since every power and might exists but no one dares, no one cares to help.
And no one knows when will be the morning of happiness for us.
I am Kashmir
A Burning Paradise

View original post

Along the River Neelum (Kishanganga)

The River Neelum, formerly known as Kishangaga is the largest tributary of the river Jhelum (Azad Kashmir) and receives a large number of tributaries itself. In summer, most of the inflowing streams are turbid and in flood.

The Neelum water temperature ranges from 0 to 12 degree Celcius. The river and some of its tributaries have been stocked with rainbow and brown trout. However, the indigenous snow trouts dominate the fish stocks. Downstream of Muzaffarabad, the water temperature in the Jhelum (Neelum) increases ranging between 8 to 30 degree Celcius.

The river Kishangaga or Neelum originates from Krishansar (Kishansar) Lake in the vicinity of Sonamarg and runs northwards to Badoab village where it meets a tributary from the Dras side and runs westwards along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

It is fed by many glacial tributary streams on its way. It enters Azad Kashmir in the Gurez sector of the Line of Control, and then runs west until it meets the Jhelum River in Muzaffarabad.

The Neelum River is 245 kilometers long, it covers 50 kilometers in Jammu and Kashmir and the remaining 195 kilometers in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

In fact, the Neelum Valley is a Himalayan gorge in the Kashmir region, alongside the river. This green and fertile valley is hundreds of kilometers in length and stretches its way from Muzaffarabad all the way to Athmuqam and beyond  Taobutt.

It is named after the river Neelum, which is famous for its crystal bluish water and that is the reason for its name Neelum. There are two entrances for Neelum valley, one Neelum Road by Muzaffarabad and the other by Kaghan the Jalkhad Road.

Neelum is one of the most beautiful valleys of Azad Kashmir, and it hosts several brooks, freshwater streams, forests, lush green mountains, and the river. Here, you see cataracts falling down the mountains; their milky-white waters flowing over the roads and splashing against the rocks, before commingling with the muddy waters of River Neelum.

Before  the partition of sub-continent, this region was known as Drawah. The Azad Kashmir government, in 1956, rechristened the River Kishanganga as the River Neelum, and the Drawah region as Neelum Valley.

The valley is famous for its lush greenery, fir forests, slop hills and waterfalls-

(With input from Daily Dawn/Wikipedia/Fish and Fisheries at Higher Altitudes: Asia, Issue 385)

Photography: Syed Mehdi Bukhari

Kashmir China Relationships

M.Ashraf – Srinagar (Daily Greater Kashmir) Presently, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor is the hot news. The project is being implemented by China and Pakistan at an accelerated pace. Work in full swing started on it in 2015 after an agreement was signed between China and Pakistan to link the warm waters of the Arabian Sea to China and Central Asia. CPEC projects will provide China with an alternate route for energy supplies, as well as a new route by which Western China can conduct trade. Pakistan stands to gain due to upgrade of infrastructure and introduction of a reliable energy supply. It is said that the plans for the corridor date back to 1950 and motivated the construction of Karakoram Highway in 1959. The CPEC was formalised on November 13, 2016 when the first Chinese convoy carrying 250 containers arrived in Gwadar for export to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the UAE and the EU. The Chinese exports via Malacca Straits have not only been lengthy but also subject to risk due to the problems in the area. The new corridor is a big boon for Chinese from all angles. It will also allow the Central Asian countries to have an alternate route. Pakistan will have a tremendous impact in every possible way including abundance of energy from which it has been suffering.

In fact, the development of this economic activity would be a boon for the entire South Asian region. One would have expected that India which from the time of Pandit Nehru has been trying to lead South Asia for development would welcome the setting up of this economic zone. On the contrary, the Indian side has been feeling uncomfortable with the setting up of this economic corridor. Unfortunately, they have been facilitating the re-colonisation of the country by the western powers especially, the Americans through a corporate culture. There is still time to take a bold initiative and offer to join this important economic activity which could sort out the age old political problems facing the sub-continent. Ironically, all the earlier Indian supporters including Russia are keen to join the corridor.

The most important constituent of the corridor is the road and rail link that would be passing through Gilgit-Baltistan which has been part of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir. Interestingly, Kashmir getting a connection to this link which has in fact been the historical route of trade between Kashmir and China till 1947 would be a big boon to the otherwise physically and politically isolated Kashmir Valley. The traders from Yarqand, Kashgar and other places used to come regularly to Kashmir with their long lines of Bactrian camels. The Zoji La route was the famous caravan route for trade with the Central Asia and China including Yarqand, Kashgar, and Sinkiang and so on. The Hajis from Yarqand used to go to Makkah through Kashmir. There was a Sarai of Yarqandis in Safakadal known as Kak Sarai where one could see lines of Bactrian camels (Double Humped) which used to come from Yarqand and other places.  In fact, a large number of refugees from the Chinese Revolution in 1949 came from Sinkiang and Yarqand to Kashmir. They ultimately migrated to Turkey and other places. Some remained here. This route was a small branch of the historically famous Silk Route.

Incidentally, Kashmir has had strong relationship with China in the past. The Annals of Tang dynasty of China know Lalitaditya-Muktapida under the name of Mu-to-pi, as the King of Kashmir who sent an embassy to the Chinese court during the reign of Emperor Hiuen-tsung (AD 713-755). The main purpose of the embassy had been to seek alliance of the Chinese rulers against Tibet. Ambassador U-li-to whom Mu-to-pi had sent to the imperial court distinctly claimed for his master repeated victories over Tibetans. The auxiliary Chinese force of two hundred thousand men which the Kashmir King invited to his country and for which he proposed to establish a camp on the shores of Mahapadma or Volur Lake, was meant for further operations against the common foe. There is evidence that the Tibetans had established a powerful empire at that time and had threatened both Kashmir as well as China. As there is no evidence of any Bhautta invasion of Kashmir, one must assume that Lalitaditya’s expeditions towards north were real and lasting and checked the Tibetan march towards Kashmir. Lalitaditya had also subdued Kashmir’s immediate northern neighbours, the Dards. The Dard tribes have from very early times to the present day inhabited the mountain territories immediately adjoining Kashmir to the north and north-west. The very safety of the valley has many times necessitated expeditions against these areas.

As has been opined by many experts, the setting up of this corridor which passes through a part of Kashmir may ultimately help in resolving this age old problem and bring peace not only to the valley but the entire sub-continent. The example of the European countries shows that it is ultimately the economic considerations which take precedence. If after fighting two destructive world wars all these countries finally came together to form the European Union, why can’t India and Pakistan which too have fought a number of wars come together to ameliorate their economically backward masses? We did fight the colonialists and got rid of them but they came back as neo-colonialists through various economic handles with local collaboration. Those people instead of ameliorating our economically weak status created discord and disputes and supplied us weapons to fight each other. This helped them keep their own economies running at our cost. It is time for a rethink if we want to survive and progress. Kashmir could become a free trade zone for the Corridor and practically take on the role of Switzerland through those destructive wars. Let there be an open debate on the subject.

Source: http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/opinion/kashmir-china-relationship/245004.html