Jammu, India — The historic Himalayan ruins with ceremonial bath spaces and built fountains abandoned on an ancient trade route to India are in danger of being lost forever if the Indian government does not pay attention. Being exposed.
Built on the banks of the Naj River, a tributary of the Ujh of the Indian system, Gurnal is a picturesque village with ceremonial bath spaces and hundreds of ancient fountains called “bowlis”. It was built like a sacred city. About the banks and confluences of many historic rivers in India. However, for unknown reasons, it was abandoned before it was completed.
Sahanasin, the author of the book “Rethinking India’s Educational Heritage,” told The Epoch Times that these ancient cities on the banks of the river were often on ancient trade routes and were truly international, “once. It was the center of knowledge. ” The Indian people because many great sages, poets and musicians lived in them or spent at least a few years there and composed masterpieces that have been studied to this day. “
Gulnar literally means the dwelling of gurus, masters, or wise people on the banks of a stream (nara). According to Indian historian Mahendra Pasak, the authors of three books on the ancient history and culture of India are India.
A bird’s eye view of Gurnal’s main ceremonial bath space. (Venus Upadayaya / The Epoch Times)
Entrance to Garnal’s main ceremonial bath space. (Venus Upadayaya / The Epoch Times)
“The birth of civilization took place in the riverbed. The Upanishad tradition refers to residence with the Guru (master) and achievement of the” Gann “(knowledge). Ancient Saraswat literature states that even lions and deer in such an atmosphere forget their prey and predator instincts and drink water together, “Pathak told The Epoch Times over the phone.
NS Sanskrit Upanishads Derived from the root Sad (sitting) and the two prefixes Upa (near) and Ni (whole). That means sitting close to you enthusiastically. Upanishads are late Vedic texts in Sanskrit, 108 of which are known.
In the larger area of Jammu, there was folklore related to the king who founded the city of Jammu after seeing lions and deer drinking water together, indicating a place with a peaceful future. Today, there is an installation commemorating the same in the main public square of the city of Jammu (72 miles from Gulnar).
Dr. Sindhu Kapoor, Dean of the School of Social Sciences at Cluster University in Jammu, told The Epoch Times on the phone: Garnal, if preserved, may help reveal many truths about the history and heritage of Himalayan civilization.
“There are many heritage sites in this area. They are either ignored or awaiting discovery by other parts of the world. We must make timely efforts to preserve and preserve them. , We will lose them, “Kapoor demanded that the Government of India pay attention to the site.
Ancient trade route
Pathak said the Gurnal site near the current town of Billawar is likely to be on the trade route from Kandahar to Delhi. According to Professor Shiv Datt Nirmohi, author of 40 books on the history of Jammu, Billawar, commonly known as Bilaur, is mentioned as an ancient town in many ancient records, including Rajtarangini, the ancient history of Kashmir in Sanskrit. increase.
Locals said they had taken this route on their way to Delhi, a Babur army unit that began the Mughal dynasty, which ruled India for 235 years before Britain occupied the subcontinent.
BR Upadayaya, an elderly and former forest officer in Villawar, told the Epoch Times that there was a place called Babur Danal (a river crossing named after Babur) on the way to Delhi for some of Babur’s army. .. ..
Babour took over Kandar (now Afghanistan) in 1507 and conquered Delhi in 1526. Professor Pasak said his army had taken this route to reach India.
Professor Pathak, an associate professor of ancient history at Ayodhya’s University of Sackett, talked about how Khandar was at the entrance to the Indian subcontinent for 6000 years. While branching from the Khandar route to Central Asia and the Middle East, other trade routes have come all the way to Central India.
According to folklore, Upadayaya said in Babur da Naru that Babur’s army had caused great casualties in the fighting.
There are other ancient ruins and historic sites within 100 miles of Garnal. The closest is the town of Villawar itself, on the other side of Naji. It is an ancient temple built in Nagara, or an ancient Indian architecture in the North Indian style, also known as the Indo-Greek Dynasty.
The Bilawar Temple, where worship is still practiced, is already protected by Indian archaeological research, but caution is required.Villair too Ancient route from Kashmir to HaridwarIn a town on the banks of the Ganges, Hindus still perform life and death rituals today.
Hundreds of fountains
At Gurnal, some local accounts believe that there are 108 fountains, while others say that there are over 365 fountains. Shiv Doblia’s book on Billawar’s history and culture contains 365 fountains.
The Epoch Times had to roam wild vegetation and streams to reach a location consisting of several large and small fountains awaiting attention from historians and authorities.
Ancient ruins are scattered in this place. A carved stone with oral traditions related to Mahabharata and the post-Mahabharata era. Mahabalta is an Indian Sanskrit epic that tells the story of a struggle between two groups of cousins leading to a world-war-scale war.
Although controversial, as some consider the history of Mahabarta to be a myth, many parts of the Himalayas, including Gulnar, still have folklore related to Mahabarta.
“Whether or not they believe that the Mahabharata event happened, their story is part of India’s consciousness, especially in the Himalayan countryside, which has not converted from Hinduism,” said Houston-based. Shin said.
There is another temple in Gulnar built in the Nagara style. There are two large fountains. The first fountain is visited only by men, the second is intricately beautiful and almost abandoned, but only by women.
What women visit on special occasions is the base of four pillars built to hold a citadel that no longer exists. The entire bath space is completely walled and has a small door facing the stream.
Dr. Kapoor said the late Professor YB Singh, a prominent expert in ancient Indian history, visited the site and, based on his observations, the main bowly women visit today is the Gupta dynasty, which is at least 1600 years old. Said I guessed. Year.
Saraswati-Indus Valley Civilization
Freshwater streams cross Gulnar into Naji’s stream, and perennial springs are scattered throughout the site. Professor Pathak said such places are generally of river origin and indicate geological history.
He said the ruins of the 1400 Saraswati-Indus Valley Civilization were found in Rajasthan, Hariyana and Punjab.
The Saraswati-Indus Valley Civilization, commonly known as the Harapan Valley Civilization, is the largest ancient civilization covering the larger areas of present-day Afghanistan, from the plains of the Indus River system to the now extinct Saraswati River plains and the Ganges. bottom. Pakistan, and North India.
“The northernmost ruins of Jammu are located in Aknoor and Manda. It is likely that Gulnar also has a location for the Saraswati-Sindu Valley civilization,” he said. The distance between Akhnoor and Billawar is 82 miles.
Patak said that the culture of bathing at the Holy Fountain (Boulis) in Gulnar shows a link to the Harapan civilization, as ceremonial bathing was also found in the large communal baths at the Mohenjo-daro ruins of the Harapan civilization in Pakistan today. rice field.
“The public baths at the Harappa Valley site show the importance that civilization has given to bathing areas. Is it a coincidence that today’s Gurnal has another relic for men and another for women? At least it needs to be investigated. That’s what Professor Pathak said, adding that the site has the potential to produce relics from different eras.
“The government is being asked to conduct a detailed investigation in the relevant areas to reveal our glorious past. Kashmir is the land of Kalhana. [author of Rajtarangini] “A great historian,” said Pathak, a lifelong member of the Indian Inscription Society. “There must be important historical facts.”
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Venus Upadhayaya reports on various issues. Her area of expertise is geopolitics in India and South Asia. She reports from the highly volatile Indian-Pakistan border and has contributed to India’s mainstream print media for almost a decade. Community media, sustainable development and leadership continue to be her key areas of interest.