NURSHINGH PHOWAAR TEMPLE, SOON VALLEY (2019)

 February 02, 2019

(All images copyright 2019 Mirza Ali Usman Baig, text written in this article is the author's Research and shouldn't be reproduced)

In the year 2019, we embarked on a memorable hike from Nurshingh Phowar to Katha Sagral. The entire trek was a feast for the eyes, offering breathtaking scenery with its limestone formations, rugged mountains, coal mines, rivers, fossils, waterfalls, and historic sites such as Nurshingh Phowar and Kot Satgarah.

During my journey, I came across a book on Soon Valley written by Muhammad Sarwar Khan Awan. In his book, he mentioned that in ancient times, this route extended all the way to Peshawar. The Soon Valley itself has been a treasure trove for archaeologists, as they have discovered remnants of numerous prehistoric Hindu temples and forts. One such temple stands in Nurshingh Phowar.

According to historical accounts, the origins of this place are intertwined with a Hindu Sadhu named Nurshingh Das. Legend has it that he arrived in the valley and was captivated by the serene and tranquil environment, prompting him to commence his meditation there. It is believed that a spring emerged from the adjacent mountains where the Sadhu sat. In honor of Nurshingh Das, his followers constructed a temple in the area.

The temple, constructed using limestone bricks, features a rectangular shape with a dome. Its appearance suggests that it may have been built upon the foundations of an older temple. Interestingly, the worship room inside the temple does not house any deity.

Adjacent to the temple, there is a pond that is filled with water sourced from the spring flowing down from the neighboring mountains. Prior to the partition of India and Pakistan, an annual festival used to be celebrated at this site during the month of Beesakh. Hindu pilgrims from various regions would gather here during that time.

Between 1831 and 1839, Ranjit Singh granted Gulab Singh the jaegers (land grants) of salt mines and the surrounding areas in Pakistani Punjab. A stone with Gurumukhi script can be found at the site, bearing an inscription that translates to:

"The mighty one could be found by only the true Guru (teacher)

15th Poh (a month in the Punjabi calendar), 1887

The land belongs to Nurshingh Phowar, given by Gulab Singh."

The exact period when Nurshingh Das arrived in the valley remains unknown. Nevertheless, it is crucial to take strong measures to protect and preserve this site of significant historical interest. The temple and its surroundings hold immense value, not only for their architectural and religious significance but also for the insights they provide into the region's ancient past.

    

KHUKA ALSO NAMED AS NATAIN BAOLI/STEPWELL (2018)

Date of Visit:- 09-11-2018

(All pictures and writeup text used in this blog, is author property, kindly respect copyrights)

Inside View of landing/Stair Portion

Inside View of landing/Stair Portion

My acquaintance with Khuka Baoli came from website, ‘Stepwells Atlas” way back in 2015.  I visited Jhelum few times but could not able to visit this site due to always shortage of time. Also,  I was little bit baffled about the directions to reach my desired spot.  

However, I planned  my journey on the help of coordinates from Lahore and reached Rohtas fort. On outside front of Talaqi gate, Gurdwara Choa Sahib Site located, where Baba Guru Nanak is believed to have created water spring during one of his Udasi journeys.

A dirt road named ‘Shah Muhammad Shaheed’, running along the outer periphery of the fort and took westwards turn from Choa Shaib and crosses Kahan River to reach Rajopindi. Shah Muhammad Shaheed road is actually located on old Grand trunk road footprints. 

Rajopindi is another historical site, where a Mughal era Sarai is located. I could not stop here because of shortage of time.
On further travelling on same road in north direction, we reached at junction of Gattar-Dina Road. On left side of this junction a small village named Natain is located and on right side Khuka Village is located. Our desired site is located on ancient GT road that passes between these two villages roughly 850 meters from Gattar-Dina Road. Interestingly the step well is famous by two names “Khuka Baoli” and “Natain Baoli” derived from these villages.

Google Earth imagery showing Natain and Khuka village along the stepwell

At last, we reached to this site; Stepwells usually consist of two parts: a vertical shaft from which water is drawn and the surrounding inclined subterranean passageways, chambers and steps which provide access to the well.

The inclined landing portion has width equal to 5.38 meters and length 28.66 meters. The last buried tunnel portion is 4.00 meter in length. The diameter of vertical shaft (well) was roughly 6 meters.
The Step well, vertical shaft is converted into pumping stations by locals.

The well is used as a pumping Station

Google Earth imagery

Vertical Shaft/ Well

Sadly, no historical document and proof have been found about this structure, which could helpful in approximation of time period of this construction. Step well, Gujarati (vav), Hindi (baoli or baori), subterranean edifice and water source, an architectural form that was long popular throughout India.

However, it is believed that the present Baoli is constructed in Mughal period of somewhat reign of Emperor of Akbar or Jahangir.

 On return, we took Gattar Dina road, and have to cross under this r British era passage  

  

Dharmarajika Stupa Taxila (2018)

All fotos are owned
and few taken from book, "Guide to Taxila" by John Marshall
Text  wikipedia & "Guide to Taxila" by Joh Marshall

The Dharmarajika Stupa, also referred to as the Great Stupa of Taxila, is a Buddhist stupa near Taxila, Pakistan. It dates from the 2nd century CE, and was built to house small bone fragments of the Buddha. The stupa, along with the large monastic complex that later developed around it, forms part of the Ruins of Taxila - which were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.

History

It has been claimed that that Dharmarajika Stupa was built over the remains of an even older stupa that had been built by the Mauryan emperor King Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE, though other archeologists alternatively suggest that this is unlikely. Indo-Greekcoins found at the site date from the 2nd century BCE, suggesting earliest possible establishment of a religious monument at the site.
Small stupas that predate the main stupa are found throughout the Dharmarajika site, and surrounded an earlier core stupa in an irregular layout. It is known that the earlier core stupa contained a pathway for circumabulation that was made of plaster, and decorated with shell bangles in geometric patterns. The earlier stupa likely had four gates in axial directions.

The site came under control of Persian Sassanid rule, and suffered a period of stagnation. Large-scale developments took place during the late Kushan and Kidarite era which added numerous monasteries and stupas to the site.

The current stupa was believed to have been established in the 2nd century CE during the Kushan era in order to house relics of the Buddha, which may have been sourced from earlier monuments, and originally buried at the site around 78 CE.Buddhist texts mention that frankincense was used during religious services at Dharmarajika, while the complex was paved with colourful glass tiles.

 

Destruction

The site was devastated by the White Huns in the 5th century CE, and then abandoned. Subsequent rulers, such as the Hun king Mihirakula, persecuted the region's Buddhists. Under his reign, over a thousand Buddhist monasteries throughout Gandhara are said to have been destroyed. The White Huns destroyed not only Taxilan sites, but also devastated nearby Peshawar.

        Excavation

The stupa was excavated by Sir John Marshall in 1913. The stupa had been looted several times prior to Marshall's discovery, and was badly damaged. Marshall noted that a large trench, requiring tremendous effort, was built at some point in the past in order to loot the stupa's precious relics. By 1934, enough of the site had been uncovered that the site's scale could be appreciated. Human skeletons were discovered in the open area immediately south of the stupa, and may be the remains of monks who were killed during the invasion of the White Huns.

Layout

The location of the stupa and its monastic community about 1 kilometre outside of Sirkap aligns with ancient Gandharan beliefs that the Buddha recommended monasteries should be neither "too far" nor "too close" to adjacent towns. Three distinctive types of masonry in the buildings around the main stupa suggest the contributions of different periods to the building activity.

      Core stupa

The passageway between the main stupa and several smaller stupas was used for the practice of pradakshina.
Dharmarajika Stupa is the largest of all stupas in the Taxila region, surrounding the main mound is a passageway for pradakshina — the ancient practice of walking around a holy site.
The stupa's large anda, or hemispherical mound, is damaged − though the plinth of the mound, known as the medhi, is still largely intact. The anda mound was made of ashlar stone. The stupa's harmika, or fence like structure built atop the anda mound, has been lost.
The stupa's southern gateway was initially considered the most important, though the construction of four smaller stupas (termed G7, G8, S7, Q1) to the west of the stupa indicate that this then likely became the preferred entrance for those performing circambulation. Later constructions around the "Eastern Avenue" then shifted the preferred route for circambulation to the eastern side of the stupa.
Before entering the main sacred areas, visitors to the shrine from Sirkap would pass through a large building, now termed building H, that would openly display relics. Visitors likely venerated the relics at building H before entering the main stupa area.

Peripheral stupas

Chambers containing religious imagery were built along the "Northern Avenue".The stupa was surrounded by a circle of smaller stupas which were built approximately 200 years after the main stupa's construction, and were likely constructed together as part of a project funded by a single patron.Additional stupas were built further along the northern portion of the site by various patrons, and date from the Indo-Scythian period. These stupas form a "Northern Avenue," that had several small shrines with devotional images, rendering the Northern Avenue as a processional corridor. Devotional images were likely relegated to the periphery of the complex due to religious conservatives, who were hesitant to fully embrace the new practice of using imagery in religious practice.
Unlike constructions at Sanchi, stupas around the Dharmarajika Stupa were built by individual donors, rather than as part of a communal effort.

 
Monasteries

Ruins of several monasteries are located around the main stupa.Early monastic cells near the stupa were built as a row of rooms, with a verandah, The verandah style was later dropped in favour of monastic living quarters surrounding quadranglesthat were built immediately north, northeast, and east of the stupa approximately 300 years after the stupa's construction.

The northern monastery consisted of two courtyards that were each built around a large stupa.The smaller eastern courtyard is believed to have housed 13 monks.

Monastery G, located immediately west of the stupa has at least 50 monastic cells, a stupa, and was likely multistoried. Monastery M in the extreme northwest section of the site, and contained its own stupa in a small courtyard. Monastery M is connected to a long residential monastery, oriented in a roughly north-south direction. At the southern edge of this monastery are the remains of two stupas, now termed E1 and E2. E1 was built in a pre-existing cell, while E2 was a more elaborated stupa that contained a small passageway for circambulation. Neither stupa was likely open to the public.

The site is famous for its bone relics – thought to be those of the Buddha, Much of the stupa's precious relics had been looted by the time it was discovered by Sir John Marshall. A silver casket containing a silver inscription was recovered from the stupa's chapel after discovery, The inscription is written in the ancient Kharosthi script that was once common throughout Gandhara, The inscription states that Urusaka of Noachaplaced bone relics of the Buddha in his chapel at Dharmarajika in 78 CE.

In 2016, 2 bone relics from the Dharmarajika Stupa were sent to Sri Lanka for one month. The relics were displayed at important shrines in Polonnaruwa, Colombo, Kandy, and Anuradhapura, and attracted 9.3 million visitors.

Reliquary vessels

18 reliquary vessels were also recovered from smaller stupas surrounding the Dharmarajika Stupa that yielded a wide array of relics, including one that encased a cylindrical piece of gold. Other reliquaries yielded gold jewelry and precious jewels, while others contained items from distant locations such as lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, pearls, and shells − reflecting the large trade networks operating from Taxila. Several coins of the Indo-Greek king Zoilos II were found under the foundation of such a 1st-century BCE stupa.

EtymologyThe name Dharmarajika comes from Dharmaraja, a name given to Buddha who was the true Dharma Raja (Lord of Law), according to Marshall. It is also believed that ‘Dharmarajika’ is derived from the word ‘Dharmaraja’, a title used by Mauryan emperor Ashoka. The stupa is also popularly known as Chir Tope, or "Scarred hill".

AccessThe Dharmarajika Stupa lies about 3 kilometers east of the Taxila Museum, along the PMO Cny Road, northeast of Taxila Cantonment. The stupa was located near the ancient city of Sirkap, which also forms part of the Ruins of Taxila.