Sharada Peeth, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan
Sharada Peeth is an abandoned Hindu temple and ancient centre of learning in the Pakistani administered territory of Azad Kashmir. It is dedicated to the Hindu goddess of learning, Sharada. The Temple is situated at about 1,981 metres above sea level, along the Neelam River in the village of Sharda, in the valley of Mount Harmukh, which is believed by Kashmiri Pandits to be the abode of Shiva. The Temple is situated in the confluence of Kishen Ganga and Madhumati rivers.
It is situated in a picturesque location; the site is surrounded by snow clad peaks of Sharda and Narada hills of Nanga Parbat range. It is one of the three famous tirthas, or holy sites, for Kashmiri Pandits, the other two being the Martand Sun Temple and the Amarnath Temple. Sharada Peeth is one of 18 Maha Shakti Peethas, or "Grand Shakti Peethas" – highly revered temples throughout South Asia that commemorate the location of fallen body parts of the Hindu deity Sati.
Legends
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History
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The Temple
The Temple is situated at about 1,981 metres above sea level, along the Neelam River in the village of Sharda, in the valley of Mount Harmukh, which is believed by Kashmiri Pandits to be the abode of Shiva. This temple is currently not in worship. Only ruins are found in these places. Its ruins are situated near the Line of Control (LOC) between the Indian and Pakistani-controlled portions of the former princely state of Kashmir and Jammu.
The length of the temple in classical Kashmir style, is 142 feet and width is 94.6 feet. The outer walls of the temple are 6 ft. wide and 11 ft long. And there are arches with 8 ft. height. The structure is damaged, and it is likely that a significant part of the material has been reused in nearby residential buildings.
It is believed that image in the sanctum was a wooden image, later replaced by a stone statue that looked like the Sharada image brought to Sringeri, Karnataka, by Adi Shankaracharya. In this image, the goddess has four arms where she holds a parrot (symbol of Parvati), a pot (symbol of Lakshmi), a book (symbol of Saraswathi) and the gesture indicating transmission of knowledge in the fourth hand.
Religious Significance
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Connectivity
Sharada Peeth is located at about 210 Kms from Muzaffarabad, 124 Kms from Muzaffarabad Airport, 333 Kms from Islamabad and 361 Kms from Islamabad Airport. Sharada Peeth is about 210 Kms from Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir and 130 Kms from Srinagar, the capital of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. It is about 10 Kms from the Line of Control, which divides the Pakistani and Indian-controlled areas of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Sharada Peeth is accessible by Neelam road from Muzaffarabad. Buses run daily between Muzaffarabad and Sharda in good weather. The town has a rest house and a youth hostel of AJK Tourism and Archeology Department for tourists stay. Few private hotels are also located here.
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