Gan Chodah Special - Siddhivinayak worshipped in Srinagar! Did you know about the Ganpatyar temple of the Kashmir valley?

 

It is hardly believable that there is an age old Ganpatyar temple (worshipping Siddhivinayak) in Kashmir's Srinagar; a place that is not at all associated with Hinduism or anything else related to Hinduism lately. However, the Kashmiri capital abodes several significant heritage places of Hinduism and rather the culture of Kashmiri Pandits. Today, although the Kashmiri Pandit community is struggling through difficult times, yet again, but the community is also celebrating an important festival - 'Gan Chodah'. The Kashmiri Pandits celebrate Ganesha Chaturdashi as the festival of 'Gan Chodah' and the Kashmiri Pandits visit the historic Ganpatyar temple today, without fail. On the occasion of Gan Chodah let us know more about Kahmir's very own historic Siddhivinayak temple - the 'Ganpatyar temple'.

 

 

 

 

The 200 years old heritage of the Ganpatyar temple is an important monument for the Kashmiri Pandit community and is believed to have visited by almost 25 thousand Hindus until the the Kashmiri Pandit Holocaust happened in 1990. After the 1990 exodus, the number of pilgrims visiting the temple has fallen drastically which only quite recently has started to at least rise a little. In Apr 2021, Kashi Mathadhipati Shrimad Samyamindra Swamiji's visit to the Ganpatyar temple, in order to perform rituals and puja lead to an auspicious beginning for Hindus to reestablish their faith by visiting Srinagar's Ganpatyar temple. In fact Swamiji became the first Saraswat Brahmin to visit the valley ever since the holocaust.

  

Historically as well as mythologically, the Ganpatyar temple is a significant place but in today's time there are not many people who are aware of its legacy. It is worth noting that even before the Kashmiri Pandit Exodus of the 1990, a misfortunate event that significantly dropped the numbers of pilgrims visiting the temple, there had been several Islamic invasions through time that attempted to destroy the temple but the Ganpati idol has survived through all the critical times. There are several tales which successfully explain the significance of the idol, which thus, makes the temple an important spot on the Hindu pilgrim circuit of Kashmir.

 

 

 

Mythologically speaking, the Ganpatyar temple is believed to be the same spot where where Lord Ganesha had assured Sage Kashyap about the settling of people from other races apart from Nagas, Pischas and Yakshas, who till then were the only inhabitants of the valley. In case of History as well, this detail from the Hindu myths remains to be an important source of information regarding the demographic of Kashmir. The Ganpatyar Temple is situated on the bank of the sacred river of Vitasta, that is today more popularly known as 'Jhelum'. The river bank in Kashmiri is known as 'Badiyar'.

 

Historically, the place finds its mention not only in Indian legends but also in the records of Foreign travelers, thus once again, explaining the significance of the place. Interestingly the Chinese traveller, Hsüan-tsang, who is believed to be the great Chinese Buddhist Monk, has also lived in Ganpatyar’s Vihar. The ancient Buddhist texts suggest that contemporarily there was also a Buddhist Monastery, other than the historic temple, but clearly the monastery couldn't make it through time whereas the Siddhivinayak idol still remains to be there.

 

 

 

Another important belief that has been historically backed by evidence about an attempt to end the Hindu legacy from the valley is that during the Pathan rule in the 1760's the Siddhivinayak idol was thrown into the Jhelum river. However, later after almost a century in the 1850's the Siddhivinayak idol was lifted from the Jhelum river and was reinstalled in the temple. The Siddhivinayak idol at Srinagar's Ganpatyar temple is believed to be one of the most ancient Ganesha idols and thus earlier pilgrims who would visit Kashmir for any religious visit were bound to first pay their tributes at the historic Ganpatyar temple in Srinagar.

 

Kashi Mathadhipati Shripad Samyamindra Swamiji's 2021 visit to the temple was highly significant from the point of view of restoration of Hindu beliefs and faith in the valley after decades of abandoning of the place by the Kashmiri Pandits followed after the mass violence of 1990. The large number of pilgrims that was around 25 thousand has dwindled over the years. But, Swamiji's visit was being considered as a new beginning for Hindus to reestablish the lost faith in the valley.

 

The fact that the Siddhivinayak idol, the deity who takes care of any obstacles in the way to achieve goodwill, itself was reinstalled in the temple even after a huge period of around a century while the idol was lying in the Jhelum river, is biggest hope and motivation for the entire Kashmiri Pandit community to not give up on their faith in their own land. The Kashmiri land always belonged to not only Muslims in the valley but also the minority Kahsmiri Pandits, Dogras, Sikhs and several other communities and no single community can establish their dominance in the region. The land of Kashmir is meant for diverse coexistence and it will remain the same henceforth. In these tensed days in Kashmir for the Kashmiri Pandit community, the Ganpatyar temple resembles their strength and hope.