Kashmir: The Land of Rishis (A Journey Through Time)

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Kashmir, or Kasperia as mentioned in Ptolemy's Geography, is an oval valley enclosed on all sides by high snow-capped mountains. At one time this was covered by a vast lake known as Satisar. Kashmir finds mention in several Puranas from ancient times as a land of great beauty and of learning.. having produced famed sages like Utpaladeva, Patanjali, Panini and others, Kashmir has the unique distinction of having written geographical and historical records available, in contrast to the other regions of India. The 6 century Nilamata Purana lists specific religious sites with corroborating topographical information, and the magnum opus Rajatarangini composed by Kalhana in the 12 century CE provides the "river of kings (Parthivavali)" from around 3450 BCE.
The book also provides information about various long-forgotten ancient sites along with excellent illustrations and photographs. Furthermore, by throwing light on many lesser-known natural wonders of the region, the author provides tourists with fascinating new options to explore during their visit to Kashmir.
"Historians have been unable to connect the past with the present effectively, which has resulted in ambiguities and misconceptions about Kashmir's history and the central role it has played in Bharat's emergence as a civilization. This book provides an insight into this missing link, which is conveyed without clutter, making it easily comprehensible even to a lay reader. The book also describes numerous ancient places, knowledge about which has been lost over time.

Brigadier AP Singh did his schooling at St Columbas School, New Delhi and joined the National Defence Academy, Kharakvasala. Commissioned into the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army, he excelled in the sport of yachting where he became a National Champion and represented India in numerous international championships. He is also an experienced ocean sailor and was a crew member on Trishna, which created history for being the first Indian sailboat to circumnavigate the globe in 1985-87. His thirst for adventure has taken him to explore new vistas after retiring from service. He now travels and photographs extensively, in India and abroad, exploring new destinations, accounts of which are published on his website (https://collectingmoments.in/). His area of interest focuses on the rich heritage of Bharat seen through its ancient architecture, monuments, and knowledge systems. His articles and papers have been published on numerous platforms; his photographs have also been published as "Special Collections". He is the Editor of the strategic affairs journal AGNI published for a Delhi-based think tank.
AP has been awarded Sena Medal (Gallantry) on two occasions and a Vishisht Seva Medal for distinguished service by the President of India during his service in the Army.

The temples of Kashmir present a poignant history unlike the temples in any other part of India or for that matter it can be said that they represent a narrative unlike the religious structures in any other region of the world. Struggling for survival, they represent the oldest, the most magnificent part of the Hindu civilization that once upon a time created the finest works of art and sculptures and a knowledge, wisdom and spirituality unparalleled in history anywhere.
The temples shown in this book survive today protected by battalions of armed men who stand guard to protect them from attack by terrorists. With the Pujaris having gone, many in uniform do the task of praying to the deities and keeping the temple 'jagrit' or alive. The temples may have survived the ravages of time, but are finding it difficult to survive left to themselves. If ever the annihilation of these temples becomes a reality, it will mean coming to an end of an era, a way of life and civilization that can never be retrieved and will mean the victory of forces who want the annihilation of Hinduism in Kashmir. It may not be an exaggeration to say that the biggest enemy of the temples of Kashmir has not been nature but those who wanted Hinduism to become extinct in Kashmir.
The pictures in the book are subtle, have a depth and taken by a photographer who in my opinion took them with a deep compassion to preserve the legacy of these temples for future generations. He wanted to capture not just the broken walls, the boundaries, the inner architecture, the plants and shrubs but the melancholic haunting message they carry and their history.
The book by Brigadier Amreshwar Singh raised many an emotion within me. It is a deeply evocative book. I stayed with the pictures for a far longer duration than I thought I would. They evoked in me a sadness, a nostalgia, but above all a sense of rootedness and connection which seemed to connect me to a part of myself that I knew little about. As a psychologist who works with trans-generational trauma, I would imagine many a reader to get lost in its pages like I did. And when I came out I knew I had felt connected to something far deeper than I had known. The trauma of Kashmir became alive in these pages for me, a trauma that has survived a thousand years, maybe more and is recorded in the stones of the temples that the Brigadier has captured. The pictures speak a thousand words that one can feel.
The temples in these pages have many dimensions. One is that it will remain a permanent sacred space, one that will never be erased. The second is that it is a witness to atrocities that have been hidden from the pages of history and some are trying to revive it and not let it fade from memory. The third is that of power, of those who tried to destroy it and signified by the forces who surround it to protect the remaining structure. Those in political power earlier over centuries see it as symbols and vestiges of a civilization that should be erased, the last signs of a genocide carried out over centuries.

Kashmir is known for its beauty and salubrious climate, especially in summers, and is a tourist's paradise with its breath-taking and magical locales. Nature has generously endowed the region with mountains, forests, lakes, streams, and rivers, which have been enhanced with beautifully manicured gardens to attract visitors. Kashmir has unfortunately been affected by terrorist activity, which has somewhat dampened the enthusiasm of people from the rest of India from visiting the region. However, since 2019 the situation has been improving and 2022 saw a record influx of 1.88 crore tourists flooding Kashmir, swamping the available facilities. I visited Kashmir in May 2022 and despite the constraints on logistics, spent a lovely 10 days travelling to the remote regions without much difficulty.
This was not a sightseeing trip, but a quest to visit the ancient temples of Kashmir, many of them located in remote and terrorist-affected areas. After my recent visits to the temples of Karnataka and Goa, this was an icing on the cake for me, since managing the logistics for such a tour is not easy individually.