Since time immemorial, Kashmir has been the abode of many deities, Sufi saints, seers, and savants of very high spiritual splendour, intensity, and grace who enriched the culture and thought process of the people. The land has been blessed by deities Lord Shiva, Parvati, Brahma, Vishnu, Lord Ram, Sita, and Lord Krishna. Sufi saints and Rishis Lal Ded, Nund Rishi, Shah Hamdani, and Sayed Sharaf-ud-Din Rehman (Bulbul Shah) advocated the oneness of God and brotherhood through divine preachings.
Kashmir has also been blessed by the Sikh Gurus, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, and Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji, who also carried the same message. Buddhist monastic Guru Padmasambhav also preached in Kashmir. These noble men believed in the magnanimity of God and spread the message of universal brotherhood. Rishi Kashyap bifurcated a mountain at village Khadniyar, Baramulla, and drained Lake Sati Sar, and as a result, the Valley emerged.
The Valley experiences picturesque frames in various seasons, each having its exquisite aroma. God has sanctified all the beauty of nature in the Valley, and Kashmir is indeed the Divine Land, whose beauty takes heavenly shades, from blooming spring flowers to golden autumn leaves. Kashmir, also in all its feminine beauty of crystal -clear streams and lakes, lush green valleys, and magnificent snow-capped Himalayan peaks, qualifies for the title “Paradise on Earth.” Sanskrit poet Kalidasa has written about the Valley: “The place is more beautiful than heaven and is the benefactor of Supreme bliss and happiness. It seems to me that I am taking a bath in the lake of Nectar.”
Kashmir has the distinction of being home to many revered Islamic shrines, ancient Hindu temples, and historical Sikh Gurdwaras that reflect a rich example of spiritual harmony.
Syncretic traditions are cultural, religious, architectural, and philosophical practices that blend different and distinct belief systems into a new, unified whole. The history of Kashmir is not adequately understood through the background of any particular religion. It is rather the history of a civilization repeatedly shaped over many centuries. The Kashmir Valley became a meeting ground of religious traditions, philosophical systems, languages, political cultures, and social practices.
Brahminical traditions, Buddhism, Kashmir Shaivism, Islam, Sufism, Rishism, and later Sikh and Dogra influences did not suddenly appear one after another and disappear. They interacted with what already existed. Elements were absorbed, transformed, resisted, adapted, and sometimes rejected. Once Islam became indigenous to Kashmir, it itself underwent transformation through its encounter with the same local cultural environment. That is where Sufism and, particularly, the Rishi traditions became central.
Sayed Ali Hamdani was the greatest missionary, whose personality wielded the most extraordinary influence in the spread of Islam. Sikhism did not become a demographic equivalent o f Islam or the older Hindu traditions of Kashmir, but Sikh institutions, communities, and political authority became part of Kashmir’s evolving social landscape. During the Dogra rule, the political structure changed, administrative institutions changed, and relations among religious communities acquired a new political dimension.
The celestial Valley, cradled in its arms, a unique type of Hindu Mysticism and Muslim Sufism. Mysticism in Kashmir was always different; there were Hindu mystics whose principles and methods resembled or were identical to those of Muslim saints. Also, there had been Muslim Rishis who were influenced by Kashmir Shaivism and Hindu thought. Four major Sufi “Silsilas” or orders that obtained prominence between the 12th and 16th centuries were:
• Qadiri Order, founded by Sheikh Abdul Qadir Gilani of Baghdad
• Suharwardiya Order, founded by Shihab-al-Din Suharwardi of Persia
• Shadhiliya Order, founded by Abu -al-Hasan-al-Shadhili, a Moroccan scholar
• Mevlevi Order, founded by Jalal -al-Din Muhammad Rumi, resident of Wakhsh, present-day Tajikistan
Another faith that evolved was Rishism. A Rishi is a sage who sees spiritual truth. Abul Fazal writes, “The most respected class of people in this country, Kashmir, is the Rishis.” Although they have not abandoned the traditional and customary form of Taqlid (following), yet they are true in their worship. Emperor Jahangir wrote, “Although they have not acquired learning and Marifa, they live a frank and unostentatious life.”
The Islamic philosophy of divine unity of being (Wahdat -ul-Wujud) is not different from Hindu philosophy of non -duality (Advaita). It is not at all surprising that the Rishis constantly preached complete harmony amongst different religions and peace and understanding among their followers. If Lal Ded represents the pre-Islamic spiritual inheritance of Kashmir, Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani (Nund Rishi) represents the extraordinary localisation of Islam.
Linguistic syncretism connects people and ideas. Language is the core text of human life that lets us shape thoughts, build societies, and pass down knowledge across time. All faiths in Kashmir, over the entire spectrum of time, spoke the same language, “Koshur.” The Muslim and Hindu communities wore the same dress, “Pheran,” shared common surnames, had some common wedding rituals like the use of Mehendi (Henna), and referred to the bride and groom as Maharein and Mahraz. The communities together engaged in the same music and dance (Rouf, Chakri, Band Pathar).
Sufi Mystical Music of Kashmir (SAMA) forms an essential part of the region’s rich mystic and classical traditions called Sufiana Kalam. The lyrics used include Hamd (Praise of God), Na’d (Cosmic sound or Divine Vibration), and mystical poetry of Kashmiri saints. The main instruments used are Santoor, Rubab, and Trumbkanari.
Hindus and Muslims together participated in many religious functions. Zain -ul- Abdin participated in the festival of Vyeth Truva (ceremony marking the birth of River Jhelum). Historically, both communities carried out shrine veneration and frequented shrines of Sufi mystics and Rishis, blending Vedantic/Shaivite philosophy with Islamic Sufism.
The day after the festival of Herath (Mahashivratri), Muslim neighbours traditionally visited Pandit households to offer greetings and exchange pleasantries (a custom named SALAM), symbolising communal harmony. During the Afghan rule, Jabbar Khan wanted to test the local belief that on Shivratri there is a likelihood of snowfall. He banned the celebration in the scheduled month of February and forced the community to hold it in June/July. To his shock and dismay, it snowed in the Valley on that summer day.
The architectural fusion of Kashmir not only represents the adaptation of Islamic principles to local conditions but also underscores the spirit of tolerance and coexistence that has historically defined Kashmiri society. Some of the shrines, often built in a combination of Islamic and Hindu architectural styles, stand as symbols of the harmony that the Rishis sought to create in Kashmir. The wooden structure of Khanqah, adorned with intricate papier-mâché work, colourful floral motifs, and stunning wood carving, as also the magnificent Jama Masjid, are the finest examples of Syncretic Kashmiri Islamic Architecture.
The indigenous secularism, traditional composite culture, and social ethos of Kashmir represented communal harmony, religious tolerance, and shared heritage among its people. Though presently people connect with the word Kashmiriyat, this word does not find mention in any important historical accounts. It was sometime in 1975, after the Kashmir Accord, that Mohd Amin (Ibn Mahjoor) had proposed that we must support a political party that is rooted in Kashmir and would retain the culture of Kashmir, and that would be Kashmiriyat.
Kashmiriyat and the composite culture got threatened during the armed militancy when the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits took place on 19 January. The word Kashmiriyat has often been quoted in various debates and conferences. Kashmiris have always resisted external aggression that started with the invasion by the Mughals, but what has been more painful is that the nefarious designs during militancy were not understood.
With the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, Kashmiryat and composite culture have taken a huge hit, but all-out efforts are being taken to see to it that this cementing force is not threatened anymore. The militancy in Kashmir affected people of every faith, and tens of thousands of innocent lives were lost. More than 150 Hindu shrines across the Valley were damaged, desecrated, or left in ruins. The terrorist strikes in the Valley did not even spare holy shrines.
Foreign terrorist Mast Gul and his men established a retreat near the holy Charar -e-Sharif shrine. The siege lasted for more than 60 days. The siege ended on 11 May 1995 with a fire that engulfed the shrine. 1990. To conclude, Kashmir’s Syncretic traditions were not created by a proclamation. They emerged gradually from centuries of human interaction. The Valley went through a trying time during the militancy period, and it was these traditions and values that helped Kashmir to emerge a winner, embracing people of all faiths.
The manner in which people of all faiths stood by each other in total sync and harmony to fight the floods of 2014 was again a great example of Kashmiryat. Gurdwaras, Mosques, and Temples were open to people of all faiths for food and shelter. The efforts being taken for a dignified and secure return of the Kashmiri Pandits are a welcome step to revive the Syncretic Traditions of Kashmir.
(The writer is a former Deputy Assistant Chief of Headquarters Integrated Staff (IT), author, and Social Activist. Feedback: [email protected])
