83-535: Sharada Peeth is a ruined Hindu temple and ancient centre of learning located in the Neelum Valley of Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. Between the 6th and 12th centuries CE, it was among the most prominent temple universities in the Indian subcontinent . Known in particular for its library, stories recount scholars travelling long distances to access its texts. It played
166-615: A Sufi mystic center under Shaikh Hamid-ud-din Sufi Sawali, a khalifa of Shaikh Muin-ud-din Chisti of Ajmer . At Nagaur Shaikh Khizr settled near the tomb of Shaikh Hamid-ud-din. Fazl's ancestors hailed from Yemen and traced their lineage to Shaikh Musa who had emigrated to Sind some six generations earlier. Abul Fazl's father, Shaikh Mubarak was born in 1506 at Nagaur. Soon after Abul Fazl's birth, Khizr travelled to Sindh to bring other members of his family to Nagaur but he died on
249-569: A volcanic eruption in the 1st century CE, and its uncovered ruins are now preserved as a World Heritage Site . The city of Lisbon in Portugal was also completely destroyed in 1755 by a massive earthquake and tsunami ; and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake in the United States had left the city in almost complete ruin. Apart from acts of war, some important historic buildings have fallen victim to deliberate acts of destruction as
332-647: A book which I had never before seen gave me a clearer insight than any thing I could read. Although I had a special gift which came down upon me from the throne of holiness, yet the inspirations of my venerable father and his making me commit to memory the essential elements of every branch of science, together with the unbroken continuity of this chain, were of immense help, and became one of the most important causes of my enlightenment. For ten years longer I made no distinction between night and day, teaching and learning, and recognised no difference between satiety and hunger, nor discriminated between privacy and society, nor had I
415-407: A congenial helper and my spirit recovered from that ignorance and incomprehension. Not many days had elapsed before his conversation and society induced me to go to college and there they restored to rest my bewildered and dissipated mind and by the wondrous working of destiny they took me away and brought another back. The truths of philosophy and the subtleties of the schools now appeared plain, and
498-583: A consequence of social, political and economic factors. The spoliation of public monuments in Rome was under way during the fourth century, when it was covered in protective legislation in the Theodosian Code and in new legislation of Majorian . The dismantling increased once popes were free of imperial restrictions. Marble was still being burned for agricultural lime in the Roman Campagna into
581-458: A cultural elite, as examples for a consciously revived and purified architecture all' antica , and for a new aesthetic appreciation of their innate beauty as objects of venerable decay. The chance discovery of Nero's Domus Aurea at the turn of the sixteenth century, and the early excavations at Herculaneum and Pompeii had marked effects on current architectural styles, in Raphael's Rooms at
664-581: A decision has not been made. In March 2023, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the government will forward towards opening a Kartarpur styled corridor for the temple. On 22 March 2023, Union Home Minister Amit Shah e-inaugurated the Sharda Devi temple in Teetwal, Karnah in Kupwara district, which is close to Line of Control. Sharada Peeth is situated barely 40 kilometers from Teetwal. The temple
747-590: A few words regarding myself and thus unburden my mind, to refresh this narrative and loosen the bonds of my tongue. In the year 473 of the Jalali era, corresponding to the night of Sunday, the 6th of Muharram 958 of the lunar reckoning (14 January 1551), my pure spirit joined to this elemental body came forth from the womb into this fair expanse of the world. At a little over one year I had the miraculous gift of fluent speech and at five years of age I had acquired an unusual stock of information and could both read and write. At
830-589: A group of assassins from the Gauda Kingdom entered Kashmir under the guise of a pilgrimage to Sharada Peeth. Kalhana also describes a rebellion during his own lifetime. Three princes, Lothana, Vigraharaja, and Bhoja, rebelled against King Jayasimha of Kashmir . These princes, pursued by the Royal Army, sought refuge in the upper Kishanganga Valley, in the Sirahsila Castle. Kalhana believed that
913-635: A key role in the development and popularisation of the Sharada script in North India , causing the script to be named after it, and Kashmir to acquire the moniker " Sharada Desh" , meaning "country of Sharada". As one of the Maha Shakti Peethas , Hindus believe that it represents the spiritual location of the goddess Sati 's fallen right hand. Sharada Peeth is one of the three holiest sites of pilgrimage for Kashmiri Pandits , alongside
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#1732773094196996-461: A more direct result, such as the case of Beverston Castle , in which the English parliament ordered significant destruction of the castle to prevent it being used by opposition Royalists . Ireland has encouraged the ruin of grand Georgian houses, seen as symbols of Britain. As a rule, towers built of steel are dismantled, when not used any more, because their construction can be either rebuilt on
1079-504: A new site or if the state of construction does not allow a direct reuse, the metal can be recycled economically. However, sometimes tower basements remain, because their removal can be expensive. One example of such a basement is the basement of the former radio mast of Deutschlandsender Herzberg/Elster . The basements of large wooden towers such as Transmitter Ismaning may also be left behind, because removing them would be difficult. The contemplation of " rust belt " post-industrial ruins
1162-399: A number of major cities around the world – such as Beirut , Kabul , Sarajevo , Grozny , and Baghdad – have been partially or completely ruined in recent years as a result of more localized warfare. Entire cities have also been ruined, and some occasionally lost completely, to natural disasters . The ancient Roman city of Pompeii in modern-day Italy was completely destroyed during
1245-620: A son), Shaikh Umar and Shaikh Yusuf. Yusuf advised Mubarak to go to Agra and set up a madrasah there. Mubarak reached Agra in April 1543 and on the suggestion of Shaikh Alawal Balawal set up his residence at Charbagh , which was built by Babur on the left bank of Yamuna . Mir Rafi'ud-din Safavi of Inju ( Shiraz ) lived close by and Mubarak married a near relative of his. Mubarak established his madrash in Agra where his special field of instruction
1328-536: A stream, now known as the Madhumati stream. Sharada Peeth has appeared in various historical and literary texts. Its earliest mention is in the Nilamata Purana (6th – 8th century CE). The 11th-century Kashmiri poet Bilhana describes both the spiritual and academic elements of Sharada Peeth. He describes Kashmir as a patron of learning and Sharada Peeth as the source of that reputation. He also says that
1411-403: A supposed educational site. In response, it has been said that Sharda is prone to earthquakes, and debris from a collapsed abandoned university are likely to have been used by townspeople for other constructions. By the 8th century, the temple was a site of pilgrimage, attracting devotees from as far as present-day Bengal . By the 11th century, it was among the most revered places of worship in
1494-499: A temple and an educational institution. It was probably commissioned by Lalitaditya Muktapida (r. 724 CE–760 CE) though no definitive evidence exists in favor. Al-Biruni recorded the place for the first time, as a revered shrine housing a wooden image of Sharda — however, he had never ventured into Kashmir and based his observations on hearsay. Sharada Peeth is referred to by various historians, detailing its mythological status and prominence in ancient India. Its historical development
1577-432: A total withdrawal from the world. Meanwhile, the wise prince-regnant called me to mind and drew me from my obscurity, somewhat of which I have in its entirety and somewhat but approximately suggested and acknowledged. Here my coin has been tested and its full weight passed into currency. Men now view me with a different regard, and many effusive speeches have been made amid felicitous congratulations evoked. On this day which
1660-474: Is a document of history of Akbar 's reign and his ancestors spread over three volumes. It contains the history of Akbar's ancestors from Timur to Humayun, Akbar's reign up to the 46th regnal year (1602), and an administrative report of Akbar's empire, the Ain-i-Akbari , which itself is in three volumes. The third volume of Ain-i-Akbari gives an account of the ancestry and life of the author. The Ain-i-Akbari
1743-684: Is built in the Kashmiri architectural style using red sandstone. Historical records of the temple's architecture are scarce. A late 19th century account by the British archaeologist Aurel Stein describes the temple's walls as intact to a height of approximately 20 feet (6.1 m), and its pillars rising approximately 16 feet (4.9 m). The compound is situated on a hill, approached on its west side through an imposing stone staircase. The facades are repetitive. Suggested reasons for this include that architects disliked plain outside walls, or that even if
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#17327730941961826-466: Is enclosed by walls of 11 feet (3.4 m) in height and 6 feet (1.8 m) in width. On the north, east, and south, the walls of the cella are adorned by trefoil arches and supporting pilasters , which are constructed in high relief. Below these are small, trefoil-headed niches covered by double pediments . Although a pyramidal stone roof is more typical to Kashmiri architecture, in Stein's description,
1909-585: Is identified as a site of popular veneration: 35. There, the goddess Saraswati herself is seen in the form of a swan in a lake [situated] on the summit of the Bheda hill, which is sanctified by the Ganga source. 37. There, when visiting the goddess Sharada, one reaches once the river Madhumati , and [the river of] Saraswati worshipped by poets. Kalhana points out other events of political significance involving Sharada Peeth. During Lalitaditya's reign (713 – 755),
1992-625: Is in its infancy. In the Middle Ages Roman ruins were inconvenient impediments to modern life, quarries for pre-shaped blocks for building projects, or marble to be burnt for agricultural lime, and subjects for satisfying commentaries on the triumph of Christianity and the general sense of the world's decay, in what was assumed to be its last age, before the Second Coming . With the Renaissance , ruins took on new roles among
2075-615: Is often referred to as one of the Nine Jewels ( Hindi : Navaratnas ) of Akbar's royal court and the brother of Faizi , the poet laureate of Emperor Akbar . Shaikh Abul Fazl ibn Mubarak was born in Agra in 1551, the son of Shaikh Mubarak. Mubarak was born in Nagaur but had moved to Agra in 1543, his own father, Fazl's grandfather, Shaikh Khizr, had moved from Sind to Nagaur in the 15th–16th century, Nagaur had attained importance as
2158-550: Is situated 1,981 metres (6,499 ft) above sea level, along the Neelum River in the village of Sharda , in the valley of Mount Harmukh , believed by Kashmiri Pandits to be the abode of Shiva . Sharada Peeth translates to "the seat of Sharada", the Kashmiri name for the Hindu goddess Saraswati . The beginnings of Sharada Peeth are uncertain, and the question of origins difficult, because Sharada Peeth might have been both
2241-411: Is the concept that a building be designed such that if it eventually collapsed, it would leave behind aesthetically pleasing ruins that would last far longer without any maintenance at all. Joseph Michael Gandy completed for Sir John Soane in 1832 an atmospheric watercolor of the architect's vast Bank of England rotunda as a picturesquely overgrown ruin, that is an icon of Romanticism . Ruinenwert
2324-494: Is the established owner who cannot be eliminated by anyone. According to Abul Fazl, Padshah has been sent by God, who works as an agent of God for the welfare of his subjects and maintains peace and harmony in his empire. With respect to sovereignty, Abul Fazl considered it to be present in nature. The king established his sovereignty through his absolute power, he had the final authority in governance, administration, agriculture, education and other fields. According to Abul Fazl, it
2407-490: Is the last of the 42nd year of His Majesty's reign (A.D. 1598), my spirit again breaks away from its yoke and a new solicitude arises within me. I know not how it will all end nor in what resting-place my last journey will have to be made, but from the beginning of my existence until now the grace of God has continuously kept me under its protection. It is my firm hope that my last moments may be spent in doing His will and that I may pass unburdened to eternal rest. The Akbarnama
2490-612: Is traced through references made to it by various historical sources. Although the Sharada script did not originate in Kashmir, it was used extensively in Sharada Peeth, and acquired its name from the institution. This has fed the popular belief that the script was developed in Kashmir. Some historians have suggested that Sharada Peeth was never a centre of learning, on the basis that in present-day, there are no sizeable ruins from
2573-614: The Akbarnama , Ain-i-Akbari , and a Persian translation of the Bible . Abul Fazl was initially appointed into Akbar's court as a military commander serving in Deccan , where he was held in high regard. He was popularly known for his theory Padshahat which stated the established owner, the emperor, could not be overthrown, as he was an agent of God for the welfare of his subjects and maintains peace and harmony in his empire. Abul Fazl
Sharada Peeth - Misplaced Pages Continue
2656-656: The Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar . The shrine remains politically significant, with Kashmiri Pandit organisations and leaders from Jammu and Kashmir urging the governments of India and Pakistan to facilitate cross-border pilgrimages. Senior Indian politicians have also called on Pakistan to renovate the temple, and it is discussed bilaterally as part of the Composite Dialogue between the governments of India and Pakistan. In 2019, Pakistan government opened
2739-681: The Kartarpur Corridor to allow Sikh pilgrims in India to visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur across the border. This strengthened calls by Kashmiri Pandits to the Pakistani government to open a corridor to the Sharada Peeth site. In March 2019, Pakistani media reported that Pakistan had approved a plan for a Kartarpur-style corridor for Sharada Peeth. However, the Pakistani government has since said that
2822-607: The Kheer Bhawani and Vaishno Devi temples. It also advanced the importance of knowledge and education in Kashmiri Pandit culture, which persisted well after Kashmiri Pandits became a minority group in Kashmir. Kashmiri Pandits believe that the goddess Sharada worshipped in Sharada Peeth is a tripartite embodiment of the goddess Shakti : Sharada (goddess of learning), Saraswati (goddess of knowledge), and Vagdevi (goddess of speech, which articulates power). In line with
2905-664: The Martand Sun Temple and the Amarnath Temple . Sharada Peeth is located approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) from Muzaffarabad , the capital of Azad Kashmir, and 130 kilometres (81 mi) from Srinagar , the capital of Kashmir It is 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away from the Line of Control , which divides the Pakistani- and Indian-controlled areas of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir . It
2988-544: The Yagnopavit ceremony and include the Sharada stotram in their morning prayers. Namaste Sarada Devi Kashmira mandala vasini. I bow to the Goddess Sharada, who lives in Kashmir. The Sharada temple has played a significant historical role in Kashmiri Pandit religious culture. It is believed to be the earliest shrine dedicated to Shaktism , or Hindu goddess worship in Kashmir, with later shrines including
3071-606: The raga yagapriya , the song praises Saraswati: Kāśmīra vihāra, vara śāradā. The one who resides in Kashmir, Sharada. Today, Sharada Peeth continues to figure in South Indian Brahmin traditions. At the beginning of formal education, some sects of Brahmins ritually prostrate in the direction of Sharada Peeth. Saraswat Brahmin communities in Karnataka are also said to perform a ritual of moving seven steps towards Kashmir before retracing their steps during
3154-706: The 1580s and 1590s. In 1599, Abu’l Fazl was given his first office in the Deccan , where he was recognized for his ability as a military commander, leading the Mughal imperial army in its wars against the Deccan Sultanates . Akbar also records witnessing the passage of the Great Comet of 1577 . The following is the Abul Fazl's own account of his first twenty years from the A'in-i-Akbari: As I have now recounted somewhat of my ancestors, I proceed to say
3237-464: The 20th century, a number of European historic buildings fell into ruin as a result of taxation policies, which required all structures with roofs to pay substantial property tax . The owners of these buildings, like Fetteresso Castle (now restored) and Slains Castle in Scotland , deliberately destroyed their roofs in protest at, and defiance of, the new taxes. Other decrees of government have had
3320-787: The Indian subcontinent, described in Al-Biruni's chronicle of India. Significantly, it featured not in his description of Kashmir, but in his list of the most famous Hindu temples in the Indian subcontinent, alongside the Multan Sun Temple , the Sthaneshwar Mahadev Temple , and the Somnath temple . Jonaraja describes a visit by the Kashmiri Muslim sultan Zain-ul-Abidin in 1422 CE. The sultan visited
3403-604: The Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948, which resulted in the division of Kashmir between India and Pakistan following the Karachi Agreement ; most Kashmiri Pandits remained on the Indian side of the Line of Control, and travel restrictions have discouraged Indian Hindus from visiting the shrine. No Objection Certificates are required for Indians seeking to visit. Furthermore, the temple's close proximity to
Sharada Peeth - Misplaced Pages Continue
3486-537: The Kashmiri Pandit belief that springs which are the abode of goddesses should not be looked at directly, the shrine contains a stone slab concealing the spring underneath, which they believe to be the spring in which the goddess Sharada revealed herself to Sandilya. During Mughal and Afghan rule, Neelum Valley was ruled by Muslim chiefs of the Bomba tribe , and the pilgrimage decreased in importance. It regained its stead during Dogra rule, when Maharaja Gulab Singh repaired
3569-727: The Line of Control discourages tourism from within Pakistan as well. Tourists to the Neelum district often overlook the ruins of the shrine, instead spending time in the scenic valley surrounding it. In 2007, a group of Kashmiri Pandits who were permitted to visit Azad Kashmir were denied permission to visit the temple. In September 2009, the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies recommended increased cross-border religious tourism between India and Pakistan, including allowing Kashmiri Pandits to visit Sharada Peeth, and Pakistani Muslims to visit
3652-501: The Maqtubāt-i-Allami contains the official despatches written by Abu'l Fazl. It is divided into two parts. The first part contains Akbar's letters to Abdullah Khan Uzbeg of Turan , Shah Abbas of Persia, Raja Ali Khan of Khandesh , Burhan-ul-Mulk of Ahmadnagar and his own nobles such as Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan . The second part consists Abu'l Fazl's letters to Akbar, Daniyal, Mirza Shah Rukh and Khan Khanan. This collection
3735-593: The Pakistani-administered territory of Azad Kashmir, and Indian-administered territory of Jammu and Kashmir. This caused large numbers of Kashmiri Pandits to migrate out of Shardi to Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir. Since then, Kashmiri Pandits unable to visit the shrine have created "substitutes" for the pilgrimage in places like Srinagar , Bandipore , and Gush in Jammu and Kashmir. Religious tourism to Sharada Peeth has declined considerably since
3818-553: The Royal Army took refuge in Sharada Peeth, because it had the open space required for a temporary military village, and because the area surrounding the Sirahsila Castle was not large enough to host a camp for a siege without the siege force being vulnerable to archers. In the 14th century text Madhaviya Shankara Vijayam , there is a test, unique to Sharada Peeth, known as the Sarvajna Peetham , or Throne of Omniscience. These were four thrones, each representing an entrance of
3901-824: The Vatican and in neoclassical interiors , respectively. The new sense of historicism that accompanied neoclassicism led some artists and designers to conceive of the modern classicising monuments of their own day as they would one day appear as ruins. In the period of Romanticism ruins (mostly of castles ) were frequent object for painters, place of meetings of romantic poets, nationalist students etc. (e.g. Bezděz Castle in Bohemia , Hambach Castle in Germany, Devin Castle in Slovakia). Ruin value ( German : Ruinenwert )
3984-587: The act of bathing in the confluence of the Neelum River and Madhumati stream cleanses the pilgrim of their sins. In 1947, the Kashmiri saint Swami Nand Lal Ji moved some of the stone idols to Tikker in Kupwara. Some of those were subsequently moved to Devibal in Baramulla . The temple fell into disuse following the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948 , which split the princely state of Kashmir into
4067-457: The age of five he could read and write. His father started teaching him about all the branches of Islamic sciences ( manqulat ) but Abul Fazl could not adhere to conventional learning and he sank in a state of mental depression. A friend rescued him from this state and he resumed his studies. Some incidents from his early life reflect on his brilliance. A dictionary of Ishafani, which had been eaten by white ants came under his observation. He removed
4150-428: The age of seven I became the treasurer of my father's stores of knowledge and a trusty keeper of the jewels of hidden meaning and as a serpent, guarded the treasure. And it was strange that by a freak of fortune my heart was disinclined, my will ever averse, and my disposition repugnant to conventional learning and the ordinary courses of instruction. Generally I could not understand them. My father in his way conjured with
4233-496: The attribution to me of extreme ignorance had passed to that of transcendent knowledge, I had taken objection to ancient writers, and men learning my youth, dissented, and my mind was troubled and my inexperienced heart was in agitation. Once in the early part of my career they brought the gloss of Khwajah Abu'l Qasim, on the Mutawwal. All that I had stated before learned doctors and divines of which some of my friends had taken notes,
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#17327730941964316-535: The cella is plain, and forms a square of 12.25 feet (3.73 m) on each side. It houses a large slab of stone measuring 6 feet (1.8 m) by 7 feet (2.1 m). This slab covers the holy spring where the goddess Sharada is believed to have appeared to Rishi Shandilya. In the 19th century, this sacred spot was surmounted by a red cloth canopy and tinsel. The remainder of the interior was filled with ornaments of worship such as conches and bells. Ruins Ruins (from Latin ruina 'a collapse') are
4399-583: The central focus of armed conflict and would be sacked and ruined in defeat. Delhi , the capital of India , has been destroyed and ransacked seven to ten times and subsequently rebuilt. Every ruler decided to build the city in their own way either overlapping the ruins or next to the ruins. Ruins of seven cities of Delhi can still be traced in the modern-day city. Although less central to modern conflict, vast areas of 20th-century cities such as Warsaw , Dresden , Coventry , Stalingrad , Königsberg , and Berlin were left in ruins following World War II , and
4482-499: The goddess Sharada, to obtain her blessings. They believed that the goddess would convey approval of the pages of writings by leaving them undisturbed, and disapproval by leaving the pages ruffled. In addition, an annual fair would be held at Shardi village, with pilgrims travelling through Kupwara (in Kashmir), in worship of the goddess Sharada. Kashmiri Pandits believe that the Sharada pilgrimage parallels Shandilya's journey, and that
4565-616: The goddess Sharada: "resemble[s] a swan, carrying as her diadem the [glittering gold washed from the sand] of the Madhumati stream, which is bent on rivaling Ganga . Spreading luster by her fame as her diadem , and rivaling the Ganges river. Spreading luster by her fame, brilliant like crystal, she makes even Mount Himalaya, the preceptor of Gauri, raise higher his head (referring to his peaks) [in pride] of her residence there." In Kalhana's 12th century epic , Rajatarangini , Sharada Peeth
4648-475: The good values of different religions and assembled them for the maintenance of peace. He provided relief to people by making them free from bound thoughts. He also justified the views of Akbar by presenting him as a rational ruler. Abu'l Fazl was assassinated in 1602 while he was returning from the Deccan by Vir Singh Bundela (who later became the ruler of Orchha ) between Sarai Vir and Antri (near Narwar ) in
4731-527: The nineteenth century. In Europe, many religious buildings suffered as a result of the politics of the day. In the 16th century, the English monarch Henry VIII set about confiscating the property of monastic institutions in a campaign which became known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries . Many abbeys and monasteries fell into ruin when their assets, including lead roofs, were stripped. In
4814-399: The parts that had been eaten and joined blank paper to the rest. He discovered the beginning and end of each fragment and eventually penned a draft text. Subsequently, the entire work was discovered and on comparison to Abul Fazl's draft the original differed in only two or three places. He came to Akbar's court in 1575 and was influential in Akbar's religious views becoming more liberal into
4897-429: The power to dissever pain from pleasure. I acknowledged nothing else but the bond of demonstration and the tie of knowledge. Those who had a regard for my constitution, from seeing that two and sometimes three days passed without my taking food, and that my studious spirit had no inclination therefore, were amazed, and stood out strongly against it. I answered that my withdrawal, was now a matter of habit and custom, and how
4980-466: The region. As he approached the southern door, he was stopped by various learned men from the Nyaya school of philosophy, Buddhists , Svetambar Jains , and the followers of Jaimini . Engaging with them, he managed to persuade all of them of his proficiency in philosophy, and they stood aside to let him open the entrance. Finally, as he was about to ascend the throne, he heard the voice of the goddess Sharada challenging him. The voice said that omniscience
5063-452: The religious attitudes of rulers and nobles of those days out of expediency. For example, he was a Sunni during the reign of Sultan Ibrahim Lodi , became a Naqshbandi during the Sur period, was a Mahdavia during the reign of Humayun and a protagonist of liberal thought under Akbar . Shaikh Mubarak's first son, the poet Abu'l Faiz and his second son Abu'l Fazl were born in Agra. Abul Fazl's education began with Arabic and by
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#17327730941965146-582: The remains of a civilization 's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate destruction by humans, or uncontrollable destruction by natural phenomena . The most common root causes that yield ruins in their wake are natural disasters , armed conflict , and population decline , with many structures becoming progressively derelict over time due to long-term weathering and scavenging . There are famous ruins all over
5229-487: The rest. In the serene hours of morning, with a little reflection, I discovered the beginnings and endings of each fragment and conjecturally penned a draft text which I transcribed on the paper. In the meanwhile the entire work was discovered, and when both were compared, in two or three places only were there found differences of words, though synonymous in meaning; and in three or four others, (differing) citations but approximate in sense. All were astounded. The more my will
5312-427: The ruined Dunnottar Castle in Scotland was used for filming of Hamlet . Abu%27l-Fazl ibn Mubarak Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak , also known as Abul Fazl , Abu'l Fadl and Abu'l-Fadl 'Allami (14 January 1551 – 22 August 1602 ), was an Indian writer, historian, and politician who served as the grand vizier of the Mughal Empire from his appointment in 1579, until his death in 1602. His notable works include
5395-402: The shrine: "it is believed that on every eighth tithe of the bright half of the month, it begins to shake and produces the most extraordinary effect". An alternative account holds that Shandilya prayed to the goddess Sharada with great devotion, and was rewarded when she appeared to him and promised to show him her real, divine form. She advised him to look for the Sharada forest, and his journey
5478-476: The spell of knowledge and taught me a little of every branch of science, and although my intelligence grew, I gained no deep impressions from the school of learning. Sometimes I understood nothing at all, at others doubts suggested themselves which my tongue was incapable of explaining. Either shame made me hesitate or I had not the power of expression. I used to weep in public and put all the blame upon myself. In this state of things I came into fellowship of mind with
5561-467: The spire collapsed, a visitor would be able to tell what the temple originally looked like. The design of the temple is simple, with a plain conical Sharada spire. It sits on a raised plinth , 24 square feet (2.2 m) in area and 5.25 feet (1.60 m) in height. The walls of the cella recede 2 feet (0.61 m) from the edge of the plinth. The temple is surrounded by a quadrangle which measures 142 feet (43 m) by 94 feet (29 m). The quadrangle
5644-447: The temple and dedicated a monthly stipend to the Gautheng Brahmans who claimed the hereditary guardianship of the temple. Since then, a thriving Kashmiri Pandit community lived in the vicinity of the Sharada Peeth teerth (or pilgrimage). These included priests and traders, as well as saints and their disciples. As a religious ritual, Kashmiri Pandit theologians across Kashmir would place their manuscripts in covered platters before idols of
5727-405: The temple corresponding to one of the points of the compass, which only a learned man from that direction could symbolically open. Adi Shankara, being from South India, took it upon himself to pass this challenge, because although the other doors had been opened, no one from the south of Kashmir had yet been successful. He was said to be welcomed by the common people, but challenged by the scholars of
5810-429: The temple is covered by a low shingle roof . By the 21st century, the roof is no longer present and the interior of the temple is exposed to the elements. The temple appears imposing even from outside the walled enclosure, because of the plinths it is raised on to equalise the uneven elevations of the ground. The north side of the wall contained a small recess, in which two ancient linga could be seen. The interior of
5893-428: The temple seeking a vision of the goddess, but grew angry with her because she did not appear to him in person. In frustration, he slept in the court of the temple, where she appeared to him in a dream. In the 16th century, Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak , Grand vizier to the Mughal emperor Akbar , described Sharada Peeth as a "stone temple ... regarded with great veneration". He also described the popular belief in miracles at
5976-501: The way. Khizr's death and a famine and plague that ravaged Nagaur caused great hardship to the destitute Mubarak and his mother. Despite these hardships, Mubarak's mother arranged a good education for him. One of Mubarak's earliest teacher was Shaikh Attan who was known for his piety. Another important teacher who influenced Shaikh Mubarak was Shaikh Fayyazi, a disciple of Khwaja Ubaidullah Ahrar . Later he went to Ahmedabad and studied under Shaikh Abu'l Fazl Gazruni (who adopted him as
6059-1050: The world, with notable sites originating from ancient China , the Indus Valley and other regions of ancient India , ancient Iran , ancient Israel and Judea , ancient Iraq , ancient Greece , ancient Egypt , ancient Yemen , Roman , ancient India sites throughout the Mediterranean Basin , and Incan and Mayan sites in the Americas . Ruins are of great importance to historians, archaeologists and anthropologists , whether they were once individual fortifications , places of worship , ancient universities , houses and utility buildings, or entire villages, towns, and cities. Many ruins have become UNESCO World Heritage Sites in recent years, to identify and preserve them as areas of outstanding value to humanity. Ancient cities were often highly militarized and had fortified defensive settlements . In times of war, they were
6142-497: Was compiled by Abd-us-samad , son of Afzal Muhammad, who claims that he was Abu'l Fazl's sister's son as well as his son-in-law. Abul Fazl in the political sphere was concerned with social stability. In his Ain-i-Akbari, he presented a theory of sovereignty promised on social contract. His divine theory of 'Padshahat', present the concept of royalty. According to him 'Padshahat' meant 'an established owner' where 'Pad' stands for stability and 'shah' stands for owner. Padshah therefore
6225-529: Was completed in the 42nd regnal year, but a slight addition was made to it in the 43rd regnal year on the account of the conquest of Berar. The Ruqaʿāt or the Ruqaʿāt-i-Abu'l Fazl is a collection of private letters from Abū al-Fażl to Murad, Daniyal , Akbar, Mariam Makani, Salim (Jahangir), Akbar's queens and daughters, his father, mother and brothers and several other notable contemporaries compiled by his nephew Nūr al-Dīn Muḥammad. The Inshā-i-Abu'l Fazl or
6308-410: Was engaged, the more my mind was illumined. At the age of twenty the good tidings of my independence reached me. My mind cast off its former bonds and my early bewilderment recurred. With a parade of much learning, the intoxication of youth effervescing, the skirts of pretension spread wide, and the world-displaying cup of wisdom in my hand, the ringings of delirium began to sound in my ears, and suggested
6391-566: Was filled with miraculous experiences. On his way, he had a vision of the god Ganesha on the eastern side of a hill. When he reached the Neelum river, he bathed in it and saw half his body turn golden. Eventually, the goddess revealed herself to him in her triple form of Sharada, Saraswati and Vagdevi, and invited him to her abode. As he was preparing for a ritual, he drew water from the Mahāsindhu . Half of this water transformed into honey, and became
6474-449: Was impossible to challenge the king and nobody could share his power. Abul Fazl said that sovereignty was not restricted to a particular faith. As the king was considered an agent of God, he cannot discriminate among various faiths present in society and in case the king discriminates on the basis of caste, religion or class then he would not be considered a just king. Sovereignty was not linked to any particular faith. Abul Fazl promoted
6557-432: Was it that no one was astonished when the natural inclination of a sick man on an attack of illness was averse from food. If therefore my love of study induced forgetfulness, where was the wonder? Most of the current arguments of the schools, frequently misquoted and misunderstood when heard, and abstruse questions from ancient works, had been presented to the fresh tablet of my mind. Before these points had been elucidated and
6640-522: Was not enough if one was impure, and that Shankara, who lived in the palace of King Amaruka, could not be pure. Shankara replied that his body had never committed a sin, and the sins committed by another could not blemish him. The goddess Sharada accepted his explanation and permitted him to ascend. In the Carnatic music song Kalavathi kamalasana yuvathi , the 19th-century composer Muthuswami Dikshitar refers to Sharada Peeth as Saraswati's abode. Set in
6723-488: Was philosophy and he attracted a number of scholars to his lectures such as Mulla Abdul Qadir Badauni . He also spent some time in Badaun, holy land of Sufism. The Orthodox group of Ulama criticised Mubarak and accused him of changing his views. Khwaja Ubaidullah, who was brought up in the house of Shaikh Mubarak's daughter, was of the opinion that Mubarak's views changed with the change in the political climate and he adopted
6806-599: Was popularized in the 20th century by Albert Speer while planning for the 1936 Summer Olympics and published as Die Ruinenwerttheorie ("The Theory of Ruin Value"). Ruins remain a popular subject for painting and creative photography and are often romanticized in film and literature, providing scenic backdrops or used as metaphors for other forms of decline or decay. For example, the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle in England inspired Turner to create several paintings; in 1989
6889-443: Was there found, and those present were astounded and withdrew their dissent, and began to regard me with other eyes and to raise the wicket of misunderstanding and to open the gate of comprehension. In my early days of study, the gloss of Isfahani more than half of which had been eaten by white ants, came under my observation. The public being in despair at profiting by it, I removed the parts that had been eaten and joined blank paper to
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