That her KP kids have been driven out Mother Vitasta laments

 

Vitasta, the Jhelum river, a major  tributary out five major   viz. Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum, which are ultimately merging with river Indus in Pakistan, is a major river flowing in the heart of the valley of Kashmir. The Jhelum (Vyeth in Kashmiri, Vitasta in Sanskrit and Hydaspes in Greek) is the main waterway of the Kashmir Valley. Jhelum River originates from a magnificent spring called "Chashma Verinag".

The river Jhelum rises from a spring, situated at the foot of the Pir Panjal in the south-eastern part of the Valley of Kashmir in India. It flows through Srinagar and the Wular Lake before entering Pakistan through a deep narrow gorge, Verinag is, approximately, 80 km from Srinagar, by road, at an elevation of 1,876 m. It is believed that the eponymous Verinag spring is the chief source of the river Jhelum. There is an octagonal base at the spring, surrounded by a covered passage The river is called Vitastá in the Rigveda and Hydaspes by ancient Greeks. The Vitasta (Sanskrit: 5 faren, also, Vetasta) is mentioned as one of the major rivers by the Holy Scripture - Rigveda.

It has been speculated that the Vitastá must have been one of the seven rivers (sapta-sindhu) mentioned so many times in the Rigveda. The name survives in the Kashmiri name for this river as Vyeth. According to the major religious work Srimad Bhagavatam, Vitastá is one of the many transcendental rivers flowing through the land of Bharata, or ancient India.

In the course up to the Khanabal town, three major tributaries viz. Sandran River, Bringi River and Arapath join on its right flank. The Lidder river joins on its right flank at two kilometres downstream of Khannabal. The water from river Vaishow and Rambiara joins it on its left flank, about five kilometres upstream near the Sangam town. From Khanabal to Srinagar the Jhelum river flows along the night side of the valley abutting close to the hills, in a zigzag manner. When the river is in spate it crosses and overflows its banks and damages the crops in the cultivable land and causes a drastic damage to crops and property. Just before the river enters the main city of Srinagar, which is situated on its banks, it is joined near Shergar by a stream which drains from Dal Lake. For the flood-protection of the main city, there is a supplementary channel, with a capacity of about 700 cusses, just above Srinagar (near Kursu Padshahi Bagh) which functions only when the river discharge rises above the danger mark. Below the Srinagar city, the flow of Dudh-ganga combines with the river and down below Allah Sindh merges with it at Shadipora on the right bank. At Banyari, about 20 kilometres downstream, the river joins with the water of Wular Lake and takes off from the lake at its south-west corner and flows to the west south-west through the alluvial plain for a length of about 20 kilometres up to the bridge at Baramulla. At Baramulla the river enters a gorge in the hills. After flowing through this gorge for about five kilometres, the fall-out channel takes off a sharp bend towards the left. The end of the gorge, at Khanyar, is marked by a huge rock projecting into the river from the left side. At Khanyar, the river takes a sharp turn rushing over rapids. (Courtesy India -WRIS, Wiki, Water Resources Information of India) 

River Jhelum was called Vitasta by ancient Indians in the Vedic times. Kashmiri Pandits worship the river (Vitasta), which is identified with Goddess Parvati in the Hindu religion. This day of worship is the occasion of Vitasta Divas. Many legends are associated with the name and origin of the Jhelum River in the Kashmir Valley.

According to the Nilamata Purana", Sage Kashyap drained the Satisar to put an end to the Jal Dev (water demon) who was harassing the valley dwellers and killing them.

The 'pishachas used to hamper the meditation of Aryans, who approached Kashyap Rishi for help. The sage requested Lord Shiva to prevail upon Goddess Parvati to manifest herself in the form of a river to cleanse them. Lord Shiva obliged and struck the ground near the abode of Neelanaga with his trident. The opening measured one vitasta, a measure of length equal to 12 angels. Hence the name Vitasta. From this hole, near the abode of Neelanaga on the 13th day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada, Goddess Parvati gushed forth in the form of a river, goes the legend.

Kashmiri Pandits of the Valley, while living in the Valley, would worship the river constantly during every calendar year as per Vedic and ritualistic schedules, not for fun or a dilemma of dogmatic disbeliefs, but as a Goddess. The Pandits would observe this day on the 13th of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada for the observance of worship of the Jhelum (Veth). This occasion is known and observed as Vetha Truvaha.

After the mass exodus of the Kashmiri Pundits from the valley, due to militancy and its brutal acts of terror on Kashmiri Pundits, KPs, while living in exile, have been observing this day as a sacred day and observing it as Vitasta Divas in Jammu. Mostly this Vitasta Dvas is observed by the Kashmiri Pandits in exile, with traditional pooja and ritualistic gaiety and fervour on the Ranbir Canal of Jammu, which is a tributary of River Chandrabhaga (Chenab)

One can understand its spiritual importance and face, which came under a disastrous assault during and after the periods of militancy, when there was no regard for its sanctity and its prominent use and utility for the prosperity and welfare of Kashmir, including its graceful presence to maintain communal harmony and peace in the valley, being used for peaceful purposes by all the living souls of Kashmir equally Ghats (Yarabals) of Jhelum (Vyeth) used to be common places of friendly meetings between various communities in the Valley.

The floods, about just three years back in the river Jhelum, caused extreme devastation and such a spectacle has not been heard of before. Such a tragedy, which only we the Kashmin Pandits have understood better than anyone else, as such "hard and dry currents of flood fury" in the form of the militant acts of "fanatic and Islamic fundamentalists", devastated us about 27 years back, with much more intensity than the devastation faced by our fellow Muslim brothers due to these floods, living in the valley.

We, the Kashmiri Pandits living in forced exile as migrants in the various parts of the country, can better understand and feel the agony of getting deprived of homes and hearths and thus bear full sympathy with our brethren in the Valley, who have suffered due to this flood fury of Jhelum (Vyeth).

 

Has this flood furry of Jhelum (Vyeth) occurred now as this River Jhelum (Vyeth) was trying to locate and trace most of its original residents and worshipers, viz., the Kashmiri Pandits, who would take its care of piety and worthiness, but could not locate or find these?

 

It was never seen or heard of that the Jhelum (Vyeth) has risen so high and terribly that it would enter the places in the main heart of the city like Lal Chowk, Jawahir Nagar, Rajbagh and the like, above all did not spare the seat of power of the King (Civil Secretariat) as also the seat of power of Justice High Court Complex), not to speak of other places of equal government importance. In fact, no place cognitive in nature in public domain or as per public concern has been spared by this furry of Jhelum

(Vyeth). It, ironically, occurred in the posh areas of the Srinagar city, known as Civil Lines

Was Jhelum (Vyeth) so angry, that it had to resort to such serious punitive measures?

Yes, it can be understood so. It is learnt that the condition of River Jhelum (Vyeth) is so bad that it has shrunk to the condition of a stream due to constant onslaughts of encroachments and denigration of sorts on it, during the militancy periods as also presently. All this happened during the spate of militancy in the Valley. Probably the Jhelum (Vyeth) was now in enough anger to tolerate it. Thus its worst flood fury.

Similarly, the hypocritical platitudes of 'Kashmiriyat', and often-claimed bonds of brotherhood

as a public outcry, between the two communities as Kashmiri Muslims and Kashmiri Pandits, got exposed as insincere and false, once the resettlement of minority Kashmiri Pandits was talked about. It was almost refused in one voice by all in the Valley. Probably the Jhelum (Vyeth) was now in anger to tolerate it. Thus its worst flood fury. Probably Jhelum (Vyeth) has serious intentions to bring all of us the displaced Kashmiri Pandits' back to the Valley.

(In his head the writer carries civil engineering; in his heart, he nourishes a desire to strengthen society's humane characteristics)

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The views expressed in the Article above are Er. P.L. Khushu    views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing."

Courtesy: Er. P.L. Khushu    Koshur Samachar 2017, October