PUAHKER SPRING BATERGAM

 

Batergam is a village in District Kupwara. This District is famous for springs. It is said that there are 360 springs in Kupwara District which includes Luv Nag, Lalpora, Gauri Nag, Lalpora, Thanin Nag, Kalaroos, Hari Nag, village Varnav, Laval Nag near village Divar, Kumar Ji Nag, village Chand gam, Pair Nag, village Chandigam, Nilkanth Nag, So gam, Gang bug Nag, So gam, Ganesh Nag, So gam, Durga Nag, So gam, Mata Hari Nag, Kindreshwar Nag, village Swear, Narran Nag, village Sewer, Lakshmi Narayan Nag ,Ganga Nag, Sadhu Ganga, Pushkara Nag, Batergam, Amrit Kund at Mata Kshir Bhawani shrine, Tikker, Kanji Nag, village Udgam and Kindreshware Spring in Gulgam to name a few. Friends let me take you to Pushkara Shrine, Batergam, and Kupwara. The greatness of Puskara as an excellent place of pilgrimage has been extolled in many Purnas as also the epics vide Mahabharata, Vanaparva 80.20, 21, and Padmapura na, Adikhanda 11.34,35. Nilmata Purana vide verse 1396 says that one gets the merit of (performing) Atiratra by having a plunge in Puskara and that of Agnistoma by bathing at the holy place of the seven sages. Once while Brahma, the creator, was moving in a forest with a lotus in his hand, he found a raksasa (demon), Vajranabha by name, who he killed with his lotus, after converting it into a formidable weapon through mantras or sacred chants. Hence that place came to be known as Puskara (lotus). The same legend says that the lotus in his hand rebounded at three places before killing the demon. All these three places became lakes, respectively known as Jyestha-puskara, Madhya-puskara and Kanistha-puskara. The presiding deities of these three are Brahma, Visnu and Rudra. In Kashmir there are two Pushkara shrines with a spring at both the places. Both the shrines are dedicated to the holy Hindu deity, Lord Brahma. One is located in west Kashmir in a village known as Pushkar in Tehsil Beerwah. This village is named after Pushkara shrine. This village is situated between village Khag (Beerwah) and Ferozpora (Tangmarg). This pilgrimage centre was visited by thousands of pilgrims on the day of Pushkar Amavasya and Darba Amavasya. And the second one is situated near village Batergam, Kupwara. Batergam is 1.5 km away from famous Mata Kshir Bhawani Shrine, Tikker, Kupwara en-route Tangdar. This shrine is located on the left side of the edge of a link road leading to Gund Guchi from village Batergam some 300 meters from the main village. There used to be a big spring known as Pushkara at Batergam measuring 80 feet in length, 60 feet in breath and 6 feet deep. There used to be some icons of Gods and Goddesses at the upper bank of the spring. This holy spring was located on the east side of an open field surrounded by paddy fields on all the sides. This open habitat or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs and other non-woody plants like a meadow spread over an area of 22 Kanal of land with almond and pear trees. This meadow used to be full with wild flowers and lush and springy grass. Kashmiri Pandits from Batergam and adjoining villages used to visit this Holy Spring, have a bath and pay their obeisance. Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits from different villages of Kupwara district used to throng on the day of Drab Amavasya (Kusha Amavasya) to have a bath in this Holy Spring. During the second half of the nineteen century this open ground was used as an assembling ground for forced labours (Begar in Kashmiri), as forced labour was in vogue at that time. Forced labour was prevalent in many societies and civilizations throughout history, and Kashmir was no exception. Peasants were given the specific job and deputed to different places from this ground for Begar as this ground was so beautiful that the officials of Dogra rulers choose this ground for the purpose. One English Officer utilized the services of these forced labourer’s who was travelling through this area and used these labours as potters. To avoid the wrath of Begar, the peasants of the area decided to fill up the spring with earth and dug the ground to convert it into an uneven field so that this spot could no longer remain a place of attraction for the officials administering Begar. Subsequently during the winter of 1862 the spring was filled up with earth by the majority community and the practice of assembling in the said ground discontinued from the summer of 1863. Two elm trees were planted in the middle of the filled up spring (now a plain field). In later years a Muslim shrine was erected in its place. When the spring was filled with earth, water started oozing from its edges, it refers to a situation where underground water is able to flow through the soil or sediment that fills the spring. Despite the presence of soil or sediment, the water is able to seep out from the spring. This phenomenon is often seen in natural springs where the soil or sediment surrounding the spring acts as a filter, allowing water to pass through while trapping larger particles. The water that seeped from edges of this filled up spring flowed from all sides and formed a small stream. At present the flow of the water is five gallons per minute (GPM). The water of this spring while flowing out a distance of about 50 metres mingles with a nearby stream known as Tikker Varai Kul. After the Holy spring was converted into a plain ground with a Muslim shrine, the devotion of Kashmiri Pandits did not lessen. Up to the forced exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley in the year 1990, it was a routine for all the Kashmiri Pandits of the village and from adjoining villages to have a bath in the small stream flowing out from the edges of the filled up spring on the day of Darbha Amavasya. Darbha Mavas falls on beuuderpeth mavas (the 15th day of the dark fortnight of beuuderpeth) every year. This day is dedicated to darbha, the holy grass, used during puja, karma kanda and other religious ceremonies. This grass is also worn as the ring (pavitar) on the ring finger of the person who is performing the rituals. Darbha grass or Kusha Grass, Desmotachya bipinnata (Salt-reed grass) is not cultivated but it grows wild. It is found in damp marshy and low-laying areas like paddy fields etc. It grows up to 2 feet and appears pointed at the top. Ancient sculptures describe that this grass came into existence after Samudra Manthan (the churning of the cosmic ocean). When demons got ready to churn the cosmic ocean of milk, there was no one to support the base of Madhara Mountain. Lord Vishnu took the form of a tortoise and gave support. During the churning, the hair of the tortoise fell down and was washed away to the shore. This hair turned to Darbha grass. When the nectar was finally procured and due to improper handling, a few drops of it fell on the grass which further sanctified the grass giving it more healing properties. In Kashmir on Darbha Amavasya day, the elderly person of the family after having a bath used to go to paddy fields in the wee hours to collect Darbha to be used for the whole year (as only this day is auspicious for collecting Darbha) and after return, he used to knot some Darbi Toojei on the hasp (haankal) in the main entrance of the house to ward off evil spirits for the whole family. Darbha has the highest value in conducting the phonetic vibrations through its tip and that is why priests dip the tip of Darbha into the water and sprinkle it all over the room, house or temple to purify the place. Three Kashmiri Pandit families were residing in village Batergam up to January 1990 and they had to leave the village due to eruption of militancy in Kashmir valley. One of the learned Pandit namely Pandit Prakash Ram Sher from this village was Official Pujari of Sharda Peeth shrine at village Shardi now in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Pandit Niranjan Nath Raina a resident of this village retired as Headmaster, who was the first matriculate in North Kashmir. There was no temple in the village and the Pandits of this village used to go to nearby Sri Maa Kosher Bhawani Shrine at Tikker and Nandikasavara temple at village Gulgam for paying obeisance. Regardless of the circumstances or challenges one may face, a truly devoted person will always find a way to show respect of homage. It emphasizes the unwavering determination of individuals who are deeply devoted to a cause, belief, or practice. Despite any obstacles that may arise, their devotion remains unshaken, and they will always find a means to express their reverence. This is true in respect of the devotion of Kashmiri Pandits of Kupwara district with respect of Pushkara shrine at Batergam.

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Courtesy: CHANDER M. BHAT  and  Spade A Spade-November,2025