Thread: Hindu Lord Ram spent his exile period in the Saidpur, near the capital of Pakistan.
So the story begins when the Prince Ram along with his wife Sita and brother Laxman were exiled for 14 years by his father Dasaratha due to plotting of his stepmother Kaikeyi.
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Initially they spent their time in different jungles and caves but for once they also came to the lands of today's Pakistan.
According to legends Rishi Vishwamitra had performed a penance at this place, due to which Lord Ram along with Sita and Laxman appeared to him.
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Vishvamitra is one of the most venerated sages of Hinduism. He is considered a near-divine being and also credited as the author of the third Mandala of Rigveda.
Rigveda, as one of the oldest known Vedic Sanskrit text has high importance in Hinduism.
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Rigveda's early layers are also one of the oldest extant texts in any Indo-European language. Interestingly bulk of Rigveda was composed for the first time in the Punjab region of Pakistan during 1500-1000 BCE.
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Now coming back to the story, it is said that Ram just not only visited this place but had also lived for some time in Saidpur village area. Famously, he also drank water from the pond which is now considered sacred by Hindu.
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One more interesting fact regarding this event is before coming to Saidpur, Ram went to Swat Valley to visit some place and today this place is known as Ram Takht (Throne of Ram).
Laterly the devotees of Ram built the temple here & also five sacred ponds named as below:
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The five holy ponds/ Panj tirths at this place were:
1.) Ramkund
2.) Sitakund
3.) Hanuman Kund
4.) Lachman Kund
5.) Suraj Kund
However these ponds were disappeared with the passage of time.
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The present temple structure dates back to 16th century when Raja Man Singh of Amer State passed from this area to crush the rebellion of Pashtuns on the order of Emperor Akbar.
During Man Singh's visit he ordered to built a temple, a dharamshala and four ponds named as:
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as Ram Kund, Lakshman Kund, Sita Kund & Hanuman Kund.
Before partition Hindus from Rawalpindi would gather at Saidpur to celebrate Baisakhi which was usually held on Sankranti of Baisakh month. The estimated numbers of devotees for this fair were 8000 during British Era.
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But after partition everything changed. Hindus inhabiting the neighbouring areas migrated to India and village was taken over by new people including some restaurants. Sacred ponds were disappeared.
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Hope so in future things will be change. That place can be a good religious toursim spot for Hindus just like Kartarpur is for Sikhs.
This will benefit both sides. Hindus around the globe would be able to visit it while Pakistan would be able to earn soft power.
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This thread is a small token of respect to Hindus on Ram Navami. Yeah I know kal thi but bimar insan ko thori relaxation to banti han.
For my Muslim followers, I am still Muslim by heart. Here I'm just posting some history stuff.
Do share it, if you like it 😊
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References:
1) Glimpses Into Islamabad's Soul by Fauzia Aziz Minallah
2) A Legend of Ramkund
3) Gazetteer of the Rawalpindi District, 1893-94
4) Hindu Identity in Char Bagh-i-Punjab by Sheena Pall.
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Kindly have a look to thread which explains about Hindu Lord Ram's important visit to modern Pakistan.
"During the reign of Jahangir, who laid out many lovely gardens and villas in Kashmir, the Subadar of Kashmir became enamoured by the beauty of a Hindu girl. When he could not obtain her consent without making trouble he had to resort to a ruse.
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He persuaded an elderly Mohammedan woman to appear veiled before his court and whilst personating the aforesaid Hindu girl, professed her love for the Subadar and was ready to marry him, but was prevented by her father under the influence of his co-religionists.
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The Subadar obtained a fatwa (legal opinion) from the mullahs permitting him to marry the girl without her father’s consent. He then sent troops to the house of the innocent girl to seize her by force and bring her to his Zenan Khana.
A beautiful Timurid Quran : Unfortunately sold by Christie’s for £7 million.
The Quran was likely to have been commissioned by the one of the grandsons of Amir Timur, the Asian conqueror.
The manuscript’s aesthetic properties stop the heart. Each of its 534 folios are dyed in rich hues of deep blue, turquoise, pink, purple, orange, green and cream—the kaleidoscopic variety meant to both honour God in all His infinite variety.
Which evoke a pleasurable aesthetic response in the worshiper. The paper itself was made by a little-known process that infused lead white into the folios, resulting in a silky-soft and pliable page that would have enhanced the sensory experience of holding the Qur’an.
So this thread is about a festival named "Ginani" which is traditionally celebrated to mark the beginning of harvesting season in the Hunza Valley.
However it is also celebrated in Gilgit by the name of Ganoni and in Baltistan by the name of Strublah.
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Usually it takes place in the middle of the June when the wheat & barley ripe. The headman of the village fixes & proclaims the date of the event before fews days of ceremony, depending upon the situation of crops. In Hunza traditionally this date is fixes by Mir of Hunza.
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On the afternoon of the fixed day, people go to their fields with the loaves fried in butter, which are eaten at a corner of the field by all the members of the family. After this they return to their homes with some spikes of barley. These are used to make a sacred drink.
So this is about the "Fabulous creature of Winters" from the deep forests & snow mountains of Kashmir, locally known as "Rantas" (plural rantse).
Rantas is metonym for mysterious witch in Kashmiri folklore, known for abducting husbands & children among mortals.
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By appearance she is a female with the size of one-and-half human having dishevelled & long hairs that reaches to her feet. Those hairs actually help her to hide her body.
She has also the wings from neck down to the feet, bestial teeth & extended arms.
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However she can alter her physical appearance often pretending a woman of unparalleled beauty having sweetest fragrance to attract males.
As she is considered a master of disguise so there is no way to recognize her except her feet that would always be in reverse direction