BAWAN SPRINGS
33.758300,75.216700
Description
NOTE 1: »Compare for a detailed account of the Tirthta, Rajat. iv. 192 note« (STEIN, M A 1899: 176 note 3) = KALHANA (1140 edited by STEIN, M A 1896-1900, vol. 1, book iv, page 176 note 3). NOTE 2: »Sriv. i. 376, 387« (STEIN, M A 1899: 176 note 4). NOTE 3: CONSTABLE (in BERNIER edited 1891, 1968: 410-411 note 3) identifies the Bawan springs erroneously with »Send-brari« (–>Sundabrar). NOTE 4: »The Vimala Naga is named by the Nilamata, 963; Sriv. i, 377, etc« (STEIN, M A 1899: 176 note 3). NOTE 5: Bawan N33°46': E075°13' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003), as it is indicated on AMS sheet NI43-11 Anantnag (U502 series, 1960 edition) and in the India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 2 C4), is found spelled as Bavan DEY, N L (1927: 222); STEIN, M A (1899: 176, 177) Bawan COWARD, J M H (1971d: 31, 35 table); DOUGHTY, M (1901: 45); LYDEKKER (1883: 31); REDSLOB, F (1891: 308); STRASSER, R (1993: 342 Karte 43) Bhavan STRASSER, R (1993: 346) Bhavana CUNNINGHAM, A (1848: 251) Bhawan CUNNINGHAM, A (1848: 251) Bhovan HERVEY, Mrs. (1853, 2: 194) Bhuvan MOORCROFT, TREBECK & WILSON (1841-1842, 2: 260) Bowun VIGNE, G T (1842, 2: 3) Buroen FOSTER, J C (1873: 12th August 1868) Burven FOSTER, J C (1873: 12th August 1868). NOTE 6: Martand N33°45': E075°13' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003); Survey of India (1979: Trekking Route Map of Jammu & Kashmir); India Road Atlas (Eicher Goodearth 2006: 2 C3) or Martund FOSTER, J C (1873: 13th August 1868); HÜGEL, C (1840, 1); KNIGHT, W H (1863 "Diary" note 10); NEWALL, D F (1866: 222); ROBERTS, F S (1897 edited 1898, chapter 4 note 5) Mattan HERVEY, Mrs. (1853, 2: 191, 193, 194 note after »Moorcroft« unspecified); HÜGEL, C (1840, 1); PARRAY, K A (2011: 805) Martan DEY, N (1927: 222) Marttanda STEIN, M A (1899: 176-180); DEY, N (1927: 222), Mutthun HERVEY (1853, 2: 191, 193) Mutton KNIGHT, W H (1863 "Diary" note 10). NOTE 7: The »five large springs« (COWARD 1971d: 31) are 1. Verinag, 2. Bawan. 3. Anantnag, 4. Achhabal, and 5. Kukarnag: »These five karst springs in Kashmir … have very differing sources of water and types of recharge« (COWARD 1971d: 38).
A »magnificent spring traditionally represented as two« (STEIN, M A 1899: 176), namely the two sacred karst springs –>Vimala Nag and –>Kamala Nag, which rises from the limestone near the village of Bawan. ETYMOLOGY: »The Tirtha sacred to Martanda … is marked by a magnificent spring traditionally represented as two, Vimala and Kamala. An ancient legend connects them with the birth of the sun-god Martanda [note 1]. The popular name of the Tirtha, Bavan, is derived from "bhavana" (Sanskrit), [sacred] habitation. The somewhat general applellation seems to have come into use already at an early date, as Srivara employs it [note 2], and is in itself an indication of the great popularity of the Tirtha. A more specific designation is Matsabavan, Sanskrit Matsyabhavana; this owes its origin to the abundance of sacred fish which swarm in the large basins filled by the spring« (STEIN, M A 1899: 176-178). so far, I saw this spring referred to as the Bawan spring COWARD (1971d: 31, 35 table); DOUGHTY, M (1901: 45) Bhavan spring »Bhavan-Quelle« (STRASSER 1993: 346) Bhavana spring CUNNINGHAM, A (1848: 251) Bhawan spring CUNNINGHAM, A (1848: 251) Buroen spring FOSTER, J C (1873: 12th August 1868) Burven spring FOSTER, J C (1873: 12th August 1868) Kamala Nag STEIN, M A 1899 (1899: 176); DEY, N L (1927: 222) Martan Nag DEY, N L (1927: 222) Martanda Tirtha STEIN, M A 1899 (1899: 176) Matar Nag BLYTH, E (1853: 580-581, 1855: 363) Matsabavan Kashmiri, STEIN, M A (1899: 177) Matur Nag BLANFORD, W T (1888-1891: 331) Mattan spring »Quelle bei Mattan« (HÜGEL, C A 1840-1848, 1: 280) Matsyabhavana Sanskrit, STEIN, M A (1899: 177) Mutthun Tanks HERVEY, Mrs (1853, 2: 193) Send-brari (note 3) Vimala Nag DEY, N L (1927: 222) Vimala Naga (note 4); STEIN, M A (1899: 176). SITUATION: The Bawan spring (note 5) lies in the eastern Vale of Kashmir and on the pilgrimage route from Islamabad / Anantnag via Pahalgam to the –>Amarnath Cave, about 8 km or »five miles« (DEY 1927: 222) north of Islamabad / Anantnag () and about 2 km or »a little over a mile« (CUNNINGHAM, A 1899: 177) north-west from the shrine at Martand (note 6)or about 7 km east-northeast of the Jhelum / Liddar river confluence. DESCRIPTION 1590: On the slope of the hill is a spring, at the head of which a reservoir has been constructed, full of fish. The sanctity of the place preserves them from being touched (ABUL FAZL 1590 edited by JARRETT 1893 revised by SARKAR & SEZGIN 1993, 2: 360). DESCRIPTION 1835 November 25: »Man tritt in einen grossen, viereckigen Platz, der nach drei Seiten mit zusammenhängenden Gebäuden umgeben ist, Die vierte Seite ist gegen das Thal zu offen; vor dem mittleren Gebäude ist ein Becken, welches den ganzen Raum einnimmt, der zwischen den im rechten Winkel an einander stossenden Gebäuden frei gelassen ist; ohne es gemessen zu haben, lebt es mir in der Erinnerung als 80 Schritte breit, und eben so breit dringt die Quelle sprudelnd aus dem Felsen unter dem Gebäude hervor, und wird in grossen Kanälen der Ebene zugeführt« (HÜGEL, Carl 1840-1848, 1: 280). DESCRIPTION 1851: »Mutthun, or Mattan, is a large village and a place of "Tirth" or pilgrimage for Hindoos. The windows of the roomy abode I am located in, look out on the Sacred Tanks, one small and one large, adjoining each other. The spring which supplies the water issues from the gound beneath the smaller tank, or from some subterranean issue in the rocks and mountains close above. A small temple is at the head of the reservoirs of water« (HERVEY 1853, 2: 193-194). DESCRIPTION 1869: At the »very holy spring … Buroen« (sic!) or »Burven« (sic!), there are »two tanks formed where the water escapes from the ground …« (FOSTER 1873). DESCRIPTION 1899: The »… more specific designation Matsabavan, Sanskrit Matsyabhavana … owes its origin to the abundance of sacred fish which swarm in the large basins filled by the spring. The ancient remains at the sacred spring itself are very scanty. All the more imposing are the ruins of the great temple … The name Martanda, in the form of Martand, or Matan, still attaches to the ruins …« (CUNNINGHAM 1899: 177). DESCRIPTION 1901: »… I admired the clear waters that rush out from a spring here, filling a great stone tank built by Jehangir. On two sides stretched the buildings which originally formed his palace. The telegraph office was a small part. Vast chenaars shaded the spot. The tank was full of fishes … Ash-smeared fakirs sat round the tank, an evil smile curling their lips, eyes that glittered snaky, restless fashion, a fine contempt in their general attitude for the religion that devotes gifts to such poor representatives of Vishnu Mahadeo as fishes« (DOUGHTY, M 1901: 43). »The heat was over-powering; the rushing, sparkling rills ice-cold; the fakirs that surrounded the sacred pond sat loathsome in their dirt and squalor; the Mahants (Hindu priests of the Pundit class, appointed by the Maharajah to look after the sacred fish) respendently spotless in their white robes« (DOUGHTY, M 1901: 46). DESCRIPTION 1970: Buildings hide the actual outlets of the springs. No entry can be gained except by diving (COWARD 1971d: 31). DESCRIPTION 1993: STRASSER (1993: 346) just about mentions the »… legendäre Bhavan-Quelle« or Bhavan spring. CAVE POTENTIAL 1970: »… after asking the local people and studying available maps … during our stay [in the Vale of Kashmir] from September the 4th to the 13th 1970 … we found that there were five large springs in the area [note 7] and that each was considered holy by the Hindus … At Bawan and Anantnag the spring is situated at the base of the limestone hill-side, but the bulding hide the actual resurgences, and it seems possible that caves [or, perhaps, enterable cave entrances] existed behind the springs. … Diving with aqualungs in the Holy springs, surrounded by Holy carp and trout and many unholy children, would not be difficult as the Hindu priests can be surprisingly understanding« (COWARD 1971d: 31). CAVE CLIMATE:COWARD (1971d: 35 table 2) measured a water temperature of 15.5°C on an unspecified day between September the 4th and the 13th 1970. CAVE LIFE - »Ash-smeared fakirs« (DOUGHTY, M 1901: 43) but mostly fish, fish, and fish (Pisces) if not more fish. 1590 At the head of the spring a reservoir has been constructed, full of fish. The sanctity of the place preserves them from being touched (ABUL FAZL 1590 edited by JARRETT 1893 revised by SARKAR & SEZGIN 1993, 2: 360). 1835 »25. November … Hier wie in Islamabad [A.k.a. Anantnag, –>Achhabal Nag], befindet sich eine zahllose Menge Fische in dem Wasserbecken, die dem Volke heilig sind« (HÜGEL, Carl 1840-1848, 1: 280). 1851 »10th June, 1851. Tuesday … Myriads on myriads of fishes, large and small, and of various hues from pale green to black, sport in the water, and are held sacred by the inhabitants. Goolâb Singh allows one mound (82 lbs.) a day of rice for their food; and these sacred fishes are never taken out of the water on any pretext« (HERVEY 1853, 2: 194). 1869 An Assistant Surgeon, Her Majesty's 36th Foot, noted on 12th August 1868 at the »very holy spring … Buroen [sic! qua: Bawan] … two tanks formed where the water escapes from the ground, and these tanks swarm with tame fish, some of them of large size. It was a great sight feeding them. They all rushed to the place struggling and fighting for the food. The bright green water was black with them, and a space yards wide and long, and several feet thick, was occupied by a block of fish packed as closely as if they were pickled herrings. These fish are also very sacred, and to catch them is prohibited« (FOSTER 1873). 1901 »The tank was full of fishes that came greedily to the surface to swallow the great chupatties we threw to them. So large and fat were these great carp, they threw themselves upon the coveted morsel with a sound of gobbling worthy of an alderman's orgy in their greed, refusing a poor little yellow fish -- quite a pariah, from its strange colour -- any part of the feast. Ash-smeared fakirs sat round the tank, an evil smile curling their lips, eyes that glittered snaky, restless fashion, a fine contempt in their general attitude for the religion that devotes gifts to such poor representatives of Vishnu Mahadeo as fishes« (DOUGHTY, M 1901: 43).
Documents
Bibliography 21/03/2016- Abul Fazl 'Allami 1590 (Ain i Akbari: edited by Beveridge, H, a.i.; Foster, J C 1873; Gladwin, Francis 1783, 1800; Blochmann, H 1873, 1939, 1949, 1993; Jarrett, H S 1891, 1939, 1949, 1993); Constable, Archibald (in: Bernier, Françoise 1891 edited 1968); Coward, Julian M H 1971d; Dey, Nundo Lal 1927 edited 1990, 1994; Doughty, Marion 1901; Hügel, Carl Anselm 1840-1848; Newall, D F 1866; Redslob, F ; Roberts, Frederick Sleigh 1897; Stein, Marc Aurel 1899.
Cavités proche
| Distance (km) | Nom | Longueur (m) | Profondeur (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | KAMALA NAG | ||
| 0.9 | SURYA GOFFAR, Martand | ||
| 0.9 | BHIMA DEVI (Cave of) | ||
| 0.9 | RUK-u- DIN RISHI (Dargah ka) | ||
| 0.9 | SHIVA, Bhamajo (Cave of) | ||
| 2.8 | BHAMAJO CAVE | ||
| 3.2 | SER (Höhle bei) | ||
| 5.6 | SUCCURGAOM | ||
| 6.8 | Maliknag |