Badr Jan
Across cultures, mythology has long served as a creative lens through which societies have understood their origins and achievements. From Rome’s Romulus and Remus to China’s dragons, myths have woven compelling stories that entertain and inspire without demanding historical accuracy. In the Indian subcontinent, Kashmir’s genesis is attributed to a figure of mythical proportions: Kashyap Rishi. This saint, celebrated in Hindu mythology, is said to have drained a vast lake to create the valley we know today.
The story of Kashyap Rishi offers a captivating narrative filled with saints, demons, and divine interventions. Yet, like many myths, it exists at the intersection of cultural imagination and historical interpretation, raising questions about its role in shaping Kashmir’s identity.
Mythical Landscapes: Kashyap Rishi’s Valley
Growing up in Kashmir, many are introduced to the tale of Kashyap Rishi through sanitized school textbooks. This version narrates how the sage heroically drained the mythical Satisar Lake, transforming it into the fertile valley of Kashmir. The account omits more fantastical elements, such as underwater demons and divine tridents, to fit secular curricula. However, the unabridged legend belongs more to epic fantasy than to history.
As per Hindu mythology, Kashyap Rishi, the grandson of Brahma, battled a water demon named Jaldeo for a millennium. When the sage grew weary, he sought the aid of Vishnu, who smashed the Baramulla mountains with a trident, draining the lake. Jaldeo fled to Hari Parbat, where Parvati ultimately crushed him under a mountain. The valley, now called Kashafmar (Kashyap’s abode), later evolved into “Kashmir.”
This tale is vibrant and dramatic, yet it faces scrutiny from geologists and historians. They dismiss it as folklore, offering evidence of tectonic shifts and natural disasters as the true creators of Kashmir’s landscape. But myths endure, partly because they engage the imagination more effectively than scientific explanations.
Geology vs. Mythology
Scientists argue that the Kashmir Valley was indeed submerged under water, not by divine intervention but as a result of tectonic activity. A massive earthquake likely created the Baramulla gorge, draining the ancient lake and leaving behind the valley. The Karewas—terraced deposits of lake sediments—stand as geological proof of this transformation.
Geologists such as Sir Walter Roper Lawrence and Dr. A.N. Raina have extensively documented this history, presenting irrefutable evidence that nature, not mythological figures, sculpted the valley. However, these scientific accounts lack the storytelling flair of divine battles and cosmic interventions, leaving them less captivating to the public imagination.
Competing Myths and Cultural Narratives
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