Trip to Zeethyar Temple, Srinagar

Zeestha Devi temple at Zeethyar ( Zeeth'yar/Jaishthethwar Shrine) in interior

Srinagar at the foothills of Zabarwan mountain range. Earlier, one had to trek to

this far off spot. But, now one can easily drive right up to the steps that lead to

it. Unlike, Khir Bhawani spring, the water here is stagnant and needs to be

cleaned frequently. And unlike Khir Bhawani Shrine and like the Chakrishwar

temple atop Hari Parbat, meat -(particularly tcharvan (fried Liver) with

Taher(turmeric yellowed rice), can be consumed here.  

 

Zeestha Devi. A lot of pandit families used to take Taher-charvan here.

Government, circumventing few rules, on the initiative of a few pandit high

officers, has recently built beautiful guesthouses on the slopes surrounding the

temple.These guest houses are run by a trust. When I visited the place, it being a

hindu, Indian tourist season - Summer, there were also a few non-kashmiri

vendors selling Kehwa and frying thin Luchis in oil.

Shiv temple at Zeethyar against the back drop of Zabarwan hills.

A dense forest covers the nearby slopes and is home to a number of wild

animals. A cousin of mine visited the place in 2001 and witnessed a very funny

scene: A BSF guard on duty near the gate was regaining consciousness after

having suffered a fear induced fainting attack. Moments ago, he had been

approached by a leopard.

This Shiv Ling was earlier located at Ganpatyar temple and was moved to Zeeth

Ya'r in around 1988. Most people remember it as Shiv-ling with a crack. 

An old habit of picking gor-da'yel (some sort of local citrus fruit) from the wild

trees near the entrance to shrine. Gor-da'yel are meant to be consumed after

cooking. We took a lot of them and did cook and ate them later.

Sheetala Mata of Yore. Or Jyestha Devi of Zeethyaar.

Pierre Sonnerat (1748-1814), a French

naturalist and explorer, between 1769

and 1781 traveled deep into southeast

Asia and documented the religious

practices, sciences, arts (and birds) of

the places he visited.

In 1782 the account of his travels was

published in two volumes under the title (french) 'Voyage aux Indes Orientales

et a la Chine, fait par ordre du roi, depuis 1774 jusqu'en 1781. Dans lequel on

traite des mœurs de la religion, des sciences & des arts des Indiens, des

Chinois, des Pegouins & des Madegasses' ( Journey to the East Indies and

China, Undertaken at the King's Command,

from 1774 until 1781: In Which the Religious

Mores, Sciences, and Arts of the Indians, the

Chinese, the Pegouins, and the Madegasse

are Discussed. )

The image on right, depicting an ancient

goddess that the book captioned as Mou

Devi, proved to be the most difficult and certainly the most interesting

illustration of the set. It's trail, much to my delight, led me to an ancient goddess

temple in Kashmir, simply called Zeethyaar - located somewhere between hills

of Shankaracharya and Mughal garden of Chasma Shahi. .

As I looked at the image of Mou Devi, I thought maybe it's the goddess of

measles or smallpox. But that's Sheetala.

The french cation 'déesse de la Discorde et de la Misere' translates (thanks to

google) as 'goddess of discord and misery'

Has to be Sheetala of North, Harita/Hariti - 'the green one' - the goddess of

smallpox from Gandhara art Kushan dynasty, the demon goddess  of 500

children who was reformed by Buddha.

Mou Devi, who is this goddess - the one riding a donkey, and carrying a crow

banner, the one not particularly 'beautiful' ?

Pierre Sonnerat, in his book, (again) mentions Moudevi and 'Churing of Sea'

and (in this version) how it produced three goddesses - Saraswati (claimed by

Brahma), Laxmi (claimed by Vishnu) and Moudevi (unclaimed).

Southey's Common-place book added that Moudevi is often represented green.

 A book called 'Roles and Rituals for Hindu women' by Julia Leslie (1992), that

in details mentions a goddess named Jyestha, offered final clues.

 Jyestha is often in Tamil called Kakkaikkodiyal (crow-bannered) the one who

ride a donkey (Khararudha). Crow is the bringer of bad luck and femine. And

the goddess often carries a broom.

In some parts of India,

particularly North(in south as

Mariamman?), she is identified

as Sitla or Sheetala (Aha!) who

also carries a broom and rides a

donkey.

(Julia Leslie wrote her book, ''In

none of the images at my

disposal is Jyestha shown with a

'vehicle' or mount". 1992, internet was in infancy. )

So who is Jyestha ' Elder' - 'Misfortune'?

The story , most of them lead to Sagar Manthan or Churning of the  Sea.

Apparently, she was the second thing that came out of the sea, just after poison,

and finds herself unwanted as she is inauspicious. According to another story,

she is in fact Mohini, the female seductress form of Vishnu who saves the Amrit

(elixir) from Asuras (demons).

Religions de l'antiquité, tr. refondu completé et dévelopé par J.D. Guigniaut

[and others] by Georg Friedrich Creuzer, published 1825, (french had a lot to

say about Moudevi) also talked about 'Moudevi' and gave her alternate name as

"Mahadevi and "Bhoudevi", born of churning of sea, second wife of Vishnu.

But, Julia Leslie, in her book, did not link Moudevi with Jyestha. In fact, the

name 'Moudevi' is not mentioned. Julia Leslie also mentions Lingapurana

according to which Jyestha, the first one born from Sagar Manthan and married

off to a hermit who couldn't control her unreligious beliefs that make her, feel at

ease among "the false mendicant (bhksubimba), the naked Jain monk

(ksapanka), and the Buddhist (bauddha)."

According to some other traditions, Jyestha was taken-in by Eshwara (Shiva).

It is a sad fact that the occurrence of smallpox has become one of the accepted

customs of Kashmir, and the Hindus have regular ceremonies which must be

observed when the disease attacks their families. When it appears that a child is

sick with the smallpox, the first thing to be done is to sew rupees into his

headdress. He is then placed in a separate room, and is surrounded by clay toys

of horses, elephants, palankins, fans and sugar-cakes, water-chestnuts and

shells. Until the pustules are developed the child is kept on rice and curd, and no

salt may be given to the child or used by the mother or wet-nurse. A little fish or

a piece of meat is always hung up in the sick room chhai ratan*, but while the

smallpox lasts no meat may be eaten and no prayers may be repeated in the

house. When the disease abates the rupees are taken out of the headdress, and

are spent on rice boiled in milk, which is distributed to relations and friends.

The room is cleaned and the toys and a plate full of rice are flung into the river.

If the smallpox is very severe, Sitla Mata, the smallpox deity, must be

propitiated, and offerings of sheep, goats, horses or donkeys, and eyes of gold

or silver are made to her priests on Hari-Parbat. Forty days after the smallpox

first makes its appearance chat jihun**, rice boiled in milk is again distributed

to relations and neighbours.