The approval of ₹44.37 lakhs by the Jammu and Kashmir administration for the improvement of Astan Aliya Syed Usman Sahib on the route to Shankaracharya Road has led to controversy among the Kashmiri Pandit community. The decision, made by the Roads and Buildings (R&B) department on September 12, has been met with objections from community members who question the existence of a graveyard on this historically significant path.
Ravinder Raina, head of the Save Sharda Committee, expressed surprise over the development. He questioned the presence of the graveyard, stating that neither he nor other long-time visitors to the Shankaracharya Temple had ever noticed such a site before. "During my lifetime, I haven’t heard of this mazaar [graveyard] on Shankaracharya Road, " Raina commented in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. His remarks have ignited a flurry of responses from the community, with many expressing concerns over the construction work.
Utpal Kaul, another prominent Kashmiri Pandit activist, echoed Raina's sentiments. Kaul, who frequented the Shankaracharya hill from 1965 to 1990, insisted that he had never seen a graveyard there. He emphasized the hill's historical identity as Gopadetirth and its association with Shankaracharya's meditation, underscoring the site's religious significance for Hindus.
The R&B department's order specifies that the work is to be executed by Ms. Aziz Kashmiri & Co. Prop, adhering to the specifications outlined by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Indian Roads Congress. The project is to be carried out under the terms and conditions agreed upon in the contract.
However, the issue has revealed a divide in opinions between the Hindu and Muslim communities in the Valley. Hakim Sameer Hamdani, a noted author, provided a historical perspective, suggesting that the design of the tombstones is reminiscent of the Sultanate period, extending into the late Mughal and early Afghan eras. Hamdani remarked, "A bit of understanding would make it clear that the design and the motif of the tombstones is from the Sultanate period." He lamented that historical and art historical contexts are often overlooked in contemporary debates.
The controversy highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding cultural and religious heritage in the region. As the debate continues, the Kashmiri Pandit community remains vocal in its concerns about the construction, fearing it may alter the historical and religious landscape of the Shankaracharya hill.
