JAMMU, OCT 27: Panun Kashmir has sought the personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to safeguard the historical, religious and cultural character of Shankaracharya Parvat in Srinagar, demanding a time-bound inquiry into reports that the Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board may have sanctioned funds for the construction of a dargah on or near the ancient sacred hill.
In a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister, with copies to the Union Home Minister and the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, the organisation has called for immediate verification of the reported funding proposal, disclosure of relevant financial and land records, and scrutiny of all statutory permissions before any construction or alteration is undertaken at the site.
The memorandum, submitted through Panun Kashmir General Secretary Kuldeep Raina, maintains that the matter goes beyond a construction proposal or land administration issue, raising wider questions concerning the protection of Kashmir’s ancient Hindu heritage, the preservation of sacred sites and the cultural rights of the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community.
Panun Kashmir has urged the government to establish whether any grant, financial sanction, tender or construction proposal has actually been approved by the Waqf Board. It has also sought details of the amount involved, the exact location of the proposed structure, the legal status of the land and the permissions, if any, granted by the competent authorities. The organisation has stressed that no irreversible alteration should be permitted until the relevant facts and legal position are established.
Highlighting the historical significance of the site, Panun Kashmir has referred to Kalhana’s Rajatarangini, the 12th-century chronicle of Kashmir, which mentions Gopadri and the shrine of Jyeshtheshvara in Book I, verse 341, in connection with King Gopaditya.
The organisation maintains that this historical reference underlines the hill’s importance in Kashmir’s ancient Shaiva tradition and its broader religious and civilisational heritage.
Situated above Dal Lake, Shankaracharya Parvat is traditionally associated with the ancient name Gopadri and the shrine of Jyeshtheshvara. The Shankaracharya Temple, located on the hill, is a protected monument of national importance under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Panun Kashmir has also highlighted the religious traditions associating Adi Shankaracharya with the hill, describing the site as an integral part of the spiritual consciousness and historical memory of Kashmiri Pandits.
The organisation has argued that the hill cannot be viewed merely as a geographical landmark or an isolated monument, asserting that it represents a continuing link with Kashmir’s ancient philosophical, spiritual and cultural traditions. It has called for any proposal that could affect the religious character or historical setting of the sacred landscape to undergo rigorous heritage and legal scrutiny.
Connecting the issue with the wider history of Kashmiri Pandit displacement, Panun Kashmir has raised concerns about what it describes as the gradual erosion of the community’s civilisational identity and historical connection with its ancestral homeland.
The organisation has maintained that the loss of cultural identity cannot be assessed solely in terms of the physical destruction of temples or monuments. It has argued that weakening historical memory, sacred geography, cultural institutions and a displaced community’s connection with its ancestral land can also have far-reaching consequences for cultural continuity.
Panun Kashmir has cautioned that, if established, any unauthorised construction or alteration compromising the historical and religious identity of Shankaracharya Parvat could deepen the community’s sense of dispossession and civilisational loss.
It has urged the government to examine the reported proposal in the broader context of heritage conservation, collective memory and the preservation of Kashmir’s ancient Hindu religious traditions.
The organisation has further maintained that safeguarding surviving sacred sites is particularly important for a community displaced from its homeland, as these places preserve tangible links to its history, traditions and cultural inheritance.
Seeking a comprehensive examination of the matter, Panun Kashmir has called for an independent assessment by the Archaeological Survey of India and other competent heritage authorities to establish the precise location of any proposed construction and its proximity to the protected monument and its regulated surroundings.
It has also demanded verification of the land’s ownership, revenue classification and any claim of Waqf status through relevant documentary and statutory records.
The organisation has urged the authorities to issue appropriate preventive directions against new construction, excavation or other irreversible alterations at the disputed location until the facts have been verified and all legally required permissions examined.
It has also called for consultations with representatives of the Kashmiri Pandit community, historians, heritage conservation experts and other concerned institutions before any final decision affecting the site is taken.
Emphasising that its concerns are not directed against the religious rights of any community, Panun Kashmir has stated that the issue must be addressed through transparency, equal respect for religious heritage and strict adherence to the applicable legal framework.
The organisation has specifically referred to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, wherever its provisions apply, and has sought corrective and legal action if an official inquiry establishes violations of heritage protections or other statutory requirements.
Through General Secretary Kuldeep Raina, Panun Kashmir has appealed to the Prime Minister to ensure that all decisions concerning Shankaracharya Parvat are guided by historical documentation, transparent administrative procedures and the applicable legal framework.
It has also sought a reasoned, time-bound response from the government and called for a permanent mechanism to safeguard ancient Hindu sacred sites across Kashmir, particularly those associated with the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community.
The organisation has maintained that protecting Shankaracharya Parvat in its historical and religious integrity is essential to preserving Kashmir’s civilisational inheritance and ensuring that the cultural rights and historical identity of Kashmiri Pandits receive due consideration.
The reported Waqf Board sanction and the status of any proposed construction remain matters requiring verification through official records and the competent authorities. Panun Kashmir has called for a transparent inquiry before any decision is taken that could affect the site’s historical, religious or archaeological character.
