< Page:Younghusband - Kashmir.pdf
This page needs to be proofread.

Section

59

THE TAKHT-I-SULIMAN 59

growth of the number of in-patients, and the readi- ness, with which even upper-class women remain in the hospital, testify to the confidence with which the institution is now regarded. It is renowned through all the north of India, and is a splendid testimony to the steady, thorough, and persevering work of two self-sacrificing men.

Tue Takut-I-SULIMAN

The most conspicuous object in the neighbour- hood of Srinagar is the ‘Takht-i-Suliman, a hill exactly a thousand feet above the valley plain, and surmounted by an ancient Hindu temple. Both for the sake of the view over the valley, up the reaches of the Jhelum, and down on to the Dal Lake and the city of Srinagar immediately at the ‘foot, and also to see the older temple even now frequented by pilgrims from all over India, a climtb to the summit is well repaid.

The temple is believed to have been dedicated to Jyesthesvara, a form of the god Siva. It was at one time thought that it was built 220 B.c., but it is now believed by the best authorities that while the massive basement and stairs are remains of an ancient building (possibly Gopaditya’s, as Dr. Stein thinks), the present superstructure may be of later date. The roof is certainly modern, but the temple

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.