Sharada Peeth

Sharada Peeth
Ruins of the Sharada Peeth
Sharada Peeth Location in Azad Kashmir
Name
Devanagari	शारदा पीठम्
Sanskrit transliteration	Śāradā pīṭham
Geography
Coordinates	34°47′35″N 74°11′19″E / 34.79306°N 74.18861°E / 34.79306; 74.18861Coordinates: 34°47′35″N 74°11′19″E / 34.79306°N 74.18861°E / 34.79306; 74.18861
Location	Azad Kashmir
Culture
Primary deity	Sharada (Saraswati)

Sharada Peeth (IAST: Śārada Pīṭh, Urdu: شاردا پیٹھ), located in the village of Sharda in Azad Kashmir. It is situated near the Line of Control which divides Pakistan administered Kashmir from Indian administered Kashmir. The temple dedicated to the goddess Sarasvatī (Sharda) is on the banks of Neelum River in Azad Kashmir. Kashmir was once centre of learning of Hindu Vedic works until the people dwelling in that region was forcefully converted to Islam. Prior to this, Kashmir was sometimes called Sharada Desh because of this temple and Sharada was called Kashmira Puravasini (resident of city of Kashmir). Kashmiri Hindus remain highly devoted towards this deity, and by extension, to the Sharada Peeth temple. As part of their daily worship, Kashmiri Hindus utter the phrase" "Namastey Sharada Devi Kashmir Pur Vasini Tvam Ham Prartheye Nityam Vidya Danam Che De hi mey" (Salutations to you, O Sharada, O Goddess, O one who resides in Kashmir. I pray to you daily, please give me the charity of knowledge).

The temple had periodically fallen into disrepair by the 14th century, and was last repaired by Maharaja Gulab Singh of Kashmir in the 19th Century. Following the brief 1948 war in the region between Pakistan and India, the site came under control of Pashtun tribesmen who invaded the region. Control was then passed to the newly formed rebel government of Pakistan administered Kashmir. The site was heavily damaged in the 2005 earthquake which struck the region, and has not been repaired since that time by the government of Pakistan. Pakistani Hindus rarely visit the temple, preferring to visit sites farther south in Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab provinces. As such, restoration of the temple is not considered a priority in the manner that Katasraj Temple was regarded by the Pakistani government.