The first layer comes to the fore from the Third Mass Extinction Event at the end of the Permian period around 250 million years ago in the picturesque but mysterious Zabarwan hills. This place provides a chance to immerse and bear witness to the last remnant from the distant past. Marks from the marine life on the rocks and stones at the Guryul Ravine in Khanmoh, Srinagar, is testimony to the marine life that vanished by 96% in the event. Intriguing for inquisitive minds, Kashmir’s least known Triassic Fossil Park is only next to China’s Fossil Park. It still has the ability to unfold the events from the past before our eyes through the layers of littered stones, just a scratch away.
At a distance of 30 kilometres from Khanmoh, Burzahom offers insights into the local life during the Neolithic period (3000 BC) in Kashmir. It demystifies the lives of locals through pottery, stone tools, terracotta and schist found at the terraced site with mountains in the backdrop and the new-age city unfolding in the front. Perched on the other side of the hills of Zabarwan, the Harwan Buddhist site from the fifth Century exudes mystique even today. The silence surrounding the medium-sized stupa in the middle of a rectangular courtyard still adds music to ears, as if hymns ringing from the past. A set of rooms for prayers pose in awe. Pebble-style walls present a neat appearance even as several centuries have passed. This is the place for a soul-soothing experience.
Just 20 kilometers north of Srinagar, the city of Parihaspora built by Lalitaditya Muktapida, a ruler from the 8th Century, is indeed the recorded capital of Kashmir. The site takes one close to both Hindu and Buddhist past of the valley. The influences and imprints on the architecture are stark on the massive stone slabs and the insignias drawn from both these faiths.
Follow BOTT on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
Subscribe BOTT Channels on WhatsApp & Telegram to receive real time updates
