BIRTH OF A BLESSED LAND: KASHMIR
Kashmir was established by Rishi Kashyapa on Margashirsha Krishna Paksha Pratipada which falls on the 1st of December this year
By Brahmananda
However, literary-historical evidence says otherwise.
According to Nilamata Purana Rishi Kashyapa established Kashmir on the first day after passing of full moon day of Kartika (कार्त्तिक्यां समतीतायां सम्प्राप्ते प्रथमेऽहनि कश्मीरा निर्माता पूर्वं कश्पेन महात्मना-465)
Nov 30th, 2020 is Kartika Shukla Paksha, Purnima and the Next Day is Margashirsha Krishna Paksha Pratipada (1st day) ie 1st December 2020.
Kashmir was established by Rishi Kashyapa on this Margashirsha Krishna Paksha Pratipada which falls on the 1st of December this year.
It also tells how Kashmir was named, it says-
“Prajapati is called Ka, Kasyapa is Prajapati hence country established by him will be called Kashmira”
“Water called Ka was removed from here by Balrāma” hence this land is Kashmir’s” (226,227)
Nilamata Puran mentions these two reasons why the land was named thus. But some people may question the historical authenticity of this Purana. Historians date it to 6 AD. Let’s first establish its historical authenticity.
The king Gonanda-1, who was a friend of Jarasandha, went to help him attack the City of Mathura which was defended by Krishna and Balraam. Kashmiri Army helped the Magadhan Army. This establishes that Magadha and Kashmir were allies at the time. This event also finds a mention in Harivamsha Purana and Mahabharata. Gonanda-1 fell while fighting in this siege, which lasted 27 days. His son, King Damodar wanted to take revenge for his father’s death and so he took his army to attack Krishna, who was in Gandhar, attending a Swayamvar. Damodar was killed in this battle with Krishna.
Now, there is no mention of the King of Kashmir fighting in the Mahabharat war but no reason for the same is given in the Mahabharat either. We get the reason from Nilamata Puran. It is in perfect sync with Mahabharat. One cannot explain the events of Mahabharat without the Nilamata Puran.
All the Sacred places were here. There were hermitages all along the river Vitasta(Jhelum) and beyond that. The most important word used in Nilamata for Kashmira is “अनातङ्क” devoid of terror. The biggest irony is that the place which was once devoid of terror is the most affected by terror now.
“Always full of twanging of Bows and, Vedic recitals,
Happy people living all around, Full of beautiful gardens and trees laden with fruits, full of sacred places”
Abhinavgupta the great philosopher(Kashmir Shaivism) praises Kashmir like this
“Where everybody is a learned person, where even a warrior is capable of worthy discourses, where women of the cities are remarkable with luster of the moon and charming gait, where the band of yoginis (female adepts in tantric practice) , just like the clear sky, are remarkable, having got the sun and the moon ( prana and apana or ida and pingala symbolized) eclipsed, with their opening of the infinite path of susumna blazing like the burning charcoal. Where, here and there the sages make their dwelling, where in every place resides Siva himself, except such a place as Kashmir, I feel, for the fulfilment of all wishes and for the achievement of the perfect spiritual realization, there is no other place in the world”
Such a beautiful description almost sounds like a Utopia. Nilamata mentions many sacred places in Kashmir. A place named Bhooteshwar is mentioned. It is said that Nandi resides there. The description of that place matches with present-day Pahalgam.
It is the moral duty of every citizen to help bring back the lost glory of Kashmir and restore Ma Kshmira to her former glory!

Thank you for this detailed story about Kashmir
Thanks a lot