Avantipur

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Location of Avantipur in Pulwama District Map

Location of Avantipur in Jammu and Kashmir

Avantipur (अवन्तिपुर) is a tahsil town in District Pulwama of Jammu and Kashmir.

Variants

• Awantipora
• Awantipur (अवंतिपुर)
• Avantipura (अवंतिपुर) (कश्मीर) (AS, p.45)
• Awantipora
• Avantipur
• Woontpor

Founder

Awantipora was named after the Kashmiri king Avantivarman and has the ruins of two 9th century Hindu temples built by him. Avantiverman (853-888 A.D.) belonged to Utpala dynasty emerged as a powerful King of Kashmir who founded Avantipur after his name.

Location

Avantipur is 6 km from Pampore in east. Avantipur is 70 km from Pahalgam , 29-km Southeast Of Srinagar, Anantnag District, Kashmir Region, J&K. It is a town, just opposite of Pulwama city, on the banks of the Jhelum river in the Pulwama district of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (now called the NH 44), south of Srinagar and north of Anantnag.

Main Attractions

Main Attractions: Two Ruined Hindu Temples

Built In: Between 855 And 883 AD

Built By: King Avantivarman

Situated at the foot of one of the spurs of the mountain Wastarwan, this temple site overlooks the Jhelum, which wends its tortuous way gently by the side of the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

It is situated mid-way between Anantnag and Srinagar cities on National Highway 1A or NH 1A.

Villages in Awantipora Tehsil

Town: 1 Awantipora,

Villages 1 Aghanji Pora, 2 Barsu, 3 Batapora, 4 Brabandna,612 5 Chakhar, 6 Chersu, 7 Danger Pora, 8 Dogri Pora, 9 Giru, 10 Goori Pora, 11 Gori Kadal, 12 Graw Gund, 13 Hari Pari Gam , 14 Jawbrara, 15 Kaichak Kot, 16 Kanji Nagh, 17 Kanli Bagh , 18 Kawni , 19 Khalan Gund Mosa, 20 Khandi Pora, 21 Khankah , 22 Ladremar, 23 Larki Pora , 24 Larmoh Awan Pora , 25 Malang Pora, 26 Marza Pora, 27 Midoora , 28 Naina , 29 Now Gam Ullar, 30 Odi Pora Shahoora, 31 Pad Gam Pora, 32 Panz Gam, 33 Partab Pora , 34 Poshwan, 35 Raj Pora Ullar , 36 Rakh-e-Watal Pora, 37 Ranzi Pora , 38 Reshi Pora Ullar, 39 Sail, 40 Shahabad Bala, 41 Shahabad Pain, 42 Tokuna, 43 Udi Pora Chirath,

Source - https://www.census2011.co.in/data/subdistrict/49-awantipora-pulwama-jammu-and-kashmir.html

History

Remains of Avantiswami Temple

Remains of Avantisvara Temple

It is said that the town was founded by Avantivarman who was the first king of the Utpala dynasty, and ruled Kashmir from 855 to 883 AD. Avantivarman built a Hindu temple in Awantipora dedicated to Vishnu called Avantisvamin before he became king, and during his reign he built a second Hindu temple in Awantipora called Avantisvara dedicated to Shiva. Both temples were built in spacious rectangular paved courtyards. They were destroyed in the middle ages. They were excavated by the archeologist Daya Ram Sahni in the early 20th century. The Avantisvamin temple is located at 33°55′24″N 75°00′46″E and Avantisvara is at 33°55′41″N 75°00′16″E. They are protected and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

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Alexander Cunningham writes that Avantipura was founded by Raja Avanti-Varmma who reigned from A.D. 854 to 883. It is situated on the right bank of the Behat River, 17 miles to the south- east of the present capital. There is now only a small village called Wantipur ; but the remains of two magnificent temples, and the traces of walls on all sides, show that it must have been once an extensive city. The name of No-nagar, or the " New Town," which is now attached to the high tract of alluvial table-land on the opposite side of the river, is universally allowed by the people to refer to Avantipura itself, which is said to have occupied both banks of the river originally.

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In Rajatarangini

Rajatarangini tells...King Sussala accused himself as the cause of this destruction and slaughter of his subjects, and set out to fight. Janakaraja died near Avantipura, in order to suffer for his sins in hell in 1121 AD. (VIII,p.85)

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Rajatarangini tells...When the king Sussala learnt that Madava which had been to some extent pacified, had once more become disaffected, he again went to Vijayeshvara. The sons of Mallaraja (Sussala's father) created dangers for themselves by their evil tongue. ...Yashoraja who was from his boyhood used to flattering language became offended with the king for his harsh and insulting words. The vile Yashoraja was at Avantipura with a large army, and he thence marched and joined the enemy's party. On his going over to the enemies with the best part of the army, the king fled in distraction from Vijayakshetra. (VIII,p.97)

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Rajatarangini tells....Bhāsa, a servant of Sujji, had escaped his enemies through the virtue of the people and being weary, entered the court-yard of god Avasvami at Avantipura. [VIII(i),p.122]

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Rajatarangini tells us ...In 1127 AD King of Kashmir Sussala was murdered and Sussala's head brought to Bhikshu. Tikka and others loitered on their way to the capital via Avantipura, in order to destroy Bhāsa and others who had been besieged before. But they could not overcome the besieged by fight or by throwing stones or by fire or sword. Protected by the thick stone wall of the temple, the besieged killed the besiegers who could neither stay there nor flee from that place.In this opportunity

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[p.127] caused by tho enemy's delay, the wise king brought over the Damaras of Khaṇḍūvī to his side by riches. He then sent without delay Sujji with Panchachandra and others who took money from him, for the relief of Bhasa and his party. But before Sujji arrived at Avantipura, Tikka and others had raised the siege, as soon as they saw the son of Kayya and others in the vanguard. Bhasa and his party issued out of the temple, pursued the flying enemies and killed them, and came back to Sujji. [VIII(i),p.126-127]

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Rajatarangini tells us ...Battle on the Gambhira: In the month of Vaishakha, Sujji commenced his operations. He hastily issued out of the capital and came to the banks of the Gambhira. His encounter with the enemies was glorious, for he routed all the warriors

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[p.129] engaged in battle. It is so ruled by destiny, that in battles where courage is displayed, sometimes one man conquers a hundred thousand, and sometimes a hundred thousand conquer one. There was no bridge over the river, and Sujji could not cross it, but saw the enemies on the other side discharge their arrows. For two or three days, both he and the enemies remained unmoved on the banks of that river ; those who were clad in mail looked for weak points in other men. The bridge was then made with the boats brought from Avantipura. Sujji crossed the river with his horse on a boat. When the soldiers of the enemies saw Sujji reach the other side, they moved, as the trees do in a wind. In order to see their movement, Sujji ascended the bank. In the meantime the bridge was completed, his soldiers crossed over to the other side and the enemies fled. Of the fleeing army not one swordsman or horseman or spearman or bowman could look behind. The strap of Koshteshvara's horse got loosened and his saddle became loose, so that the horsemen waited for a short time. When the saddle was tightened, and Sujji pursued them hotly, they soon disappeared, like dust driven by the wind. The enemies whose soldiers wore killed, robbed and overturned, collected their shattered forces at Dhyānoḍḍāra and other villages. Bhasa who was in the van crossed the bridge over the Vitasta at Vijayesha and caused the robbers to flee. [VIII (i),p.128-129]

Monuments

Avantipur Temple

Awantipora has a number of ancient Hindu temples built by King Awanti Varman (AD 855- 883) when he chose the site as his capital.

Jat Gotras

• Utpal

अवंतिपुर

अवन्तिस्वामी मंदिर, अवंतिपुर

अवन्तिश्वर मंदिर, अवंतिपुर

अवंतिपुर अथवा अवंतीपोरा (Awantipora) भारत के जम्मू और कश्मीर राज्य के पुलवामा ज़िले में स्थित एक नगर और तहसील है। अवन्तिपोरा राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग-44 (पुराना नाम राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग-1ए) पर अनन्तनाग और श्रीनगर के मध्य में पड़ता है। अवंतिपुर पामपोर से 6 किमी पूर्व में, श्रीनगर से 29 किमी दक्षिण-पूर्व में और Pahalgam से 70 किमी की दूरी पर झेलम नदी पर स्थित है।

नामकरण: अवन्तिपोरा का नाम राजा अवन्ति वर्मन के नाम पर पड़ा है। अवंतिपुर की स्थापना उत्पल राजवंश के प्रथम राजा अवंतिवर्मन द्वारा की गई थी जिन्होंने 855-883 ई. में कश्मीर पर शासन किया। अवंतिवर्मन ने अवंतिपुर में राजा बनने से पहले विष्णु को समर्पित अवन्तिस्वामी मंदिर बनाया था। उनके शासन काल में अवन्तिश्वर नाम से शिव को समर्पित दूसरे हिंदू मंदिर का निर्माण किया। मध्य-काल में इनका विध्वंश कर दिया गया था परंतु मंदिरों के अवशेष अभी भी विद्यमान हैं। राजा ललितादित्य द्वारा बनवाए गये मन्दिरों के भी यहाँ अवशेष मिलते हैं। यह सभी मन्दिर भारतीय पुरातत्त्व सर्वेक्षण विभाग द्वारा संरक्षित किये गये हैं।

अवंतिपुर (कश्मीर) (AS, p.45) - अवंतिपुर जम्मू और कश्मीर का प्राचीन नगर था। अवंतिपुर का मन्दिर कश्मीर के प्रसिद्ध मार्तंड मंदिर की वास्तु परंपरा में बनाया गया था।

References

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