| Avantivarman | |
|---|---|
 King Avantivarman and his Queen | |
| King of Kashmir | |
| Reign | 855–883 CE [1] |
| Predecessor | Utpalapida |
| Successor | Sankaravarman |
| Issue | Sankaravarman |
| House | Utpala dynasty |
| Father | Sukhavarman |
| Religion | Shaivism |
| Relatives | Utpala (paternal grandfather) |
Avantivarman founded the Utpala dynasty. He ruled Kashmir from 855 to 883 CE and built the Avantiswami Temple in Awantipora, Pulwama.
Avantivarman belonged to Utpala dynasty and emerged as a powerful King. He was a most sagacious king, and built temples at Avantipur under his name. His Minister, Suyya, was a renowned genius. His court had a pride on two poets-Ranakar and Ananvardhana. During his time price of paddy showed a deep decline from 36 to 20 dinars. Suyya who was a great engineer is said to have drained a large chunck of wasteland during his regime. His memory is commemorated by Suyyapur or Sopore, a township in Baramulla district. It is said that when this great engineer was working in Sopore no people were coming forth to plunge themselves in gushing water. The king thereupon ordered that a part of treasury may be thrown into the water, a large number of people plunged into the river to get as many coins as they could. The skill of Suyya worked and the river was cleared of silt. [2]
Sopore town in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir was founded by the famous Utpala engineer and irrigation minister Suyya during the peaceful reign of king Avantivarman in 880 CE. [2]
Avantivarman was the grandson of Utpala, one of the five brothers who had taken control of the Karkota throne. Raised by Utpala's minister Sura, Anantivarman ascended the throne of Kashmir on 855 CE, establishing the Utpala dynasty and ending the rule of the Karkotas. Avantivarman appointed Suyya, an engineer and architect as his prime minister. [3] The country had been badly affected due to the numerous civil wars over the last forty years and Avantivarman's reign restored the economy. Suyya carried out desilting of the Jhelum river and diverted its course. [4]
Avantivarman was a patron of the arts and the most notable scholar of his time was Anandhavardana, the author of the Dhvanyaloka. He founded the cities of Avantipur and Suyapur, which was named after Suyya. [4] He built many Hindu temples dedicated to both Vishnu and Shiva as well as Buddhist monasteries. [5] Notable among the temples were the temples of Avantiswara and Avantiswami dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu respectively in Avantipur. [5]
Avantivarman died in 883 CE and his death was followed by another civil war among his descendants. The throne was finally captured by Sankaravarman in 885 CE, who ruled till 902 CE. [3]
The history of Kashmir is intertwined with the history of the broader Indian subcontinent in South Asia with influences from the surrounding regions of Central, and East Asia. Historically, Kashmir referred to only the Kashmir Valley of the western Himalayas. Today, it denotes a larger area that includes the Indian-administered union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the Pakistan-administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Chinese-administered regions of Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract.
Baramulla district or Varmul is one of the 20 districts in the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. Baramulla town is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district covered an area of 4,588 km2 (1,771 sq mi) in 2001, but it was reduced to 4,243 km2 (1,638 sq mi) at the time of 2011 census. In 2016, the district administration said that the area was 4,190 km2 (1,620 sq mi). Muslims constitute about 98% of the population.
Lalitaditya alias Muktapida was a monarch belonging to the Karkota dynasty of Kashmir region in the Indian subcontinent.
Sopore or Sopur, known as Suyyapura in antiquity, is a city in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is 45 km (28 mi) north-west of Srinagar, and 16 km (10 mi) north-east from the city of Baramulla.
Awantipora or Avantipur or Aavantipur, known as Woontpor in Kashmiri, is a town, just opposite of Pulwama city, on the banks of the river Jhelum in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, India.
The Shankaragaurishvara Temple is a 9th century Hindu temple attributed to the Utpala dynasty. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god, Shiva and located in Pattan, in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. The temple was built by king Shankaravarman of the Utpala dynasty of Kashmir, who ruled between 883 and 902 AD.
Sugandha was the fifth ruler of Kashmir in the northern Indian subcontinent during the 10th century.
Naranag or (Nara Nag) is a tourist village and ancient Hindu pilgrimage site, near Ganderbal town in the Ganderbal district of the Kashmir Valley in Jammu and Kashmir, India. Well known for its ancient but pillaged temple ruins complex, it is located around 8 km from Kangan, 6 km upstream from the Sind River. Noted for its scenic meadows, lakes and mountains, it is a base camp for trekking to the Mount Haramukh 16,870 ft and Gangabal Lake. The village lies at the left bank of the Wangath river, which is a tributary of the Sind River. Tourism hut at Naranag for any information and assistance tourism officials are available and hut is also provide for accommodation.
Vaikuntha Chaturmurti or Vaikuntha Vishnu is a four-headed aspect of the Hindu god Vishnu, mostly found in Nepal and Kashmir. The icon represents Vishnu as the Supreme Being. He has a human head, a lion head, a boar head and a fierce head. Sometimes, even three-headed but aspects of Vishnu where the fierce rear head is dropped are considered to represent Vaikuntha Chaturmurti. Though iconographical treatises describe him to eight-armed, he is often depicted with four. Generally, Vaikuntha Chaturmurti is shown standing but sometimes he is depicted seated on his vahana (mount) Garuda.
Kashmiri Hindus are ethnic Kashmiris who practice Hinduism and are native to the Kashmir Valley of India. With respect to their contributions to Indian philosophy, Kashmiri Hindus developed the tradition of Kashmiri Shaivism. After their exodus from the Kashmir Valley in the wake of the Kashmir insurgency in the 1990s, most Kashmiri Hindus are now settled in the Jammu division of Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country. The largest group of Kashmiri Hindus are the Kashmiri Pandits.
Pattan is a sub-district, town and a municipal committee in Baramulla district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Parihaspora or Parihaspur or Paraspore or Paraspur was a small town 22 kilometres (14 mi) northwest of Srinagar in the Kashmir Valley. It was built on a plateau above the Jhelum River. It was built by Lalitaditya Muktapida (695–731) and served as the capital of Kashmir during his reign.
Wangath Temple complex is a group of Hindu temple monuments in Wangath, close to Naranag, in the Ganderbal district of the Kashmir Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Wangath is a village located around 48 miles (77 km) northeast of Srinagar. The current structure was built by Lalitaditya Muktapida of the Karkota dynasty in the 8th century CE.
The Karkota Dynasty ruled over the Kashmir valley and some northern parts of the Indian subcontinent during 7th and 8th centuries. Their rule saw a period of political expansion, economic prosperity and emergence of Kashmir as a centre of culture and scholarship.
Barman or its variants Burman, Varman, , Varma, Verma, are surnames used in the Indian subcontinent.
The Avantiswami Temple is an ancient ruined Hindu temple located on the banks of the Jhelum River, 28 km away from Srinagar in Awantipora, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Its ruins once consisted of two temples dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu, and were built under Chamar king Avantivarman of the Utpala dynasty in the 9th century CE. The site is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. Locals call the temple Pandav Lari, meaning "house of the Pandavas".
Utpala dynasty was a medieval kingdom which ruled over the Kashmir region in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent from 9th to 10th century CE. The kingdom was established by Avantivarman, ending the rule of Karkota dynasty in 855 CE. The cities of Avantipur and Suyapur were founded during the reign and many Hindu temples dedicated to both Vishnu and Shiva and Buddhist monasteries were built, notable of which is the Avantiswara and Avantiswami temples.
The Second Gonanda dynasty, was a Kashmiri Hindu dynasty. According to Kalhana, this dynasty ruled Kashmir just before the Karkotas.
Sankaravarman was a ruler of the Utpala dynasty, which ruled over the Kashmir region from 8th to 10th century CE. The kingdom was established by Avantivarman was a chamar king, who ended the rule of Karkota dynasty in 855 CE.
Teetwal is a small border-village in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is situated on the banks of the Kishanganga River in Kupwara district, 82 km (51 mi) from the district headquarters of Kupwara and close to the Line of Control with Pakistani-administered Kashmir. Teetwal is connected to the rest of India via Tangdhar.