Why Are We Backward? Part XIV
Every Indian’s heart should bleed for Kashmir. As I write this article, innocent blood is once again flowing on the streets of Srinagar, taking the total number of casualties (civilian, militants and Forces) to around 80,000 since 1988. Families are desperate: Many had borrowed money to get ready to serve the anticipated 350,000 pilgrims-tourists. They were looking forward to earning honest money, repaying their debts and moving one step FORWARD by investing surplus income in their homes, businesses and state. Instead, the streets are deserted; houseboats are empty; enraged locals are indoors; while a few of their neighbors battle 500,000 Indian soldiers. Everyone is mourning the fact that the state is moving backwards.
In June I was in Srinagar when the current tourist season began. Among other engagements, I gave a lecture at the University’s postgraduate department of Business Management on the question: Does Hindu Capitalism have a Future? Bollywood could have made Kashmir its number one destination for outdoor filming. That alone would have drawn all the capitalists that my students would want to meet. But given what we have done to keep Kashmir backward, Bollywood invests all its black money in Switzerland.
In Srinagar, my most moving encounter was with Mr. Verma. I was climbing up the steep steps of the 1000 feet high Shiva Temple – the most spectacular “High Place” in Srinagar. It is called Takht-e-Suleiman (The Throne of Solomon). Mr. Verma, an average, educated businessman was coming down. Yet, he stopped to catch his breath. Clutching his heart with his right hand, he explained his embarrassment: “I do not have one lung. Your lung holds your heart; but my heart is hanging. Therefore, I am not allowed to climb steps. I had to climb this hill because they say that you will not earn all the available merit from this pilgrimage unless you pay homage at this shrine. I want better karma for my next life. Therefore, I had to ignore my cardiologist and take this risk.”
I could not help but respect Mr. Verma’s deep devotion. But, to be honest, I was also furious at the myths that enslave our people. Takht-e-Suleiman is magnificent. A revolving restaurant on top along with ski facilities for winter will bring all the tourists Srinagar wants. That brief encounter with Mr. Verma explained why most of the Kashmir Valley had renounced Hinduism and converted to Islam by the 17th century.
The Shiva Temple became a side show a century ago when a Muslim shepherd discovered the 60 feet long, 30 feet wide and 15 feet high Amarkantak cave 12,729 feet above sea level. The cave about 86 miles northeast of Srinagar, is now the prime pilgrimage site where our people go to worship the Shiva-lingam (Shiva’s penis), made of natural ice. The penis “pulsates”. Every month it increases and decreases in size, apparently following the monthly cycle of the moon.

Why would devotees donate hundreds of millions of rupees annually for the privilege of worshipping a penis, whether made of ice or stone? The power is in the myth.
Lord Shiva is an eternal Brahmachari (celibate) and therefore he does not have a wife. Parvati is his “consort” or sex-partner who helps awaken his enormous sexual energy called Kundalini, symbolized by hooded cobras. Sitting in this cave, Parvati urged Shiva to explain why she had to die while he was immortal (=Amar). Shiva said that the story of immortality is too long. But Parvati sat down, determined to listen. Shiva closed his eyes in meditation and summoned the demon Kalagni Rudra. He ordered the demon to burn up all living things within audible distance to ensure that no one hears the secret of immortality.
The story was really long, but Parvati kept saying “hun” (yes) until she fell asleep. A parrot appeared from under Shiva and began to mimic Parvati’s “hun.” When Shiva opened his eyes he asked Parvati if she now knew the secret of immortality. “No,” She said, “I fell asleep.”
“Who then was saying ‘hun’?” Shiva was enraged at the prospect that someone mortal may have heard the secret reserved for gods. The parrot realized that he was in trouble and flew off. As Shiva chased the parrot, it found the wife of Vyasdev sitting at the entrance of her cottage with her “mouth” open. The parrot flew into her and she became pregnant. She gave birth to Shukradev who was born with the knowledge of the secret of immortality.
The sages gathered around Shukradev, flattered and pressed him to tell them the secret. Once he agreed, the gods became extremely nervous. They urged Shiva to prevent Shukradev from this reckless act of revelation. Shiva too was angry, but how could he kill someone who received the secret of immortality from Shiva himself. The best that Shiva could do was to put a curse: “No one who hears the secret will become immortal. He will only enter Shivlok – the realm of Shiva’s (sexual) bliss.”
I did see the inside of the temple, but decided to sit outside, on the “Throne of Solomon” and meditate as I took in the breath-taking beauty. I didn’t need a guru to explain the myth.

• It takes no intelligence to understand the “parrot” that came from below Shiva and made his neighbor’s wife pregnant through her “mouth”.

• Nor does it take much to understand why our Brahmacharis, who have renounced their own wives, want their neighbors’ wives to worship the male sexual organ.

• It suits husbands to take their wives to the temple to learn to worship their male organs. Otherwise, they may have to pay therapists to teach their wives to arouse their Kundalini Shakti (Serpent Power or sexual energy).

The puzzle that I wanted to figure out was: Why is this “High Place” called the Throne of Solomon?
It is of course possible that the mountain is named after a local Muslim nobleman called Suleiman. But history records no such nobleman; Also, the High Place has had that name from before Islam came into existence. Is it then possible that some Jews travelled up the Silk Route and settled in that beautiful valley, naming that mountain after one of their most famous kings? Against the commands of God, Solomon had also made shrines for his pagan wives some of whom may have belonged to fertility cults.
The theory that some inhabitants of Kashmir were originally Jews is a strong possibility. The Bible records that after Israel split into two nations the ten northern tribes of Israel forsook the living God who had delivered them from their slavery in Egypt and commanded them not to make idols. The Israelites disobeyed their Saviour-God and began to install sacred stones on “high places”. They institutionalized shrine prostitutes, both male and female, and worshipped demons to the point of sacrificing their own children to these demonic gods.
God’s prophets warned Israel against these sins of idolatry and adultery. When the nation refused to listen to their living God, He destroyed their entire nation. He sent them into slavery in Assyria (Western Iraq). That is not far from the start of the Silk Route, which could have brought the Jews into Kashmir. Scholars do keep pointing out similarities between Saivism and corrupted versions of Jewish monotheism, but that is not relevant to our discussion. The question is: Could myths that inspire people to worship Shiva’s penis condemn a people to bondage and backwardness?
One of my favorite uncles, Chachaji, worked as an engineer for the Indian Railways. Once, he had to spend several weeks repairing a bridge in a jungle in Bihar. I was about 14 when aunt, Chachiji, took me to spend a weekend with her husband who was camping in a remote Forest Guest House. Even though they had been married for several years, they did not have any children.
On the second morning, while they were still in their room, I went out to enjoy the forest. I saw a man bring in a Shiv Lingam and set it up in an empty room, which was quickly turned into a temporary shrine. Later in the morning, I was told that I had to stay away from that area because a Tantrik was coming to treat Chachiji so that she could have babies.
The treatment worked. Nine months later she gave birth to two boys. When the boys became teenagers and needed their father, Chachaji took the vow of Brahmacharya (celibacy), abandoned his family and became a guru. A few women and couples started coming to him seeking Enlightenment or at least Shivlok by awakening their Serpent Power (Kundalini).
The Hindus of Kashmir had good reasons for rejecting such destructive myths in favour of Islam. Whether or not their conversion liberated them is another (and legitimate) question.
Mahatma Jotiba Phule, the pioneer of the lowered-caste social reform movement, understood how myth-makers had enslaved India’s backward castes. He tried to understand what liberated Europe and America. When he realized that Europe and America moved forward because the Messiah and his followers unleashed the power of Truth, Phule urged the Shudras to become Truth-Seekers.
Vishal Mangalwadi’s book Truth and Transformation: A Manifesto for Ailing Nations can be purchased here
This article is being published by Ivan Kostka in a bilingual monthly FORWARD Press in New Delhi. For reprinting rights contact aspire.prakashan@gmail.com
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