The Valley’s Buddhist past was thrust into the spotlight here on Sunday after lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha chaired a conference highlighting the historical links between Nalanda and Kashmir — two of the ancient world’s foremost centres of Buddhist learning.
Speakers at the Srinagar-Nalanda dialogue, organised by the Union tourism ministry, Jammu and Kashmir’s culture department and Nava Nalanda Mahavira University, among others, underscored the need to revive India’s civilisational heritage and strengthen diplomacy.
The event was part of the Nalanda Literature Festival, which seeks to revive the place’s intellectual legacy in which Buddhism occupies a prominent position.
“The Srinagar-Nalanda dialogue is a movement to revive the culture of thoughtful engagement and knowledge sharing. The dialogue reinforces the conviction that conversations can be a central part of a more informed, connected and harmonious society as voices from various backgrounds converge on a common platform,” a statement from the Nalanda Literature Festival said.
Kashmir, like Nalanda, was a major centre for Buddhism from the 3rd century BC to the 8th century AD and is believed to have hosted the 4th Buddhist Council in the 1st century AD. Hinduism gained ascendancy subsequently until it was eclipsed by Islam beginning in the 14th century.
The dialogue comes amid a renewed interest in Kashmir’s Buddhist past. Archaeologists recently unveiled a sprawling 2,000-year-old Buddhist complex in Zeganpora village, considered one of Kashmir’s largest ancient Buddhist sites.
LG Sinha said the scholars of Kashmir and Nalanda shaped one of the world’s oldest living civilisations, and heritage was “our guiding light”. “The Srinagar-Nalanda Dialogue is our opportunity to carry that light forward with wisdom, courage, and a new vision for Viksit Bharat,” he said.
“From Bihar to Jammu Kashmir, from the temples of Tamil Nadu to the monasteries of Ladakh, from the ghats of Kashi to the valleys of Kashmir, each region preserves its distinct cultural identity and rhythm of life. Our shared aim should be to weave these diversities into a harmonious unity that enriches the nation’s collective consciousness,” the LG said.
Sinha said Nalanda, Takshashila, Vikramashila, and many other places were hubs of global intellectual exchange, attracting travellers from China, Korea, Java, Persia and West Asia.
Prof. Shafi Shouq, noted Kashmiri linguist, said the entire belt from India’s Northeast to Taxila and Gandhara (in present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan) was a huge watershed of ideas in ancient times. Gandhara and Taxila are renowned as the heartland of ancient Buddhism. “It assimilated and created new ideas, and the entire world paid attention,” he said.
Prof. Shouq said the influence of Gandhara was so pronounced in Kashmir that locals are still called Gandur (a derivative of Gandhara).