HISTORY OF KASHMIR

According to the legend- Kashmir valley was once a vast lake, Satisar in which Goddess Parvati sailed in a pleasure boat. In her honour the lake was known as Satisar, the tarn of a chaste woman. But there dwelt in the lake a cruel demon Jaldeo who destroyed all life in the lake and rendered the country waste. When the inhabitants of the valley, the Nagas (half human half snake) appealed to Lord Vishnu for help, he sent Kashyapa to help the Nagas get rid of Jaldeo. For thousand years Rishi Kashyapa undertook religious exercises and then braced himself up for a struggle with Jaldeo, but the demon eluded him and hid under the water. Then Vishnu came for Kashyapa's help and struck the mountains at Baramulah and the water gushed out. As Jaldeo entrenched himself in low ground, Goddess Parvati, took form of myna and dropped a pebble on him which grow as large as a mountain and crushed Jaldeo to death. The mountain is now known as Hari Parbat, Mountain of Goddess Sharika or Parvati. The valley came to be known as Kashafmar, home of Kashyapa and now called as Kashmir.