Trip to Zeethyar Temple, Srinagar

Zeestha Devi temple at Zeethyar ( Zeeth'yar/Jaishthethwar Shrine) in interior

Srinagar at the foothills of Zabarwan mountain range. Earlier, one had to trek to
this far off spot. But, now one can easily drive right up to the steps that lead to
it. Unlike, Khir Bhawani spring, the water here is stagnant and needs to be
cleaned frequently. And unlike Khir Bhawani Shrine and like the Chakrishwar
temple atop Hari Parbat, meat -(particularly tcharvan (fried Liver) with
Taher(turmeric yellowed rice), can be consumed here.

Zeestha Devi. A lot of pandit families used to take Taher-charvan here.

Government, circumventing few rules, on the initiative of a few pandit high
officers, has recently built beautiful guesthouses on the slopes surrounding the
temple.These guest houses are run by a trust. When I visited the place, it being a
hindu, Indian tourist season - Summer, there were also a few non-kashmiri
vendors selling Kehwa and frying thin Luchis in oil.
Shiv temple at Zeethyar against the back drop of Zabarwan hills.
A dense forest covers the nearby slopes and is home to a number of wild
animals. A cousin of mine visited the place in 2001 and witnessed a very funny
scene: A BSF guard on duty near the gate was regaining consciousness after
having suffered a fear induced fainting attack. Moments ago, he had been
approached by a leopard.
This Shiv Ling was earlier located at Ganpatyar temple and was moved to Zeeth
Ya'r in around 1988. Most people remember it as Shiv-ling with a crack.
An old habit of picking gor-da'yel (some sort of local citrus fruit) from the wild
trees near the entrance to shrine. Gor-da'yel are meant to be consumed after
cooking. We took a lot of them and did cook and ate them later.
Sheetala Mata of Yore. Or Jyestha Devi of Zeethyaar.
Pierre Sonnerat (1748-1814), a French
naturalist and explorer, between 1769
and 1781 traveled deep into southeast
Asia and documented the religious
practices, sciences, arts (and birds) of
the places he visited.

In 1782 the account of his travels was

published in two volumes under the title (french) 'Voyage aux Indes Orientales
et a la Chine, fait par ordre du roi, depuis 1774 jusqu'en 1781. Dans lequel on
traite des mœurs de la religion, des sciences & des arts des Indiens, des
Chinois, des Pégouins & des Madégasses' ( Journey to the East Indies and
China, Undertaken at the King's Command,
from 1774 until 1781: In Which the Religious
Mores, Sciences, and Arts of the Indians, the
Chinese, the Pegouins, and the Madegasse
are Discussed. )
The image on right, depicting an ancient
goddess that the book captioned as Mou
Devi, proved to be the most difficult and certainly the most interesting
illustration of the set. It's trail, much to my delight, led me to an ancient goddess
temple in Kashmir, simply called Zeethyaar - located somewhere between hills
of Shankaracharya and Mughal garden of Chasma Shahi. .

As I looked at the image of Mou Devi, I thought maybe it's the goddess of
measles or smallpox. But that's Sheetala.

The french cation 'déesse de la Discorde et de la Misere' translates (thanks to

google) as 'goddess of discord and misery'

Has to be Sheetala of North, Harita/Hariti - 'the green one' - the goddess of

smallpox from Gandhara art Kushan dynasty, the demon goddess of 500
children who was reformed by Buddha.

Mou Devi, who is this goddess - the one riding a donkey, and carrying a crow
banner, the one not particularly 'beautiful' ?

Pierre Sonnerat, in his book, (again) mentions Moudevi and 'Churing of Sea'
and (in this version) how it produced three goddesses - Saraswati (claimed by
Brahma), Laxmi (claimed by Vishnu) and Moudevi (unclaimed).

Southey's Common-place book added that Moudevi is often represented green.

A book called 'Roles and Rituals for Hindu women' by Julia Leslie (1992), that
in details mentions a goddess named Jyestha, offered final clues.
Jyestha is often in Tamil called Kakkaikkodiyal (crow-bannered) the one who
ride a donkey (Khararudha). Crow is the bringer of bad luck and femine. And
the goddess often carries a broom.
In some parts of India,
particularly North(in south as
Mariamman?), she is identified
as Sitla or Sheetala (Aha!) who
also carries a broom and rides a
donkey.

(Julia Leslie wrote her book, ''In

none of the images at my
disposal is Jyestha shown with a
'vehicle' or mount". 1992, internet was in infancy. )

So who is Jyestha ' Elder' - 'Misfortune'?

The story , most of them lead to Sagar Manthan or Churning of the Sea.
Apparently, she was the second thing that came out of the sea, just after poison,
and finds herself unwanted as she is inauspicious. According to another story,
she is in fact Mohini, the female seductress form of Vishnu who saves the Amrit
(elixir) from Asuras (demons).

Religions de l'antiquité, tr. refondu completé et dévelopé par J.D. Guigniaut

[and others] by Georg Friedrich Creuzer, published 1825, (french had a lot to
say about Moudevi) also talked about 'Moudevi' and gave her alternate name as
"Mahadevi and "Bhoudevi", born of churning of sea, second wife of Vishnu.

But, Julia Leslie, in her book, did not link Moudevi with Jyestha. In fact, the
name 'Moudevi' is not mentioned. Julia Leslie also mentions Lingapurana
according to which Jyestha, the first one born from Sagar Manthan and married
off to a hermit who couldn't control her unreligious beliefs that make her, feel at
ease among "the false mendicant (bhksubimba), the naked Jain monk
(ksapanka), and the Buddhist (bauddha)."
According to some other traditions, Jyestha was taken-in by Eshwara (Shiva).
It is a sad fact that the occurrence of smallpox has become one of the accepted
customs of Kashmir, and the Hindus have regular ceremonies which must be
observed when the disease attacks their families. When it appears that a child is
sick with the smallpox, the first thing to be done is to sew rupees into his
headdress. He is then placed in a separate room, and is surrounded by clay toys
of horses, elephants, palankins, fans and sugar-cakes, water-chestnuts and
shells. Until the pustules are developed the child is kept on rice and curd, and no
salt may be given to the child or used by the mother or wet-nurse. A little fish or
a piece of meat is always hung up in the sick room chhai ratan*, but while the
smallpox lasts no meat may be eaten and no prayers may be repeated in the
house. When the disease abates the rupees are taken out of the headdress, and
are spent on rice boiled in milk, which is distributed to relations and friends.
The room is cleaned and the toys and a plate full of rice are flung into the river.
If the smallpox is very severe, Sitla Mata, the smallpox deity, must be
propitiated, and offerings of sheep, goats, horses or donkeys, and eyes of gold
or silver are made to her priests on Hari-Parbat. Forty days after the smallpox
first makes its appearance chat jihun**, rice boiled in milk is again distributed
to relations and neighbours.