Sarwanand Koul Premi Kashmiri
Over six hundred years ago, in Kashmir, the “heaven on earth,” the swarga of the Orient, witnessed the spiritual presence of one of its greatest saint-mystics, Lallishwari, also known as Lalla Ded. She spread her spiritual fragrance through her immortal Vakhs, which remain ever-fresh and are recited with devotion in the age of science and technology. Across the countryside, cities, and towns of Kashmir, no musical assembly begins without the recitation of Lalla’s Vakhs.
Following Lalla Ded was Roopa Bhawani, whose memory is honored through Sahib Saptami, celebrated with a Mahayagya and other religious programs. Later, in the 19th-20th century, the mystic saint Mathra Devi emerged. Mathura Devi, born in 1878 in a Kashmiri Hindu family near Verinag, associated with Nilanag and the Nilamatapurana, demonstrated a deep spiritual inclination from childhood. Married to Shri Bhagwan Dass Kandroo Bhagalal of Anantnag at a young age, she returned to her parental home after her husband’s untimely death to pursue spiritual sadhana alongside her brother, Pandit Gobind Koul.
Her spiritual journey was guided by her Guru, Pandit Shridhar Joo Sharabi of Srinagar. With the support of her brother, Mathra constructed a Kutiya on the bank of the Vitasta (Jhelum River) for her tapasya. After three years of unbroken meditation, she emerged as Mathra Devi, drawing hundreds of people seeking peace and spiritual solace.
In 1940-41, seeking freedom from worldly attachments, Mathra Devi moved to Srinagar, making the Shivalaya Temple in Chotta Bazar her abode. Her presence transformed the desolate temple grounds into a spiritual center. The temple later became the Rama Krishna Ashrama, complete with a meditation hall, auditorium, library, and health clinic. During her stay, she delivered upadeshas and vyakhyans on topics like character building and social reforms.
Later, she shifted to Durganag at the request of Swamiji of Shivaratnagiri, where she continued her spiritual mission. In 1967, Mathra Devi returned to Verinag with her brother, Pandit Gobind Koul, his son, Pandit Prithvi Nath Koul, and her disciples. She blessed Verinag until her passing on January 5, 1985. Thousands of mourners, Hindu and Muslim alike, attended her funeral, where Pandit Shamboo Nath Kandroo, the sole survivor of her husband’s family, lit her pyre, honoring her legacy.
Courtesy: Koshur Samachar
