The cool, clean and dancing waters of the village streams are breathtaking and particularly so when the temperatures are souring up in the valley. People, especially those living in congested cities and towns feel relaxed from the scourging heat and spent some time on the banks of these gushing Nallahs and Kuls. The upper courses of Nallah Sind, Lidder, Vishu Rambara and other scores of streams experience huge rush of local tourists. At these places are seen village boys enjoying in flowing waters while bathing in their village streams and kuls. In fact it is the season when people go for site seen excursions and picnics and always prefer spots located adjacent to some flowing Kuls and Nallahs (streams and rivulets).
The tourist spots like Pahalgam, Sonmarg, Ahrabal , Drang and Doodpathari which are located on the nallah beds have been experiencing huge flow of local as well domestic tourists. In deed these are natural heritage sites which offer its tourist the peaceful and pleasant atmosphere, which is quite different from the noisy and busiest cities and town life. Apart from major Nallahs , there are other scores of little streams and Kuls dancing through our villages offering little picnic spots to village boys. But very people know that these small village kuls basically are the built heritage canals and these water channels have been constructed by the ancient rulers to facilitate the irrigation of village lands.
The waters of major hilly springs and melting glaciers which flow down from little hills and forest first form little Kuls and small water charnels then form streams and then major Nallahs , which included Lidder, Vishu, Rimbara, Romushi, Sind. And it is from these different streams that the different rulers of Kashmir in respective periods have constructed water channels, known as canals. The purpose of digging of canals has been to provide irrigation facilities to the lands so to make their cultivation possible. History records tell us a very interesting story of these village canals and first such constructions are attributed to Avnantivarman, who is believed to have ruled this land during 9th century AD.
His ‘Suyy named engineer’ who is recorded to have served in the Darbar of Raja Avantivarman (855-883 AD) is known to have founded several major canals. He is said to have channeled the water for irrigation purposes and each village was allotted as much water as was necessary for its crops. This engineer is said to have many villages reclaimed from marshy tracts by having circular embankments raised all around them to keep out waters, so that they looked like round bowls. He is also known to have undertaken the first cleanness of the vista, the veyith .
Several of the ancient canals which nowadays have turned kuls are attributed to this Suya named engineer. These included Tounger Sonman, Maa, gruimuth and Barthiun. These canals had been built by him in southern Kashmir and diverted from the major stream of Nallah Vishow. The Sonman named famous canal was diverted from nallah Vishow near village Nihama to irrigate the lands of upper and lower Pargana of Ardwani. A curious legend locally associated with Sonman states that the Canal was named Sonman, as raja Anantiverman is learnt to had spent one mon of gold has on its construction.
Sonman not only supplied waters to upper and lower Paragan Ardwai , but with passage of time several other canals were also diverted from it. One of the major canals of Zanapura stands carved from the kul which is recorded to have been diverted from it in the year 1940. This canal irrigates the lands of Zain Pura and its adjacent areas.
Raja Avantiverman who is known as first builder of village canals in his irrigation development, he was followed by another famous ancient rular, Sultan Zain-ul- Abidine (Badshah). Jonraja’s and Sarivara’s chronicles have given a detailed list of canals constructed by this Sultan. The famous canals of his periods include Utpalapur, Nandashaila, Bijbehara Advin, Amburher, Manasbal, Zinagir and Shah Kul of Mattan. It was through these canals that in catchment areas major parts of lands were irrigated.
These village Kuls and streams emerged as dancing through village lands. Their waters served village lands. These waters were so clean and fresh that people also used it for drinking purposes. Most of these kuls also offered little picnic sports. Since kulgam which was known as rice bowel of Kashmir is also known as the land of village kuls and streams. Most of the ancient kuls and streams have been flowing from its lands. But with the passage of time, expansion of industry and usage of pesticides most of the clean and glorious waters of the local Nallahs and streams have lost their pristine glory and there waters have turned as polluted and unsafe for use.
There are many factors responsible for ruining of this glorious heritage. The major factors include; The excessive usage of pesticides, encroachment of water channels, poor maintenance of canals, increased human pressure, human vandalism and lack of civic sense. Besides, there are heaps of heavy plastic disposable wastes gathered all over the nallah banks which have also added to pollution of these water bodies. The people of the villages who once used to preserve these streams and nallah have also turned indifferent towards there this own heritage. Since they now have the tap water reaching to their ketches so they have become unconcerned with their Kuls and canals.
Generally most of the people don’t realize that the fresh water streams not only provide an alternative source of water but also add to the beauty of the villages. With the result at several places the dancing Khuls have gone mute and dried up to the extent that now they serve as the village drains. It is not only the responsibility of the government, but the people living on the banks of these water sources too have to take care of the water bodies. The people visiting these spots for picnic purpose must also refrain from polluting the waters and understand that Kashmir is bestowed with such natural beauty and such abundance of natural resources and by no means should we destroy what we have been blessed with.
Over the years, we have lost number of little village kuls to growing and expanding villages , but still there are number of glorious streams and Nallahs which are still gushing and flowing from our villages and have been adding to village beauties. What we have lost of this heritage cannot be retrieved back and now we all must come forward and preserve and conserve our natural resources for our future generations. Let us avoid using them as drains and dumping sites. Make them plastic and pesticides free. Also, the people visiting these spots for picnic purposes shall not pollute their waters and let us in these hot days enjoy the cool waters of these dancing Kuls and also keep these sources neat and clean.
(Author is senior archeologist and can be reached at: [email protected])
