Raw data
Pandrethan (lat. 34 3 N x long. 74 degrees 51 min. E.) is one of only a handful of remaining Buddhism sites in Kashmir though the valley had more than a hundred monasteries in the seventh century. Buddhism flourished until the Muslim invasions of the thirteenth century. The site, located on the banks of the Jhelum three miles south-east of Srinagar, consists of two dilapidated stupas and a pile of rubble presumed to be a monastery. Debala Mitra, Buddhist Monuments (Calcutta: M. Dutt Shishu Sahitya Samad, 1971)
Input by: Stewart Gordon 05 April 2015
"The small village of Pandrethan is situated 3 miles above Srinagar on the Anantnag cart-road. At present its only attraction, excepting the newly built military barracks, is the well-preserved mediaeval temple behind the willow grove on the left-hand side of the cart-road
[…]
But the history of Pandrethan goes much farther back than the twelfth century A.D. The name is a corruption of Puranadhisthana, which means " Old Capital." It was founded under the name of grinagari by the emperor Asoka in the third century B.C. But eight hundred years after, Pravarasena II removed the site of his capital farther down the river. Gradually the younger city not only deprived its older rival of all its importance, but usurped its name also, and Asoka's city came to be known simply by the appellation of Puranadhishthana (old city). This name was in use as early as the time of Hsuan-tsang (seventh century A.D.). The only remains that now exist of the ancient Pandrethan are the ruins of level terraces, long lines of loose rubble walls, and innumerable mounds of stone debris, which thickly dot the mountain slopes from Pantchhok to the Sankaracharya hill - an extent of about a miles. […] Three such mounds have been tapped and have revealed two Buddhist stupas and the courtyard of a monastery. They are situated on the mountain slope about half a mile to the east of the temple.
The stupa known in the records of the Archaeological Department of the State as " Stupa A " is the larger of the two. It was surrounded by a dressed stone wall, only the lowest course of which exists in places. The entrance to the compound seems to have been in the middle of the south wall. The stupa has lost its outer dressed stone casing, except in one or two places. These, however, are sufficient to show that it was in plan a square of 72' with offsets on each side, the re-entering angles of which must have afforded a pleasing contrast of light and shade. Almost all that exists at present is the circular rubble stone core of the structure.
To the west of it is another stupa, but it has been so carefully demolished that nothing remains of it except a few stones, and a rail of its western stair.[…]"
http://koausa.org/Monuments/Chapter5.html
Input: tmciolek, 25 May 2015.
Final data (and their sources)
Last updated: 25 May 2015
Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 200 m from the point defined by the coordinates below.
General location of the Pandrethan monastery, IN.
Lat 34.064974 Long 74.864981
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2014.
Google Map link:
Final data - explanatory notes
1. Monastery's name
- Pandrethan monastery
2. Monastery's modern country & province
- India: Jammu and Kashmir
3. Monastery's alternative/historical names
- Puranadhisthana - http://koausa.org/Monuments/Chapter5.html
4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates
- Approx. Lat 34.064974 Long 74.864981 - based on visual identification of the two stupas' site in satellite imagery, maps.google.com - tmciolek, 25 May 2015.
5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries
- [missing data]
6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village
7. The settlement's alternative/historical names
- Srīnagar - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/12/Srinagar.html
- Suryanagar - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/12/Srinagar.html
- Srinigar - http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/12/Srinagar.html
8. The settlement's coordinates
- Approx., Lat 34.0833 Long 74.8167 http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/12/Srinagar.html
9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition
- [missing data]
10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition
- [missing data]
11. Date-early
- [missing data]
12. Date-intermediate
- [missing data]
13. Date-late
- [missing data]
14. Details of contacts with other monasteries
- [missing data]
15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery
- [missing data]
16. Additional notes
- [missing data] (incl. details of the size of the monastic population)
17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by
- [missing data]
18. Known monks and nuns associated with this monastery
19. Available Printed Literature
- Debala Mitra, Buddhist Monuments (Calcutta: M. Dutt Shishu Sahitya Samad, 1971)
- [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 2]
- [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 3]
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