Where the sacred Vitasta flows, where gods descended, and where millennia of civilisation was shaped by faith
Nestled in the scenic district of Anantnag in South Kashmir, Bijbehara — known in ancient times as Vijeshwara — is far more than a town. It is a living chronicle of spirituality, mythology, and civilization. Cradled along the left bank of the Vitasta River (the Jhelum), approximately 51 kilometres south of Srinagar, this sacred land stands as one of Kashmir's most revered pilgrimage destinations.
Bijbehara is surrounded by four prominent plateaus, each carrying its own ancient story. To the east stretches a vast plateau reaching the northeastern mountains of the Kashmir Valley. To the north stands the plateau of Chakradhara (now Semthan), steeped in myth. To the west, the twin plateaus of Jaya and Vijaya — named after the divine guardians of the sacred Vijeshwara Kshetra.
According to the ancient Vijeshwara Mahatmya, there is no land that equals Vijeshwara in spiritual merit, knowledge, and the path to liberation. Legend holds that if a sack of mustard seeds were spread across this land, there would be as many holy sites as there were seeds in the sack.
"Bijbehara is not merely a historical footnote — it is a town where the past continues to breathe through its sacred shrines, ancient legends, and cultural legacy."
— Kashmir: Shrines and Temples, Chander M. BhatDuring the Buddhist period, Bijbehara was known as Vijaya Vihara — a renowned center of learning that rivalled the great universities of Nalanda and Taxila. Scholars from Central Asia, Afghanistan, China, and across India traveled here to study philosophy, astronomy, medicine, architecture, sculpture, and music.
This intellectual heritage left a deep imprint on the town's identity and is reflected in the calibre of scholars it produced across centuries.
The Vitasta River (now the Jhelum) flows past Bijbehara as it has for thousands of years — referred to as the divine Mother River of Kashmir in ancient scriptures. The left bank, where Bijbehara stands, is considered especially sacred.
The founding of Vijeshwara is not merely historical — it is mythological. As vividly chronicled in the ancient Vijeshwara Mahatmya, this sacred land was established through the direct intervention of the gods themselves.
Kashyap Rishi performed intense penance, pleading with the gods to drain the vast waters of Satisar — the ancient lake covering the Kashmir Valley. Lord Vishnu, in his incarnation as Varaha (the Boar), carved a passage through the mountains at Baramulla, draining the waters and revealing the valley.
Lord Shiva descended to rid the valley of the fearsome demon Jaladbav (Jalodhbhava Asura). Wielding his divine Chakra, Shiva vanquished the demon — the blazing fireball struck the ground at Chakradhara, now present-day Chakdhar. The victory was celebrated by Brahmins and deities alike.
The town of Vijeshwara thus arose as a divine gift. The Vijeshwara Mahatmya declared that penance performed here could grant eternal peace — for there was no parallel to Vijeshwara Kshetra in spiritual merit, knowledge, and the path to liberation.
The Vijeshwar Devasthan Trust is not a new institution — it is the formal evolution of three decades of committed stewardship. In 1994, even as the Kashmiri Pandit community faced exile from their homeland, a small group of devoted individuals came together to establish the Devasthan Prabandhak Committee (DPC) — a body dedicated to maintaining oversight of the sacred shrines of Bijbehara.
At the helm of the DPC — from its founding until his passing — stood Shri Makhan Lal Malla, whose three-decade chairmanship is the defining story of how Bijbehara's sacred heritage survived the darkest years. Under his guidance, the DPC sustained the institutional memory, coordinated with local caretakers, and kept the community's connection to the shrines alive against all odds.
In 2022, to take the mission to a higher and more accountable level, the Devasthan Prabandhak Committee was reconstituted as the Vijeshwar Devasthan Trust (Regd.) — formally registered with the Sub Registrar Bijbehara (Reg. No. 2022/26/4/13). Shri Makhan Lal Malla continued as Chairman of the new Trust, with the founding trustees being largely former DPC members, ensuring 30 years of continuity.
Shri Makhan Lal Malla
Founding Chairman — Devasthan Prabandhak Committee (1994)
First Chairman — Vijeshwar Devasthan Trust (2022)
His three decades of selfless service to the shrines of Bijbehara — beginning when the community had just been uprooted from their homeland — stand as the bedrock upon which everything that follows was built. The Trust carries his vision forward in every stone restored and every pilgrimage completed.
Raja Vijayanand establishes the majestic 11-storey Vijeshwar Temple with a gold-plated Kalash — one of Kashmir's greatest pilgrimage centres. Its shadow at sunrise stretched to Koil Plateau in Pulwama; at sunset, to Martand Plateau. The town is named Vijeshwara after this divine lord.
The shrine and its environs are documented since Emperor Ashoka's time. During the Buddhist period, the town is known as Vijaya Vihara — a renowned centre of learning rivalling Nalanda and Taxila, attracting scholars from Central Asia, China and across India.
The broader sacred geography of the Vijeshwar belt develops into a vibrant landscape of temples, shrines, and Vedic institutions. The Mangala Devi Temple at Batgund, the Vijaya Devi shrine, and Mata Jaya Devi are established as Gram Devata shrines serving the surrounding communities.
Pandit Kalhana's Rajatarangini documents Bijbehara and mentions the Chota Amarnath shrine. Scholar Acharya Somdev writes Katha Sarit Sagar in Bijbehara. The town flourishes as a centre of Vedic learning and pilgrimage.
During King Susal's reign, fierce battles are fought at the Chakradhara shrine. The people of Vijaykhetra defend the sacred temple, though devastating fire results in great loss. The fallen are cremated on the sacred Chakradhara hillock.
Sultan Sikandar Bhutshikan (the Iconoclast) orders the destruction of the Vijeshwar Temple and the Chakradhara Temple's Vishnu image. Materials are repurposed to build a Khankah at Bijbehara. A dark chapter in the region's sacred history.
The Archaeological Survey of India conducts excavations at Chakdar hillock — unearthing Greek coins, Parthian royal coins, Brahmi-inscribed seals, and artifacts spanning multiple civilizational epochs. The site's extraordinary historical depth is confirmed.
The forced exodus leaves Bijbehara's shrines virtually unattended. The lone Kashmiri Pandit family (Shri Shambu Nath Dhar's family) continues daily puja at Chota Amarnath for 16 long years, single-handedly keeping the flame alive.
A mob attacks the shrine, burning facilities. The original Shiv Lingam is removed from the Holy Cave and thrown into the gorges of the Karewa — lost for 30 years.
Shri Shambu Nath Dhar brings a new Shiva Linga from Jaipur and installs it in the Holy Cave, restoring worship at the desecrated shrine despite continued hostility and at great personal risk.
After 17 years of forced interruption, communal pilgrimage to Chota Amarnath restarts — though with limited attendance. The long road to revival has begun, driven by the determination of a small but committed group of devotees.
Even amid the dark years following the 1990 exodus, a small group of dedicated Kashmiri Pandits establishes the Devasthan Prabandhak Committee (DPC) to maintain oversight of the shrines of Bijbehara. Shri Makhan Lal Malla is elected as the founding Chairperson — a role he would hold with unwavering devotion for three decades. The DPC begins the quiet, persistent work of keeping the sacred sites alive in memory and deed.
Through years of hardship and near-impossible circumstances, the Devasthan Prabandhak Committee — under the chairmanship of Shri Makhan Lal Malla — sustains the institutional memory and community connection to Bijbehara's shrines. Members of the DPC, many of whom would later form the core of the new Trust, maintain contact with local caretakers, advocate for shrine protection, and keep the pilgrimage tradition alive. Shri Makhan Lal Malla's leadership during this period is widely regarded as the defining factor in the survival of organised shrine stewardship.
To take the mission to a higher, more formal and accountable level, the Vijeshwar Devasthan Trust (Regd.) is constituted and registered before the Sub Registrar Bijbehara (Reg. No. 2022/26/4/13). It is the direct institutional successor to the Devasthan Prabandhak Committee. Shri Makhan Lal Malla continues as Chairman of the new Trust — the founding trustees being largely former DPC members — ensuring continuity of three decades of heritage work. The Trust is empowered to receive funds, undertake construction, and formally engage with government bodies for shrine restoration.
The Trust mourns the passing of Shri Makhan Lal Malla, the founding Chairperson of the Devasthan Prabandhak Committee and first Chairman of the Vijeshwar Devasthan Trust. His three-decade commitment to the shrines of Bijbehara — beginning in 1994 when all seemed lost — stands as the bedrock upon which the Trust was built. His legacy lives on in every stone restored, every pilgrimage completed, and every devotee reconnected with their sacred heritage.
The Trust commences major construction at Chota Amarnath, Thajiwara — the most significant investment in the shrine's restoration in living memory. New dharamshalas, approach paths, and temple structures are built to accommodate yatris.
During levelling work on the fourth terrace at Chota Amarnath, the original Shiv Lingam — missing for 30 years — is discovered buried beneath the earth, encircled by a snake that later vanished. A small spring emerges at the spot. The discovery spreads across the country as a divine miracle.
The Shravan Purnimashi Yatra is revived at its full historic scale. Hundreds of yatris undertake the pilgrimage to Chota Amarnath, marking a landmark moment in the community's spiritual reconnection with Kashmir's sacred landscape.
The Trust undertakes the reconstruction of the ancient Mangala Devi Temple at Batgund (Krandigam, Bijbehara) in collaboration with local residents — reviving Shakti worship and restoring the Gram Devata tradition that had been abandoned since 1990.
Trust President Sh. Sanjay Tickoo leads sustained advocacy with J&K Government and the Archaeology Department for the restoration of the Vijeshwar Temple — demanding recognition of the ancient monument's heritage value and formal DPR approval for restoration work.
The Trust organises the Annual Shravan Purnimashi Yatra — a 4-day pilgrimage with transport and stay provided by the Trust. Yatris from across India are invited to reconnect with Kashmir's living sacred heritage at Chota Amarnath, Thajiwara.
As Vijaya Vihara, Bijbehara was a renowned university rivalling Nalanda and Taxila, drawing scholars from across Asia. The great works produced here continue to shape Indian philosophy and literature.
Pandit Kalhana
Rajatarangini — River of Kings
Kashmir's greatest chronicler. His Rajatarangini remains the most authoritative account of the region's royal dynasties, temples, and sacred sites — specifically mentioning the shrines of Bijbehara.
Acharya Somdev
Katha Sarit Sagar · Vaital Pacheesi
Author of the celebrated Katha Sarit Sagar — one of the greatest Sanskrit story collections in Indian literature. Associated with Vijeshwara, cementing the town's literary heritage.
Khem Raj
Shiv Sidhant
The renowned scholar who penned the Shiv Sidhant in Bijbehara, further strengthening the town's reputation as a beacon of theological inquiry and Shaivite philosophy.