Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.428

c6.428

Among the numerous temples in Kāśmīra, two may be mentioned, Mārtāṇḍa and Payech. Mārtāṇḍa, also called the temple of the Sun, stands on a slope about three miles east of Islamabad overlooking the finest view in Kāśmīr. The great structure was built by Lalitāditya in the 8th century A.D. Payech, which lies about 19 miles from Śrīnagar under the Naunagri Karewa, about six miles from the left bank of the Jhelum river, contains an ancient temple which, in intrinsic beauty and elegance of outline, is superior to all existing temples in Kāśmīra. Kāśmīra was the home of a separate school of Śaivism having a philosophy similar to that of Advaita as developed by Śaṅkara. (For further details, vide B. C. Law, Holy Places of India, pp. 30-31.)