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None of Kashmir's early temples (constructed 750-950AD) have survived without damage. Although not generally recognized, it is probable that most of this damage was initiated by earthquakes. A common feature is the loss of the monolithic capstone roofs of temples, whereas the cyclopean walls still stand without the benefit of mortar. Examples of tossed capstones are found at Naranag. Some temples have subsequently been quarried for stone used in later re-construction (Parihasapura). Some have been partly re-assembled by the Archaeological Survey of India (Shiva and Naranag). An exceptional few remain apparently in the state they were left following earthquake shaking (Sugandhesa, Payar). The recent Mw=7.6 Kashmir earthquake (2005) despite its proximity to two of the temples resulted in no evident additional damage to any except Deta Bandi and Buniyar, suggesting that earlier earthquakes were closer or more intense. The photographs on this page were made possible as part of a collaborative project with the University of Kashmir, Srinagar, S. Hough USGS, Pasadena, and the University of Colorado.
GoogleMap of Kashmir Valley. Numerous historical accounts assert that Sikander the Iconoclast (1396-1416) destroyed all the temples in the Kashmir Valley. This legend probably arose because of destruction attributed to him of temples near Srinagar. However, outside the city he left many ancient ruins untouched and the displaced blocks are typical of earthquake shalking.
Temple Locations (decimal lat' north, long' east)
| Parihasapura | 34.1571 | 74.6531 | Buddhist complex 1612m |
| Parihasapura | 34.1532 | 74.6397 | Stein D 1620m |
| Parihasapura | 34.1550 | 74.6504 | Stein F 1225m, 1618 m |
| Sugandhesa | 34.1530 | 74.5622 | Patan, on River Alluvium 1597m. |
| Sankaragaurisvara | 34.1577 | 74.5569 | Patan, on River Alluvium 1597m |
| Buniyar,1535m | 34.1442 | 74.1891 | In cantonment on rocky mountain side, |
| Deta Bandi, 1333m | 34.1218 | 74.0777 | On valley side (rock and rubble) |
| Pandrethan, 1597m | 34.0565 | 74.8609 | In cantonment, river plain in pond |
| Shiva,Sankaracharya | 34.0789 | 74.8436 | Overlooking Srinigar on volcanic rock |
| Martand, 1758m | 33.7458 | 75.2208 | Overlooking Anantnag on limestone |
| Avantisvami | 33.9232 | 75.0123 | Avantipur, on river alluvium 1603m |
| Avantisvara | 33.9279 | 75.0042 | Avantipur 1595m |
| Naranag 2258m | 34.3534 | 74.9771 | Valley north of Srinagar, on granite |
| Payar 1632m | 33.8610 | 74.9402 | In village, river alluvium, beneath Karewa |
Major Earthquakes Kashmir
Historical earthquakes reported in Kashmir (principally Srinagar), from Iyengar and Sharma, (1996; 1998), Iyengar et al, (1999), Ambraseys and Jackson (2003) and Bhat et al., (2009). Discrepances in timing of a year or more occur where historians have used secondary texts, or where chronological conversions are sometimes ambiguous. Close dates are reconciled as single events, with known discrepancies indicated. The list should be used with caution.
1250 BC (this date is very uncertain) ground fissures occurred near Wular lake near Srinagar. "the entire town was reduced to shambles. Cracks appeared on the surface of the Earth and from there water gushed out and the entire town was deluged"
883 The Jhelum near Baramula was dammed by earthquake induced landslide (Bilham & Bali, 2013) See Aurel Stein.
1123 Mentioned in the Rajatarangini with possible damage near Patan (Bilham & Bali, 2013)
24 Sept 1501 three months of aftershocks
1552 (not an earthquake) Cited by Vigne and copied by others but a misinterpretation of Prinsep's p.312 one-line entry on the ascendency of Ibrahim II and the most notable event during his short reign.
Sept. 1555 earthquakes continued for several (7) days. Landslides and liquefaction. Several accounts, some assign 1554
c.1560/61 No details.
1569-77 No details
23 June 1669 The buildings rocked like cradles. No loss of life.
c.1678/79 Persistent shaking. Reconstruction needed.
1683 B et al. no details
24 March 1736 Earthquakes for three months. Buildings of the city and hamlets razed to the ground. (Bhat et al., list as 1735)
1779 Srinagar and hamlets flattened and aftershocks for 14 days. People took shelter in the open. Bhat et al. list event as 1778; Oldham (1883) as 1780.
c.1784/85 People thrown. Shocks persisted 6 months.
1803 Earth ripped apart, houses collapsed, people buried under walls (B et al.)
26 June 1828 Vigne(1842) 1200 houses collapsed, 15 days of aftershocks. (B et al.)
1863 (Bhat et al) Lawrence indicates 1864
30 May 1885 (Bhat et al) Jones (1885) M=6.2-6.3 Damage to temples in Patan and to Buniyar
8 Oct 2005 Mw=7.6 Instrumental period
References
Ambraseys, N. N. and D. Jackson, (2003) A note on early earthquakes in India and southern Tibet, Current Science, 84, 570-582.
Bernier, R. M., (1997). Himalayan Architecture, Fairleigh Dickinson Univ. Press, ISBN 0838636020, 9780838636022 196 pages
Bhat M. I. , Ahmad B. and Bali B. S .(2009), Historical Record of Earthquakes in the Kashmir Valley,. J. Himalayan Geology.
Bilham, R., B. Singh, I. Bhat and S. Hough, (2010). Historical earthquakes in Srinagar, Kashmir: Clues from the Shiva Temple at Pandrethan, GSA Special Paper 471 on Ancient earthquakes, 47, 107-117. (edited by Manuel Sintubin, Iain S. Stewart, Tina M. Niemi, and Erhan Altunel.
Bilham, R., & B. S. Bali, (2013). A Ninth Century Earthquake-Induced Landslide and Flood in the Kashmir Valley, and Earthquake Damage to Kashmir's Medieval Temples, Bull. Earthquake Eng.(DOI) 10.1007/s10518-013-9504-x. Springer Open Access link
Cole, H. H., (1869), Illustrations of Ancient Buildings in Kashmir, India Museum, Published by India museum, W. H. Allen and co., publishers to the India office, 31 pages.
Hough, S. E., I Bhat and R. Bilham, (2009) On shakey ground- megaquakes in Kashmir, American Scientist, 97(1), 42-49.
Iyengar, R. N. , D. Sharma and J. M Siddiqui, (1999) Earthquake history of India in Medieval Times, Indian J. History of Science, 34(3), 181-237.
Iyengar, R. N. and D. Sharma, (1996). Some earthquakes of Kashmir from Historical Sources, Current Science, 71(4) 300-331.
Iyengar, R. N., and D. Sharma, (1998) Earthquake History of India in Medieval Times, Central Building Research institute, Roorkee 247-667, pp124.
Jones E. J., (1885) Report on the Kashmir earthquake of 30 May 1885, Records of the Geological Survey of India, 18(4) 221-227
Kak, R. C, (1933), Ancient monuments of Kashmir, India Society, 172 pp. 1971 reprint
Lawrence, W. R., The Valley of Kashmir, Gulshan 2007 reprint. pp. 478
Schiffman, C., B.S. Bali, W. Szeliga, and R. Bilham, Seismic slip deficit in the Kashmir Himalaya from GPS observations, Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 5642-5645 (2013) DOI: 10.1002/2013GL057700