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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{refimprove|date=September 2014}}

'''Vichar Nag''' ({{IPA|ur|ʋɪt͡ʃɑːrnɑːɡ}} ; {{IPA|ks|ʋʲat͡saːrnaːɡ}}) is a locality located on the suburbs of [[Srinagar]] that gets its name from an ancient [[Shiva temple]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wright |first1=Colin |title=Kashmir. Ruins of an old Hindu Temple at Vitcher Nag near Srinagar. Now used as a Mahomedan burial ground |url=http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/k/019pho0000981s1u00043000.html |website=www.bl.uk |access-date=30 September 2021 |archive-date=4 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104093219/http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/k/019pho0000981s1u00043000.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Famous [[Anchar Lake]] is close to this. Vichar Nag is mentioned several times in the history of Kashmir, including the famous 'Rajtaragni' by [[Kalhan]].<ref name="Heritage">{{cite news |last1=Shah |first1=Farooq |title=Vichar Nag drain threatening heritage site |url=https://www.greaterkashmir.com/srinagar/vichar-nag-drain-threatening-heritage-site |access-date=30 September 2021 |work=Greater Kashmir |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Vichar Nag Temple 1.jpg|thumb|right|Vichar Nag Temple]]

== Vichar Nag Temple ==
Vichar Nag has spring and two old Shiva temples.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

[[File:Vicharnagtemple2.jpg|thumb|right|Dharamshala in ruins]]

===History===
Vichar Nag was seat of discussion (hence the name, Vichar) and it was in this temple that Kashmiri Brahmins used to discuss Panchang. It is said Jagat Guru Shankaracharya also visited this temple for discussion.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

Kashmir has been always a seat of learning and it is believed that The 2nd Fourth Buddhist Council (Sarvastivada tradition) is said to have been convened by the Kushan emperor Kanishka (r. 127-151 CE), perhaps in 78 CE at Vichar Nag in Kashmir.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

Before 1990, on Chaitra Amavasiya, the last day of Kashmiri calendar, a festival was celebrated at this place. On this day, devotees used to take a bath in the holy spring and there after performed puja in the Shiva Temple known as ‘Vichar Saheb’.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}
===Architecture===
One temple is made of chiselled and dressed devri stones. There are two springs with the main big spring as the centre of attraction and sanctity. The spring has a length of 430 feet and breadth of 35 feet. Big sized ‘Devri’ stones have been used for construction of stairs to the spring on the west and south sides. There is no access on north and east sides.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

In the middle of the spring there is a stone cylinder of about 3 feet height with a [[Shivalingam]] resting on it. Before the exodus of Kashmir Pandits in 1990 the water from the spring used to come out in the shape of a small brook, joining the other brook called ‘Mukhta Pukhri'. After covering a sizeable distance the water used to flow into Lake Anchar.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

[[File:Vicharnagtemplepanaroma.jpg|thumb|right|Panoramic Shot of the Vichar Nag Temple]]

==== Current situation ====
Till early 1990s from the time immemorial, the spring water contained many fish. The other feature of the spring is that the water turns ice cold in summer and lukewarm in winter.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

The 1990s saw the exodus of almost all the Hindus of Vicharnag and the temple went into disrepair due to lack of maintenance.<ref name="Heritage" /> In the vicinity of Vichar Nag, there were many springs earlier, which have been lost over the time, largely due to encroachments by the local population.
[[File:Vicharnagtempledharamshal.jpg|thumb|right|Dharamshala in ruins]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}3.The Temple is not used for any burial mentioned by Wright, Colin. This information is baseless.
[[Category:Srinagar]]

Vichar Nag - Revision history

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