Source: – True Indology / Twitter.
Herath Poshte to all.
— True Indology (@TIinExile) February 20, 2020
Why is #Mahashivratri known as Hairath/Herath in Kashmir?
Kashmiri Hindus had a tradition of carving Linga with snow on Shivaratri
Jabbar Khan, Afghan governor, banned Shivaratri & ordered Hindus to celebrate festival in snow-less Ashadha month(June-July)
That year, it miraculously snowed in Ashadha and Shivaratri was celebrated.Everybody was shocked (Hairat=shock in Persian) and festival was celebrated.
— True Indology (@TIinExile) February 20, 2020
Kashmiris have a saying "Wuchton yih Jabbar, jandah, Haras tih karun wandah"- look at Jabbar wretch, he turned Hara into snow"
Incidentally, Jabbar was the last Afghan governor of Kashmir.
— True Indology (@TIinExile) February 20, 2020
Within 8 years of this incident, a general of Maharaja Ranjit Singh named Misr Diwan Chand (who himself was an ardent Shiva devotee) invaded Kashmir & Afghan rule came to an end.
Afghans were expelled from Kashmir.
Featured Image credits: https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/27551/what-is-the-story-behind-the-famous-shiva-linga-of-amarnath-india