Died in Jerusalem, buried in Srinagar-III

According to old gazetteer records: “In 1898, Richardson, the Garrison Engineer, wished to demolish the tomb at the time of the construction of the defence tower. Shortly afterwards he died in an accident, and the locals connect the incident with his evil intentions towards the tomb.” The grave was thereafter promptly repaired. A little further down the ridge, the British built a convent and named it the Convent of Jesus and Mary. Today, it is one of the best girls‟ boarding schools in Pakistan. After partition the government of Pakistan procured this site from private landowners. This place was preferred due to its suitable elevation for the purpose of installation of TV transmitters. More recently in 1968, two towering antennas were added adjacent to one another on "Pindi Point‟, which the new name is given to the location. One of them arises from the same place where Mary is believed to rest. Crude looking cemented structure marks the spot nowadays where the alleged grave exists. The area is closed to general public due to security concerns for the safety of the TV boosters. Barbed wire surrounds the antennas to prevent anybody from getting near and civil guards keep a vigil on the installations night and day. Various superstitions surround the story of the tomb. Local residents have reported occasional sightings of unexplained luminosities in the vicinity of the grave, at night. Others describe rare encounters with a ball of light condensing into a fuzzy apparition of a veiled female form. Most of the eyewitnesses questioned believed the images were genuine and are connected to the woman buried on the hilltop who many also regard as a saint. Sometime back, a low-key investigation was carried out by a team of archaeologists, on duty from Islamabad. However, their findings, which were supposedly carried out to validate the tomb claim, were never made public. Sceptics from the field argue that regardless of the outcome of the team‟s findings, it cannot be accepted as the final verdict on the issue. As an expert puts it, “While serious research of this nature requires extensive excavation, the visit by those archaeologists in the past was merely a superficial survey.”Amongst the Christians, there is a group that believes in a post-crucifixion life of Jesus Christ. They insist that Christ travelled to Kashmir with his mother where he died. They believe that Mother Mary was also laid to rest in the same region. The Muslim view conflicts with the theory that Christ was crucified or that he ever died. Islam holds that Hazrat Isa ascended into the heavens by Divine command. Nevertheless, many Muslim devotees do not rule out that Hazrat Marium may have been buried in Murree. They quote the following verse from the Holy Quran in order to substantiate their claim:“And we made the son of Marium and his mother a sign, and we gave them shelter on a lofty ground having meadows and springs” [Surah: 23 Al-Mominoon (The Believers) Ayah 50]. They argue that the aforementioned scripture does not correspond to any landscape description in Bait-ul-Muqadas or Jerusalem. Furthermore, they point out that the mention of „lofty ground‟ with „meadows and springs‟ may perhaps is a reference to the place in question in Murree. Uncertainty surrounds other "Tombs of Mary‟ located around the world as well. One exists in Turkey. Others claim Mary was buried in France yet others say England was the place. Claims of similar nature and practice of „tomb assignment‟ to persons of significant standing is not uncommon in our own regional belt. It is thought that Hazrat Musa or Moses is buried in Bandipore, Hazrat Haroon or Aaron, at Harwan, and Hazrat Suleman or Solomon at Takht-i-Suleman in Indian occupied Kashmir. Lately, there has been growing international interest in these tombs. “I am only helping Kashmir,” says Suzanne Marie Olsson, a New York based researcher, who is on a mission to find the truth, “if the authenticity of all the holy places in Kashmir is established, it will place Kashmir firmly on global map as a leading pilgrimage site of Christians and Muslims and you will have the pilgrim traffic from all over the world.” Ms.Olsson‟s contention is equally relevant in the case of the mystery tomb in Murree. In the absence

of historical records, one is forced to rely on local legend. If any connection with Mary can be established through scientific means then the ensuing benefits to the tourism industry can well be imagined. Whilst many people remain doubtful of the claim of the tomb‟s existence, it is interesting to note that a section of Lahore‟s Badshahi mosque houses a collection of relics which are believed to belong to Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). These include the Mue Mubarak or the Holy Hair, his turban and a cloak among various other items on display. Hundreds of local and foreign visitors queue up daily to view these relics and to pay homage without ever questioning their authenticity. On the other hand, after undergoing extensive tests, most western scientists agree now that the famous Shroud of Turin, a woven cloth with an image of a man on it and widely rumoured for a long time to be that of Jesus Christ himself, appears to be a mediaeval art forgery more than anything else. The unprecedented technological advances made in recent years in carbon isotope dating and DNA testing methods can investigate with reasonable accuracy similar claims.In the interest of research, the gravesite should be opened for scientific study so that the issue may be resolved. Until then a question will always loom large over this riddle whether Virgin Mary is really buried in Murree. It remains an unravelled mystery.

To be continued

Died in Jerusalem, buried in Srinagar-II

There are several versions on Jesus' India sojourn. Some books argue Jesus did spend as many as 16 years in India, becoming a disciple of Buddhism. But many dispute the entire version, saying there has never been conclusive evidence on Jesus' visit to India. The old debate or controversy resurfaced after Rozabal shrine of Sufi saint Yuz Asaf at Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir banned visitors and believers alike from entering the sanctum sanctorum. It was at the Rozabal shrine, many believe, Jesus was laid to rest. However, there has not been any conclusive proof to substantiate the claim. The shrine's move comes after some believers wanted to exhume the remains to obtain carbon dating and get a DNA done."Some Christians claim it is the grave of Jesus and they had approached us with a request to exhume the remains for DNA testing. But, we refused," Mohammad Amin Ringshawl, the shrine's caretaker. As always in such cases, the ban has had a domino effect. The shrine had a mention in The Lonely Planet, a worldwide guide for travellers. As the word spread, inquisitive visitors started flocking the shrine. Angered by the sudden "interest" being shown by foreigners in the shrine, the authorities banned people from entering the shrine. Incidentally, the man -- Aziz Kashmiri, senior journalist-- who first wrote that Jesus was buried in Kashmir-- passed away recently, rekindling memories of the controversy and interest associated with the grave in the Khanyar locality. Aziz Kashmiri, the editor of a local Urdu daily Roshini, was the first to advance the theory in his book Christ In Kashmir published in 1973. The shrine shot into limelight following the publication of the book underpinning the theory "that Jesus survived crucifixion and migrated to Kashmir'. The claim is strongly contested by local Muslims who say the Rozabal shrine is the final resting place of two famous Muslim saints, Youza Asaf and Syed Naseer-ud-Din, who came here centuries ago. Ringshawl says the controversy started in 2002 when an American researcher, Suzzane Marie, had met him and other members of the shrine committee and wanted to carry out the digging to exhume the remains for DNA testing."It is un-Islamic. Further the Holy Quran clearly mentions that Jesus did not die on the cross, but was lifted to heavens by Allah.""Following our strong protests, the American lady had to leave the valley and we even filed a complaint against her in the local police station."Ringshawl said following this episode 'the entry of tourists in the shrine was banned by committee'. "We have locked the shrine and we don't even allow any photography even from outside it. They were hurting the feelings of the local Muslims." The graves of saints are covered with green cloth embroidered with verses from the Holy Quran and local Muslims often stop at the shrine to say prayers.In his book, Aziz Kashmiri writes, "Kashmiri history books tell us that Yus Asaf came from abroad. He was a prophet and a messenger. He came from Israel. He came to spread his teachings. He lived and died here. Yus Asaf was Issa. He was Jesus.""The meaning of Yus Asaf is, The Healer. Another meaning is The Shepherd the one who teaches others. Our history confirms that Issa was known as Yus Assaf, here in Kashmir.""The footprints were carved as a sign. The scars are clearly visible, sustained as he was nailed to the cross. They show that this is the same person who came here from Israel."And that he lived and died here. You won't find any footprints like these anywhere else in Kashmir."Meanwhile, in an interview to Times of India recently, Suzanne refuted allegations that she had attempted to remove anything from the tomb, or dig it up."I can't imagine who started those rumours or why," she said and maintained that the belief that there is a Muslim saint in the same tomb is untrue. "The tomb predates Islam and could never be a Muslim tomb," she was quoted as saying.

One more controversial fact that is related to the Srinagar shrine has its root in present day Pakistan. Thousands of devotees across the world believe Mother Mary is buried in Murree. But nobody has ever tried to verify the claim. Among the various, fascinating legends connected with the popular tourist resort of Murree, the self-styled „Queen of the Hills‟ in Pakistan, is a unique tale about the tomb of Virgin Mary. Believe it or not but some claim that located on a peaceful Murree hilltop is the very site thought to be the final abode or resting place of the Mother of Jesus Christ, better known to Muslims as Hazrat Marium. The site has been maintained and honoured as far back as anyone can remember. Its importance can be judged from the fact that the surrounding country is named after the supposed gravesite. According to legend, the name Murree‟ is derived from "Marium‟ or Mary.

Among locals it is known as Mai Mari da Asthan (Resting Place of Mother Mary). Indeed, when the British first arrived here in the 1850s, to establish a new hill-station in India, Murree was still known as Mari. The spelling was later changed to the present one in 1875. However, with the waves fo time, the exact origin of the shrine has become obscure. Since time immemorial, Hindus have worshipped it and the Muslims pay their homage on Thursdays by lighting earthen lamps filled with oil. Commanding, as one book puts it, “magnificent views over forest-clad hills into deep valleys, studded with villages and cultivated fields, with the snow-covered peaks of Kashmir in the background” and overlooking the plains of Punjab, it stood naturally eligible to be selected by the British for military purposes who built a watchtower at the site.

to be continued