In the serene foothills of Baramulla, a short distance from the bustling town centre, lies Ushkara, an ancient settlement that once echoed with the intellectual and spiritual vibrancy of Kashmir’s early history. Today, it stands largely forgotten, its ruins buried beneath layers of neglect and time, visited only by curious locals and the occasional historian.

Yet, Ushkara’s significance in the historical landscape of Kashmir is far greater than what its present obscurity suggests. In fact, numerous Kushan sites identified in the Baramulla district possess significant historical importance, including Uri, Boniyar, Pattan, Khadinyar, Badmulla, Fatehgarh, Kanispora, Tappar – and Ushkara, or Ushkur.

In the mid-first century CE, Kashmir was incorporated into the vast Kushan Empire, which spanned Central Asia to Mathura in present-day Uttar Pradesh. The Kushans were originally from the contemporary province of Kansu (Gansu) in China, a region historically linked to Central Asian trade routes. They went westward, traversing Kucha and Aksu, subsequently reaching contemporary Kyrgyzstan, and ultimately subdued regions north and south of the Oxus River (Amu Darya).

The Kushan kingdom was established about 29-30 CE by Kujula Kadphises, who, by the mid-first century, had also conquered Kabul, western Bactria, Gandhara, the Taxila region and Kashmir. There is a huge collection of coins belonging to the Kushans in the Srinagar museum that testify the occupation of Kashmir by the Kushans.

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Kalhana asserts that Kashmir was a component of the Kushan Empire, with Ushkara serving as a significant commercial centre during that period. The settlement of Ushkara was established by Huvishka, a Kushan ruler, in 125 AD. The appellation is derived from the word Huvishka; thus, it was previously referred to as Huvishkapura, subsequently Ushkapora and currently as Ushkara. Kushan-era coins have been discovered in Ushkara.

The Cradle of Ushkara

Sir Walter Lawrence in his work Valley of Kashmir states that in 1882 AD, a Mr. Garrick conducted extensive excavations at Ushkara near Baramulla, where he discovered a Buddhist Stupa constructed of squared stones secured with iron clamps. This site is attributed to Lalitaditya, who is supposed to have constructed an image of Muktaswamin and a substantial monastery featuring a stupa for Buddhists.

In his Gazetteer of Kashmir, C.E. Bates states that Ushkpura was among the first capitals of Kashmir, established by King Huvishka, one of the two Indo-Scythian princes and siblings.

P.N.K. Bamzai asserts that Ushkapura maintained its significance for an extended period as the headquarters of Buddhist monks and as the most notable settlement upon entering the Kashmir valley via the Jhelum valley route. According to Kalhana, Hiuen Tsang (Xuanzang) halted here subsequent to traversing the ancient gate of Baramulla, in 671 AD. Remnants of a stupa and vihara, along with numerous terracotta figures, have been discovered at that location.

Ancient Kashmiri chronicles, particularly Kalhaṇa’s Rājataraṅgiṇī, identify Ushkara with a flourishing town during the early medieval period. Kalhaṇa, writing in the 12th century CE, describes Ushkara as a centre of both strategic and cultural importance, lying close to the river Vitastā (Jhelum). The town is believed to have been home to scholars and ascetics, attracting learned men from distant regions of the subcontinent.

Archaeological evidence corroborates the literary accounts. Lalitaditya erected an extensive vihara, featuring a stupa and a Vishnu temple – Muktasvamin – which means the town remained a centre of activity until the Karkota period. Lalitaditya’s stupa seems to have been built over a preceding, nearly identical edifice, the stones of which were found intact upon the removal of the silt obscuring the foundation. This is a fascinating detail regarding the stupa. The lower structure was postulated to originate from the Kushan period. The assumption was subsequently validated by the objects retrieved from the site.

Alongside other fragmentary limbs, the site yielded eleven terracotta heads that, as noted by R.C. Kak, “...exhibit the unmistakable influence of the Gandhara school of the third and fourth centuries AD.”

Ushkur’s assemblage of clay heads includes depictions of the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, male and female monks, lay adherents of various ages, some exhibiting serene faces and others displaying frenzied expressions. Kak asserts that these captivating sculptures are among the oldest manifestations of Kashmiri sculptural art and exemplify exceptional modelling.

Huvishka was most likely the one who constructed this monastery. Given that the stones from the ancient stupa were discovered in situ, after the silt surrounding the base was cleared a few years prior, it is possible that Lalitaditya built the new stupa on the foundations of the older one constructed by Huvishka. Even though Lalitaditya was a Vaisnava, he is known for having supported Buddhism and thought it was a holy deed to keep Huvishkapur as a sacred site for Buddhists, and also constructed the viharas and stupas.

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In addition to implementing the policy of resettling martial groups and administrators in the valley, the Kuṣhans encouraged the in-migration of religious leaders, technologists, artisans, artists and writers.

As noted by Professor Wani in The Making of Early Kashmir, numerous place names in Kashmir are linked to Greek and Iranian deities associated with the Kushans. Locations such as Mitra Gam (Mithra), Aharbal (after Ahura), Hardushoo (after Ardoxoso), Ash-muji, Ash-muqam, Ash-Pur (after Aśi), Harwan, Hari Parbat, Har Wat (after Hara), Aplun (after Apollo), Rohmoo, Rohama (after Roma), among others, are significant sites bearing names derived from or influenced by Greek or Iranian deities introduced by the Kushanas.

Between Faith and Empire

Like much of Kashmir, Ushkara’s identity evolved with the tides of faith and empire. During the Hindu and Buddhist periods, it was part of a network of temple towns that dotted the Valley. With the advent of Islam in the 14th century, it became associated with early Sufi presence, particularly the Rishi-Sufi synthesis that transformed Kashmir’s spiritual landscape. Oral traditions speak of wandering mystics who meditated in the caves and shrines of Ushkara, blending the indigenous Rishi ethos with Islamic mysticism.

By the time of the Sultans from Shihabuddin (r. 1354-1373) to Zain-ul-Abidin (r. 1420-1470), Ushkara remained a modest yet spiritually vibrant settlement. Some accounts suggest that it was also a halting point for merchants travelling from Sopore to Baramulla, carrying silk, saffron and timber.

Ushkara under Mughals and Sikhs

With the Mughal conquest of Kashmir in 1586, the focus of political and architectural patronage shifted towards Srinagar and its gardens, leaving peripheral towns like Ushkara in decline. Yet, Mughal chroniclers like Abul Fazl in the Ain-i-Akbari mention Baramulla’s surrounding villages as fertile and revenue-rich. Ushkara, nestled among them, likely supplied timber and grain to Mughal garrisons stationed nearby.

During the Sikh rule (1819–1846), Ushkara’s decline deepened as the new rulers extracted heavy revenue from the Kashmir valley. However, a few Sikh-period architectural remains notably, the foundations of small fortifications and masonry works hint at limited military use.

Colonial encounters, archaeological glimpses

British administrators and travellers in the 19th century, such as Walter R. Lawrence and Sir Aurel Stein, a Hungarian-British archaeologist, made brief references to Ushkara. Stein, in particular, noted the site’s possible identification with ancient Udbhāra while conducting his archaeological survey of Kashmir. Unfortunately, systematic excavation was never undertaken, and most of the site remains unprotected even today.

Modern archaeologists have emphasised Ushkara’s potential to reveal crucial insights into Kashmir’s early urbanisation patterns. Its proximity to the old Baramulla fort and to ancient trade arteries leading toward Muzaffarabad and Taxila underscores its strategic role in regional history.

Present silence: neglected heritage

Today, Ushkara survives as a faint memory – its ancient mounds overrun by vegetation, its stones scavenged for modern construction. A few weathered fragments of masonry, pottery shards, and old pathways are all that testify to its once-flourishing existence.

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The site has not been declared a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India, nor does it feature in the state’s list of priority heritage locations.

For the people of Baramulla, Ushkara is more than an archaeological curiosity; it is a living emblem of continuity – of how civilisations rise, recede and yet remain etched in collective memory. Its neglect reflects a broader pattern of cultural amnesia in Kashmir, where newer political urgencies often overshadow the preservation of historical consciousness.

Call for revival

Preserving Ushkara is not about conserving stones and ruins. It is about reclaiming a chapter of Kashmiri history that connects the Valley’s ancient cosmopolitanism with its present identity. Academic institutions and local authorities must collaborate to undertake a scientific survey and create community-based heritage initiatives that can transform Ushkara into a site of educational and cultural engagement.

Amidst its now-barren mounds, one can still discern the subtle echoes of a thriving civilisation. They still whisper stories of scholars and saints waiting for Kashmir to hear them again.

Younus Yousuf Ganie is a research scholar in the Department of History and Culture, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.

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