Goddess Uma is said to have selected Her abode in the lap of great Himalayas in
Kashmir in Umanagri, Uttersoo in Anantnag Tehsil. She is believed to have manifested
herself in in the form of a stream and appeared in the shape on “Omkar” in five
springs. It is said that one Shri Shiv Ram Ji who later assumed the name of Swami
Shivananda had attained the high reputation and sincerity and that while supervising
the collection of paddy in the adjoining village of Brah, one of the peasants pointed
out to him the grain husks sticking to his shawl and reminded him to swift them off before leaving the grain-store. This sarcastic remark had a shocking effect
on him and he is said to have thought of detaching himself from the worldly things
and started meditating round the clock at Snusha a secluded place near Brah. He
is then said to have had a divine vision of Mother Uma directing him to go to her
abode at Village Uttarasoo. Accordingly, he located the place and went into deep
meditation on the specified spot. He lit a continuous pyre (Dhooni) at the place
of his meditation near the spring. A Vedic Yagh is since then being performed
on the anniversary of the Swami Sivananda in the month of ‘Phusa’ every year and
the relics of the Swami are still preserved at the Dhooni Sashib which are worshipped
by numberless devotees. The situation of the shrine comprises 5 springs located
in the form of divine Omkara. Out of these springs, 2 merge into a single spring
thereby signifying the communion of Shiva and Shakti. The sacred shrine attracts
large pilgrims and is revered by
all faiths.
Uma
Devi of Uma Nagri