View AbstractThis paper traces the roots of Kashmir’s long tradition of healing beyond
medicine by looking at the region’s past. From early times, Kashmir came
to be seen as a special spiritual land where mountains, rivers, springs, and
shrines were believed to carry healing power. This belief shaped how
people understood illness, suffering, and recovery. Disease and epidemics
were often explained not only in physical terms but also as events linked to
divine will, moral order, or spiritual imbalance. In this setting, shrines as
healing spaces became central to everyday life. When formal medical
treatment was limited or failed to attract, people turned to shrines for
relief, hope, and comfort. Stories of saints, miracles, and healing
experiences spread widely, and were passed down through generations
through songs, stories, and local legends. These shared memories
strengthened the belief that shrines could heal both the body and the mind.
Drawing on sources from different periods, this paper shows how such
beliefs were deeply rooted in Kashmir’s social life and medical culture. It
argues that shrines functioned as important spaces of healing care,
especially during times of illness, crisis, and uncertainty. Healing in
Kashmir, therefore, cannot be understood through medicine alone. It must
also be seen through faith, memory, and the everyday practices that turned
shrines into trusted places of healing in Kashmiri life