Mahashivratri is known as Hairath/Herath in Kashmir – Know why?

That year, it miraculously snowed in Ashadha and Shivaratri was celebrated. Everybody was shocked (Hairat means shock in Persian) and festival was celebrated. 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. 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.