(Kashmir Rechords Exclusive)
Ever heard of snakes or stones snowing from the sky?
No fairy tale, no folklore spun by firesides—this is a story buried deep in official archives, stamped, signed and preserved as part of Kashmir’s recent past.
More than a century ago, during the reign of Maharaja Pratap Singh, Kashmir witnessed two extraordinary and deeply unsettling phenomena: stones and snakes reportedly descending from the heavens along with snowflakes. These incidents, recorded meticulously by the Princely State’s administration, shook both the Valley and its devout ruler to the core.
The Government of Jammu and Kashmir, through its Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums, still holds rare and precious files documenting these events. Titled simply yet ominously—“Fall of Stones” and “Fall of Snakes from Heaven”—the records continue to fascinate researchers and the public alike.
Stones from the Sky, 1912
The first incident dates back to December 1912, when residents of Shopian in South Kashmir reported a chilling sight: stones falling from the sky amid snowfall. Alarmed villagers conveyed the incident to the royal court.
Maharaja Pratap Singh, known for his deep religiosity, was reportedly shaken. Viewing the event as an ominous sign of impending calamity, he immediately summoned the state’s official head priest, Pandit Jagdish Ji, to assess the situation and recommend remedial measures.
The priest advised a yagya to appease the gods—Surya (Sun), Indra, and Chandra (Moon)—along with acts of royal charity. The Maharaja was urged to donate gold, rice and even a white horse to ward off the ill omen.
Acting swiftly, the ruler issued Order No. 1625, dated April 6, 1912, sanctioning Rs 500 from the state exchequer for conducting the rituals through the Dharamarth Trust, the department responsible for religious affairs.
When Snakes Followed, 1914
Barely two years later, Kashmir was confronted with another unsettling episode.
In March 1914, residents of Kulgam tehsil reported that snakes had fallen along with snow—an occurrence even more terrifying than the earlier event. Once again, the Maharaja was alerted. Once again, Pandit Jagdish Ji was consulted.
This time, the priest foresaw a war-like situation looming in the near future. The recommendation was urgent: conduct a Shanti Paath to avert disaster. The ritual, detailed item by item in official notings of the Political Department of the General Chief Secretariat, cost the state Rs 338 and one anna.
History, uncannily, followed close on its heels.
World War I broke out later in 1914. Coincidence—or prophecy fulfilled? The archives leave the question open.
A Stone That Still Speaks
Adding a tangible layer to this eerie history, the Department of Archives is also in possession of one heavy stone believed to have fallen during the 1912 Shopian incident. Today, it rests quietly in the Shri Pratap Museum, Srinagar—a silent witness to a time when heaven itself seemed to send warnings.
Call them omens, coincidences, or curiosities of history—but these documented episodes remind us that Kashmir’s past holds stories stranger than fiction, preserved not in myth, but in official files and museum vaults.