timesofindia - That Jesus survived crucifixion, travelled to Kashmir, eventually died there and is buried in Srinagar is an urban legend which has found many takers over the years. Every season hundreds of tourists visit the Rozabal shrine of Sufi saint Yuz Asaf in downtown Srinagar, believed by many to be the final resting place of Christ. But there’s a new twist to the tale — the medieval shrine was recently closed down after an enthusiastic ‘believer’ , New York-based writer Suzanne Olsson, allegedly tried to exhume it.
The shrine itself, at the edge of a winding alley in the backstreets of old Srinagar, first came into the limelight when a local journalist, Aziz Kashmiri, argued in his 1973 book, Christ in Kashmir, that Jesus survived crucifixion some 2,000 years ago, migrated to Kashmir and was buried in Srinagar. The modest stone building with traditional multi-tiered roof slipped into oblivion but came into focus again in 2002 when Olsson arrived in Srinagar, claiming to be Christ’s ‘59th descendant’ and seeking DNA testing of the shrine’s remains.
In a series of letters to the shrine’s caretakers, Olsson said she considers Rozabal a “private family tomb” . She further wrote: “My family has it (sic) origins in France, where Jesus and his wife Mary Magdalene lived for 30 years after the crucifixion. There they had two sons and one daughter. We’re descendants of the son. And if you wish to know more, I refer you to a book called Bloodline of the Holy Grail by Sir Lawrence Gardner.” Olsson went on to add that she was considering moving court to press her claim and secure the right to exhume the tomb. “We feel any claims you make about the sanctity of the grave are invalid ... we would prefer to move our grandfather (out of Srinagar).’’
It was quite clear Olsson wanted to put her plan into action without wasting much time. One of the caretakers of the tomb, Mohammad Amin, alleged that they were forced to padlock the shrine as Olsson tried to dig it up and in doing so, insulted Islam. “She tried to raid the holy tomb,” he complains . He believed that the theory that Jesus is buried anywhere on the face of the earth is blasphemous to Islam.
The Quran, where Jesus is called Messiah — the Messenger, maintains that Christ was returned to God alive and not crucified.
Amin said in light of Quranic teachings no Muslim can accept Olsson’s theory. The caretaker even filed an FIR against her and got her visa cancelled. “Despite this we used to allow tourists to enter the shrine but we became suspicious when she tried to get curfew imposed in the locality and plant something at the shrine to authenticate her claim.”
Olsson, though, doesn’t seem to be alone in her conviction. There are some who support her view. Renowned Kashmiri academic Fida Hassnain’s 1994 book, A Search for the Historical Jesus, was about this legend. Later, he co-authored a book on the subject with Olsson, Roza Bal the Tomb of Jesus.The shrine is called by Lonely Planet, as the “Jesus Tomb” . There are some caveats about blasphemy, but is marked as a must-visit tourist spot in the Valley.
Caretaker Amin said some local traders circulated these “lies” thinking it would be good for business. “They thought it could become a tourist hub after all these years of violence.” He said after the shrine made it to the Lonely Planet, too many people, often rowdy, started coming in. One of the tourists damaged the tomb and took the broken piece home as a souvenir.
Rozabal is not the only story linking Jesus to Kashmir. It is said that he also visited a Buddhist monastery, the ruins of which are near Srinagar. The stories of Jesus in India date back to the 19th century and find mention in a plethora of texts by scholars of varied persuasions — Islamic, Buddhist and Christian. In fact, it is believed that during his missing years (between 12 and 30), unmentioned in the Gospels, Jesus was in India and picked up Buddhist ideas.
Amin said the Caretakers’ Committee has decided to convene a religious leaders’ meeting to discuss the issue. But Olsson insists that there’s nothing sacrilegious about her DNA project. “It’s routinely done around the world. From Egyptian mummies to the Christian Saint Luke, people are using this scientific tool to help study ancient history,’’ she said in an email interview to TOI-Crest from New York. “The DNA from Rozabal will tell us a lot about history,” she went on to say. “First, who is Yuz(a) Asaf? We’ll never know until archaeologists are allowed to examine the artefacts and the tomb.”
Olsson refuted allegations that she had attempted to remove anything from the tomb, or dug it up. “I can’t imagine who started those rumours or why,” she said and maintained that the belief that there is a Muslim saint in the same tomb is untrue. “The tomb predates Islam and could never be a Muslim tomb.”
NOTE: The Indian government has been attempting to spin this as best as they can. I read Fida Hassnain’s book a while back. Again, the speculation runs rampant...as it does to the claim that Mary Magdalene's remains and/or the Holy Grail are secured by the Knights Templar.
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Roza Bal Shrine: The Tomb of Yuz Asaf
Roza Bal is the name of a shrine located in the Khanyar district of Srinagar, in Kashmir, India, venerated by some Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists. Some people identify the sage buried there with one Yuz Asaf, that is Jesus of Nazareth, whom they allege to have arrived in Kashmir after surviving his crucifixion.
The tomb itself consists of a low rectangular building on a raised platform, surrounded by railings at the front. It has three arches at the front, where entry can be had, and four arches at the side. Inside is a rock carving that is said to show feet bearing crucifixion wounds. The body is buried according to the Jewish tradition of directions and not according to rules of Islam. However, the building also houses the burial tomb of a local Muslim saint, Mir Sayyid Naseeruddin, who has been buried in line with Islamic directions.
The tomb had previously been maintained by local descendants of the buried sage. It is currently maintained by a Board of Directors consisting of Sunni Muslims. Sahibzada Basharat Saleem, a former caretaker (now deceased), claimed to hold genealogical tables that link him as a direct descendant of the buried sage. In recent times another man was buried there, who is revered by some local Muslims as a Sufi saint, although others point to historical data that he was only the shrine's long-serving caretaker. Efforts are currently underway to obtain DNA from the tomb to help ascertain the identity and/or eras of the men buried within and the claims for their descendents.
Yuz Asaf: Is It Jesus Christ?
Yuz Asaf (or Yus Asaph, or Shahzada Nabi Hazrat Yura Asaf) is believed, to be the name adopted by Jesus after he survived the crucifixion and subsequently migrated to Kashmir.
History
Yuz Asaf was revered as a prophet (by Ahmadi Muslims) and a holy man (by Hindus and Buddhists). The tomb of Yuz Asaf is Roza Bal shrine, located in the Khanyar district of Srinagar, Kashmir. This is claimed to be the tomb of a man who was both a prince and a prophet and is claimed to date to about AD 100. Until the arrival of Islam in Kashmir, the tomb was maintained by Buddhists and Hindus who claim descent from Yuz Asaf.
Similar beliefs about Yus Asaf
He may be the son of Joseph other than Jesus
Similar beliefs are held about Yuz Asaf by a wide variety of people and groups. Other local beliefs about Yuz Asaf include that he married a woman called Marjam (that is, Mary) who bore him a number of children. It is also claimed that Jesus' mother, Mary, is buried nearby in the town Murree in Pakistan, where her burial place is called Mai Mari da Ashtan. Yuz Asaf teachings are often compared with those of Jesus in form and sentiment and influenced later Buddhism. These beliefs about Yuz Asaf have also been adopted by people in the New Age movement. Other writers, such as Gene Matlock and Suzanne Olsson have also sought to demonstrate links between Buddhism and Judaism and claim that the Jews originated in India and that Jesus visited India several times during his life. Olsson's research indicates that Yuz Asaf also means "son of Joseph", and that "Iosaphat" is also a translation of "Buddha". She has also pointed out that Yusufzai is the name of a tribe in Afghanistan who still maintain ancient Israelite customs. To them the word means 'child or children of Joseph.'Supporters of some of these theories also claim that a 17th century text, Tarikh-i-Kashmir by Khwaja Hassan Malik records an inscription which reported that Yuz Asaf entered Kashmir in 78. However, this inscription is now illegible or lost, while critics note that the text is not available for general study. An old Hindu text, the Bhavishya Mahapuroma, records Jesus as having lived in Kashmir years after his crucifixion occurred. Another inscription is said to have existed at the Temple of Solomon (in Srinagar) which is claimed to have been carved by Jesus and St. Thomas when they allegedly visited and repaired the Temple. The court of King Gondopharnes in nearby Taxila also record the visit of Thomas to the area circa 52-54 AD. The pillars were removed in recent times when Hindus converted the Temple of Solomon to a Shiva Temple, renaming it Shankacharaya. However, the ancient carvings could lend some validity to the claims for Yuz Asaf being here.
The Tomb
The tomb itself consists of a low rectangular building on a raised platform, surrounded by railings at the front. It has three arches at the front, where entry can be had, and four arches at the side. Inside is a rock carving showing feet bearing crucifixion wounds, which, it is argued, are in a position identical with the unusual crucifixion wounds on the Shroud of Turin.
The tomb had previously been maintained by local descendants of Yuz Asaf. It is currently maintained by a Board of Directors consisting of Sunni Muslims. Sahibzada Basharat Saleem, a former caretaker (now deceased), claimed to hold genealogical tables that link him as a direct descendant of Yuz Asaf or of Jesus. In recent times another man was buried beside Yuz Asaf, who is revered by some local Muslims as a Sufi saint, although others point to historical data that he was only the shrine's long-serving caretaker.
Sources:
wikipedia.org
www.jesusfamilytomb.com
indiatimes.com
www.telegraphindia.com
www.reuters.com
American Writer Claims To Be Jesus' 59th Descendant...Seeks DNA From Roza Bal
