Sharada script

This article is about a writing system. For other meanings of "Sharada", see Sharada (disambiguation).
Sharada script
Śāradā
𑆯𑆳𑆫𑆢𑆳
The word śāradā in Sharada script
Script type
Time period
700 CE –present (almost extinct)[1]
DirectionLeft-to-right Edit this on Wikidata
RegionIndia, Pakistan, Central Asia
LanguagesSanskrit, Kashmiri
Related scripts
Parent systems
Child systems
Takri
Landa
Sister systems
Siddham, Tibetan,[2][3] Kalinga, Bhaiksuki
ISO 15924
ISO 15924Shrd (319), ​Sharada, Śāradā
Unicode
Unicode alias
Sharada
U+11180–U+111DF
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Brahmic scripts
The Brahmi script and its descendants
Northern Brahmic
Southern Brahmic

The Śāradā, Sarada or Sharada script is an abugida writing system of the Brahmic family of scripts. The script was widespread between the 8th and 12th centuries in the northwestern parts of Indian Subcontinent (in Kashmir and neighbouring areas), for writing Sanskrit and Kashmiri.[4][1][5] Although originally a signature Brahminical script created in the valley, it was more widespread throughout northwestern Indian subcontinent, and later became restricted to Kashmir, and is now rarely used, except by the Kashmiri Pandit community for religious purposes.[1]

The Gardez Ganesha, a 6th-century marble Ganesha found in Gardez, Afghanistan, now at Dargah Pir Rattan Nath, Kabul. The Sharada inscription says that this "great and beautiful image of Mahāvināyaka" was consecrated by the Shahi King Khingala of Khatriya Country Modern Part of Punjab Pakistan and Afghanistan.[6]

It is a native script of Kashmir and is named after the goddess Śāradā or Saraswati, the goddess of learning and the main Hindu deity of the Sharada Peeth temple.[7]

  1. ^ a b c Singh, Upinder (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Pearson Education India. p. 43. ISBN 9788131711200.
  2. ^ Daniels, P.T. (27 March 2008). "Writing systems of major and minor languages". In Kachru, Braj B.; Kachru, Yamuna; Sridhar, S. N. (eds.). Language in South Asia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-139-46550-2.
  3. ^ Masica, Colin (1993). The Indo-Aryan languages. p. 143.
  4. ^ Selin, Helaine (2008). Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures. Springer Science & Business Media. p. Bakhshali Manuscript entry. Bibcode:2008ehst.book.....S. ISBN 9781402045592.
  5. ^ Sir George Grierson. (1916). "On the Sharada Alphabet". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 17.
  6. ^ For photograph of statue and details of inscription, see: Dhavalikar, M. K., "Gaņeśa: Myth and Reality", in: Brown 1991, pp. 50, 63.
  7. ^ "Pandits to visit Sharda temple". The Hindu. 17 May 2006. Archived from the original on 4 February 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2012.