Verinag existed since pre-vedic era. It was a shapeless, kind of roughly circular pond.
Because of its connection with Lord Shiva, it was a sacred place among Kashmiri Pandits. The people of Kashmir, in due centuries, devotees, build many Shiv Lings’ around it.
This spring is still considered to be the residing place of Nilnaag, who, as mentioned in the Nilmat Puran, is the head of all the Nagas.
This spring is said to be 50 feet deep (exactly at center) where the water continuously comes up and flows into the garden facing the spring.
The original not so circular shape of this spring was changed to an octagon basin, with arcs, and pictorially perfect rose garden during the reign of the Mughal emperor Jahangir in 1620 (& after that Shahjahan), to resemble a more Mughal architecture. Being the sacred place of Hindus, Verinag also has an ancient Shiva lingum in one of the arcs.
As per Rajtarangini, written in Sanskrit by Kashmiri Brahman Kalhan in 12th century AD, Verinag spring is also known as Nilkunda. As quoted in the book: “That (land) is protected by Nīla, the lord of all Nāgas, whose regal parasol is formed by the circular pond (of the Nīlakunda) with the Vitastā’s newly rising stream as its stick.”.
Nags (Sanskrit for serpent), are the earliest inhabitants of Kashmir. They are also said to be as human-bodied snakes who are Lord Shiva worshippers. They are imagined as snake-tailed deities who could assume human form.
It is interesting to note that the Kashmiri name for a spring – that delightful natural phenomenon of water bursting out from subterranean passages in the mountain spurs, ridges or downs that Kashmir is so rich in – is Nag. It is believed that these springs were the abodes of the Nags. The springs and fountains, are thus associated with individual serpent-deities: Nilnag (Verinag), Anantnag, Vicharanag, Sukhnag, Kokarnag, and Vaishakhnag (a distortion of Vasuki, the mythical serpent with whom Garuda, the divine bird, is in eternal conflict).
Even the great lake, Wular, the largest natural fresh water lake in Asia, was the abode of Mahapadma, the serpent deity that could grant even impossible wishes. The Nags were followed by settlers from the plains, chiefly Brahmins who are supposed to have had to subdue the Pishachas and Yakshas (beings in a lower state of evolution than the human) before they could live in peace in Kashmir
Nilnaga was the king of all Nagas in Kashmir and his abode was at the foremost southern part of Kashmir.
The Nilamata (Puran) opens with Janamejaya’s enquiry from Vaisampayana as to why the king of Kashmir did not participate in the war of Mababharata although his kingdom was not less important than any other in the country. Vaisampayana states that some time before the Mababharata war was fought, king Gonanda of Kashmir had been invited by his relative Jarasandha to help him in a war against the yadavas. Gonanda 
complied with his request and was slain on the battle field by Lord Krishna’s brother, Balarama. In order to avenge his father’s death, Gonanda’s son Damodara went to Gandhara to fight with lord Krishna who had gone there to attend a Svayamvara. Krishna killed Damodara in the fight but taking into consideration the high sanctity of Kashmir he crowned his rival’s pregnant widow Yasovati. Damodara’s Posthumous son Bala Gonanda was a minor at the time of the great war, so he did not join either the Kauravas or the Pandavas. Vaismpayana points out the importance of Kashmir by referring to its numerous charms and its identification with Uma. He points out further that the valley was originally a lake known as Satisaras. This leads to the question about the origin of ‘Kashmir’ to which Vaisanipayana replies by relating a dialogue held previously between Gonanda and the sage Brahadasva.
Brahadasva gives at first the account of the divisions of time, the destruction of the world at the end of manvantara, the presevation of Manu and the seeds in a ship, the birth of the land and the lake, of Sati, the origin of various tribes from Kasyapa and Visnu’s allotment of Satisaras to the Nagas. Then follows the story of the demon Jalodbbava born in the waters and reared by the Nagas. Having obtained boons from Brahma, the demon began to destroy the descendants of Manu dwelling in the lands of Darvabhisara, Gandbars Jubundura, the Sakas, the Khasas etc.
Seeing this devastation, Nila the king of the Nagas approached his father Kasyapa and prayed to him to intercede with the gods to punish the evil-doer and to save the innocent victims. He requested the gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva to do the needful. Vishnu followed by Brahma, Shiva and various other deities, proceeded to Naubandhana to punish the demon. The demon was imperishable in the waters; so Vishnu asked Ananta to make an outlet for the waters by breaking forth the mountain-barriers. He did accordingly. Visnu then cut off the demon’s head with his disc (Sudarshan Chakra).
Now the dry land being available in the valley, Kasyapa expressed the desire that it should be inhabited by the Nagas as well as by the descendants of Manu (Humans). The Nagas, however, flatly refused to have Manavas as their co-habitants. Nil Nag being son of Kashyap rishi, dishonored him by refusing his ask. Filled with rage Kashyapa cursed NilNag and his descendents to live with the Pishacas. At the request of Nila, the curse was modified to the extent that the Pishacas would go every year for a period of six months to the sea of sand and the Manavas would live in the land jointly with the Nagas during that period. Vishnu further assured the Nagas that the occupation of Kashmira valley by the Pishacas would last for four ages only.
After the passing away of the four ages, the Manavas, as usual, had gone out for six months.
An old Brahmana, Chandradeva did not accompany them and decided to live there.
Troubled by the Pishacas, he approached the Naga King Nila and begged of him to ordain that ‘Kasmira’ might henceforth be inhabited by Manavas without the fear of emigration.
Nila complied with this request on the condition that the Manavas should follow his instructions revealed to him by Keshava (Krishna). Chandradeva lived for six months in the palace of Nila and was initiated into the mysteries of rites or ceremonies prescribed by Nila. These are the rituals that are still being followed by Kashmiri Pandits as per the pact between Chandradev and Nil Nag.
In Chaitra, when the emigrant population of ‘Kasmira’ came back, he related the whole incident to Virodaya – king of Manavas. The lengthy dialogue held between Nila and Chandradeva describes sixty five rites. Ceremonies and festivals many of which are similar to those mentioned in other Puranic works and observed in many parts of India, while a few are peculiar to Kashmir only.
At Janamejaya’s enquiry as to what Gonanda had asked after listening to the teachings, another dialogue between Gonanda and Brhadasva follows. Gonanda expresses his desire to know the names of the principal Nagas dwelling in Kasmira and Brahadasva enumerates not fewer than six hundred Nagas. He expresses his inability to enumerate all the Nagas, as their number was too great. He further refers to four Nagas, the guardians of directions and relates the story of the Naga Sadangula and the Naga Mahapadma and their King as Nil Naag who lives in Verinag.
Story of Verinaag –
Pt R K Bhat | President – YAIKS,
Secretary General – Vetasta Devsathan Prabandhak Committee (Verinag)
All these three places NeelNag, Omoh Shiv Temple and Vitasta are being managed by Vetasta Devsathan Prabandhak Committee (Verinag
