HM to make online address as idol of Goddess Sharda to be installed in temple at LoC today

Teetwal to create history of sorts after 76 years

Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Mar 21: Creating a history of sorts, the idol of Goddess Sharda will be placed on sanctum sanctorum in newly constructed Sharda temple on Line of Control (LoC) in Teetwal area of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district on the auspicious occasion of first Navratra (Navreh) tomorrow.
Union Home Minister, Amit Shah is likely to make an online address to the gathering from New Delhi during the installation of Murti in the temple which has been constructed after a gap of 76 years. The Murti will be installed on the sanctum Sanctorum with the chanting of Vedic hymns by renowned scholars and Pandits who have reached Teetwal from Shingeri Math in Karnataka where from the Murti of Goddess was brought.
Teetwal temple of Goddess was the base camp for world famous Sharda shrine prior to partition. The temple at Teetwal which was the base camp to the holy yatra of Mata Sharda and a Gurdwara which was existing nearby the temple on the bank of Krishan Ganga river were destroyed by raiders in 1947 and since then neither the successive Governments nor any social or religious organization took steps for reconstructing these religious places at this site.
As per reports, hundreds of devotees drawn from different parts of country including J&K have reached Teetwal to participate in tomorrow’s function. BJP J&K UT president, Ravinder Raina along with other party functionaries will also attend tomorrow’s function. He told Excelsior, that Union Minister, Amit Shah will make an online address to the gathering during inaugural ceremony.
Besides Raina, many civil and Army officers including DC and SSP Kupwara will also attend the function.
There is a lot of enthusiasm among the local Muslims who brought the Goddess in a big procession yesterday to the temple and gave a grand reception to it. A new history has been scripted and it will be beginning of a new era of brotherhood and peace in the region, said the locals of the area while greeting the Save Sharda Committee chairman, Ravinder Pandita and other devotees who constructed the temple at Teetwal and brought the Murti from Shingeri Math to this place after traveling a distance of 6000 kilometres.
This is a big step towards the cultural renascence, said the local people and fostering the intercommunity bonds among the people of different communities which received a setback after the partition in general and during over 30 years of turmoil in particular, they said, while praising the efforts of Save Sharda Committee.
The locals who offered every kind of support and assistance in construction of temple and Gurdwara to Save Sharda Committee said that their joy knew no bounds after the Murti of Goddess was brought to the temple. Aijaz Ahmed, a prominent citizen of Teetwal was so overwhelmed with joy that he broke down while the Murti of Goddess reached Teetwal yesterday saying he could not even believe himself. This is really a dream which has come true for the local people as the members of other communities will frequently visit the area now, he added.
He expressed the hope that this will create a way for the opening of Sharda temple across the LoC for devotees from India and that will boost the trade and economy as well as pave for overall development of this area.
Ravinder Pandita, who heads Save Sharda Committee, said this place was the base camp for the Sharda and it is a signal to neighboring country to open the corridor for the holy pilgrimage of the temple for Hindu devotees across the India. He said the construction of temple will also help in revival of ancient culture and civilization. A university existed at Sharda in earlier period and it was the centre of education not only for India but Central Asia as well which needs to revived, he added.
He said Swami Nand Lal Ji was the last Saint from Kashmir who used to worship at this temple prior to partition. He said the people from across the LoC will also greet us tomorrow and shower their good wishes as they also want that good neighbourly relations should exist between two countries so that people can visit to each other’s religious places.
Pandita was all praise for the local people, Army, civil and police administration for the cooperation rendered by them.
The foundation stone for temple and Gurdwara was laid at Teetwal on December 2, 2021 by Ravinder Pandita along with other prominent people of the community. The chairperson J&K Wakf Board, Dr Darkhshan Andrabi had also attended the function at that time.
About 100 priests from Shingeri Math, Karnataka have also reached Teetwal to participate in the function. The members of the Committee who accompanied the yatra included Jai Krishan Bhan, Ravinder Bakshi, Surinder Mirza and M K Monga. As per reports, Panun Kashmir convener, Dr Agnishekhar and chairman, Vishaw Kashmiri Samaj Kiran Wattal have also reached Teetwal to participate in the function tomorrow.