Kashmiri Pandits reopen Sharada Bhawani temple in Jammu & Kashmir after 35 years

Kashmiri Pandits reopened the Sharada Bhawani temple in Budgam district of central Kashmir on Sunday after nearly 35 years. The local Muslim community also participated in the event.

The reopening ceremony of 'Mahurat' and 'Pran Pratishtha' took place in Ichkoot village of Budgam. The temple has been in shambles since 1990, when the majority of Kashmiri Pandits migrated to Jammu and other parts of the country due to militancy in the Valley.

"We will soon reconstruct temple premises. Local Muslims have helped in this process as they were extremely keen in the reopening of this temple. The district administration has also promised to ensure this temple is built soon," said Sunil Bhat, hailing from the same village, who currently lives in Sheikhpora area of Budgam.


"Some of us from this village and other Kashmiri Pandits working in the Valley currently under the PM's package took this initiative with the help of Muslims. We will ensure that there are weekly or fortnightly prayers and gatherings here from now onwards," said Bhat, adding "nobody had touched or encroached upon this property and we have installed an idol of Bhagwan Shiv here, which was found in the same premises during the cleaning process."