Kashmir sets an example of brotherhood, Sharda Peeth base temple near LoC

Kashmir Valley has always set exemplary examples of brotherhood between the communities.

After 75 years of taking care of the property belonging to the Hindu community, Muslims returned the land for the construction of Mata Sharda temple in Teetwal belt close to the Line of Control(LoC).

The temple is located in north Kashmir's Kupwara district and will be built to revive the centuries-old pilgrimageto Sharda Peeth in the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir(PoK). The plan for the temple has been approved by the Sringeri south matth. The temple would be made with artwork granite stones and is being carved in Karnataka.

''Mata Sharda is the goddess of knowledge and wisdom. The importance of Sharda Peeth is well known to everyone. It used to be the oldest university much older than Nalanda and Taxila. And the oldest civilization. None of the Hindus have been allowed to go to Sharda Peeth and now we have been trying our best, my committee called Save Sharda Committee (SSC) to get it revived and re-open it,"Ravindra Pandita, head of Save Sharda Committee, said.

"We have a lot of researchers from PoK and here as well working on it. It's a shared heritage, the traditional routes are from places like Keran. Teetwal is the official route for the Sharda pilgrimage. We are constructing a base temple. We are quite hopeful that the LoC permitwhich exists between two countries, is revived so that we can travel and take the pilgrimage. The Jammu and Kashmir Hindus should be allowed to take this pilgrimage,'' Ravindra Pandita added.

The Hindu community in Kashmir wants the pilgrimageto open on the same pattern as Kartarpur. They want the PoKgovernment to allow them to take this pilgrimage. It is the most important temple for the Kashmiri Pandit community.

''This is basically a base camp for the Sharda temple. The yatra would start from here. The pilgrimage would be taken to PoK. It's the most important temple for Kashmiri Pandits. It's what Mecca is to Muslims; Sharda is for Kashmiri Pandits. This base camp had a Gurudwara before 1947. The people called us and said this is the land that belongs to the temple and welcomed us with open arms. We have started the work,'' said Surinder Mirza aKashmiri Pandit.

The Muslims handed over the land to the temple committeerecently. And have also appealed to both India and Pakistan governments to make open the pilgrimage againso that the Kashmiri Pandit community can visit the temple in PoK.

''It was our duty, our ancestors have always told us that this land belonged to the temple, and they had told us whenever they come and want this land back, we should return it. We are hopeful that routes will be open. We want the old times to return,'' said a local Zameer Ahmad.

The temple construction committeehas also kept Muslim members in the team. The temple is being built by a Kashmiri Muslimwho says that this is the biggest example of brotherhood in Kashmir. He hopes that it becomes a meeting point for all the communities and an example of peace.

''It's a very old heritage and we had kept the land very safe with us. To strengthen the bond between the communities, we are making a temple, a Gurdwaraalready exists and we will builda Mosque too.This should be a centre for everyone to meet. We request the governments to allow this pilgrimage. We need the government from across to give us permits. People should remember that Ajaz was a Muslim who made temples, Mosques and Gurudwara,'' Ajaz Khan, member, temple construction committee, said.

The holy mace would be taken from Sharda Peeth temple to Chilhana village in PoK. The base camp would be a traditionalroute of the yatra.