Excelsior Correspondent
TEETWAL, (Kupwara), June 24: Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi visited Sharda Mata Temple at LoC, Teetwal in Kupwara district today. “We feel pleased to have a first Union Minister on this occasion today” said Ravinder Pandita Head of Save Sharda Committee. Earlier she also visited many places in Kupwara district.
Sharda Peeth was once the center of learning of the Indian Subcontinent to which scholars flocked in reverence seeking scriptural and spiritual knowledge. Sharda script native to Kashmir is named after the Goddess Sharda (also invoked as the Goddess Saraswati), the Goddess of learning and the main deity of the Sharda Peeth. Gurmukhi, Tibbettan, Pahari and even Urdu before Nastalik script is derivative of Sharda lipi. Sharda Peeth is one of the Maha Shakti Peeths, Goddess Sati’s right hand is believed to have landed here.
The Sharda Yatra temple at Teetwal was completely burnt down in the aftermath of the partition and the subsequent Tribal invasions which also resulted in the holy pilgrimage being abandoned. A Gurudwara stood adjacent to this temple which was also destroyed. The locals preserved and handed over this plot to Save Sharda Committee, Kashmir, headed by Ravinder Pandita on September 14 in 2021 on the occasion of annual Sharda Yatra up to the last point of LoC in Teetwal. The architecture and construction of this temple is in keeping with the heritage of the Sharda Peeth for which carved granite stone from Magadi near Bangalore, Karnataka, duly supported by Sharda Peetham Sringeri, has been used.
The Panchloha Sharda Murti donated by Sringeri Mutt was taken to this newly constructed Sharda Temple at LoC Teetwal Kashmir beginning on January’24 this year (Guru Tritya – annual Convocation day in Sharda University in ancient times) and was consecrated inside Teetwal Temple on Chaitra Maas Shukla Paksh Pratipada on Navreh (Ist. Navratra) 22nd March’2023.
The temple was inaugurated by Home Minister, Amit Shah in presence of LG, Manoj Sinha, Tejasvi Surya MP and Ravinder Pandita, Head of Save Sharda Committee Kashmir via Live Streaming.
The reconstruction of the temple is a step towards the revival of the ancient annual pilgrimage to the Sharda Peeth, which is in ruins and situated in Shardi, PoK as well as the exploration of Sharda civilization. The role of locals of Teetwal, Tangdhar in reconstruction of this temple is laudable. People to people contact on both sides of LoC on this issue is vivid. Likeminded people assembled and greeted each other on September 14 in 2021 and September 4 last year marking history after partition. Live seminars and interactions in Delhi event and Sherwani Hall Baramulla event, have proved a point, that people want cross LoC heritage and religious tourism to begin beyond faiths.
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