Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 6: Save Sharda Committee Kashmir (SSCK) in a meeting strongly pressed for reopening of Sharda Peeth in PoJK.
The Committee, while participating and raising Sharda issue for the first time in Kumbh mela supported by Shankracharya followers and organizations from all over India asked for pressing GOI for reopening of the Peeth.
All the four prominent Shankracharya mutts had in their message supported the Committee. The exhibition on Sharda is meanwhile continuing at the camp organised by the Committee at Plot No: 9, Padam Madhav road, Sector 6, Prayagraj.
Addressing a press conference at the camp, the head of SSCK , Ravinder Pandita stressed for further awareness of the issue pan India. Heads of organisations from Madurai, Shingeri, Ganganagar and Vishwa Jagriti Foundation and others took part in the meeting.
Ravinder Pandita said that “we are suffering from a genocide and wish to connect back to roots”.”We have been striving for the re-opening of Sharda pilgrimage on the lines of Nankana Sahib Lahore annual yatra by Sikhs,. Though we have LOC permit in place for J&K State subjects, but it is meant for meeting relatives only living across LOC hence we are deprived of visiting Sharda – the basic seat of learning”. The last yatra undertaken was by our Guru Swami Nand Lal Ji, a great saint of Kashmir during partition in 1947. His followers included the then sarpanch of Sharda village namely Zaman Khan, Raina added.
He said although we have formed a Committee which is pressing the Government for a dialogue with Pakistani Government, yet much needs to be done at people to people contact as well. Last year we got a breakthrough when a few friends of ours living in Muzaffarabad called Civil Society in POK laid flowers on our behalf in the temple and sent us sacred soil & these flowers to India. “We all Kashmiris in particular hail the great and kind act and later in March this year we had sent a photo of Goddess Sharda at their address in POJK which was installed inside the temple, but the same is not seen there now in their recent visit in October. ” I have received lot of visiting pilgrim delegations from POJK here in New Delhi and these people have shown absolute willingness and have invited us for pilgrimage to Sharda and the restoration of same thereof”, Ravinder Pandita said..
This may bridge lot of differences between Kashmiris separated by LOC at the moment, he said. Temples & shrines are being restored and reclaimed by our organisation in our part of Kashmir as well, though we are out of Valley for the last 30 years” , he added.
Sharda Peeth is basic seat of learning and a revered site for all Hindus in the country, particularly for the Shankracharya mutts, who have been raising the demand of Sharda pilgrimage for the last two decades.
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