Excelsior Correspondent
TANGHDAR, Dec 2: Sharda Yatra Committee today organized a foundation laying ceremony of Sharda Centre & Sharda Worship site at Teetwal near Line of Control in Tanghdar Sector.
The foundation laying was done by Chairperson of Waqf Development Committee of Ministry of Minority Affairs and BJP National Executive Member, Dr Darakhshan Andrabi, in presence of Sharda Yatra Committee Chairman Ravinder Pandita, SDM Tanghdar & Tehsildar Tanghdar. Senior Government officials and senior citizens of the area were also present on the occasion.
This site was reclaimed by the committee at the place where an ancient Dharamshala used to exist up to 1948. This was the last halt-site en-route Sharda Tirtha for the pilgrims from Kashmir & Jammu till 1948. This site was deserted after 1948 tribal attack of Pakistan and now Sharda Yatra Committee under the leadership of Ravinder Pandita after a long struggle retrieved the land and today Dr Darakhshan Andrabi laid the foundation stone for this historical re-construction of huge Sharda Centre & Worship Kendra on the site.
Earlier Sharda Yatra Committee conducted Bhoomi-Pujan of the land in the morning. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Darakhshan Andrabi said that Sharda Peetha was the identity of Kashmir for centuries as this was a place of prominence in learning, research and spirituality celebrated throughout South-Asia. “Till 1948 Sharda Yatra from Srinagar used to go through this place and this was a very important stoppage. After more than seven decades, we are making this place of historical importance live for posterity and here a foundation for a huge Sharda Centre & Worship Site has been laid. We are fortunate enough to get this opportunity of re-writing history,” said Dr Andrabi.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman of Sharda Tirtha Committee, Ravinder Pandita said that his decades long struggle had bore its fruit today and a beginning to revive the Sharda Culture in Kashmir has been made. “I am grateful to J&K Government and Indian Army for their support in organizing the event. Local Muslim & Sikh representatives also stood by us during the struggle & at the event,” said Ravinder Pandita.
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