Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 1: The restoration of the 106-year-old Shiv temple at Gulmarg, a renowned hill station, has commenced following a devastating fire last month.
Known as the Maharani Temple or Rani Temple, the temple sits atop a knoll and was originally commissioned by Mohini Bai Sisodia, wife of Kashmir’s last ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh.
While no casualties were reported, the ancient temple suffered extensive damage, including its century-old idols of deities such as Shiva, Goddess Parvati, and a Shivling. These relics were ceremonially immersed in a river after the incident.
Mohineshwar Shivalaya, as it is also known, was strategically designed to be visible from various points across Gulmarg. The temple’s cultural significance extends to Bollywood, having been featured in the Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz-starrer blockbuster “Aap Ki Kasam,” specifically in the song ‘Jai Jai Shiv Shankar’.
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