Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 13: The representatives of Temples and Shrines Prabandhak Committee, Tral Awantipora (TSPCTA) district Pulwama Kashmir called on Union Minister of State for Home, G K Reddy here, today and submitted a memorandum to him.
The delegation which was led by president of the Committee, C L Bhat expressed concern over the encroachment of historic and antique properties. It said besides the private land grabbers there has been tress passing by Government agencies which constructed roads through the property at historic pilgrimage at Nawdal Tral and despite the repeated representation the same has not been removed.
The memorandum demanded that all the religious places, properties and cremation grounds to be earmarked and a concrete boundary wall be constructed for protecting them from any further tress pass and destruction. It demanded reconstruction of Mahakali Shrine at Tral by the Tourism Department as has been done in other places of Kashmir valley.
The memorandum, while turning the attention of Union Minister towards the Navdal Shrine which is an ancient pilgrimage centre connected with the culmination of the world famous annual holy Amarnath yatra has been totally neglected over the years. The religious importance and significance of the shrine lies in nine springs on which the name of the place Navdal stands. But presently only two to three springs are visible and the rest have been encroached and need immediate restoration. Besides, the boundary wall around the spring and land where the sanctum sanctorum exits should be constructed immediately.
It said the open land earlier used by the pilgrims during the annual function after culmination of holy Amarnath yatra has been encroached by the locals. The memorandum demanded that the 16 Kanals and two marlas of land lying adjacent to shrine as Ahli Handood shown in land records be allotted to the shrine for the construction of Yatri Niwas and other facilities for the pilgrims for all times to come.
The memorandum also demanded development of Pingla Devi Shrine in Pinglish village of Tral and ancient Shiv Temple in Devar Tral. The boundary walls needed to be constructed round the two temples for their preservation and the five kanals of cremation ground in Tral be protected from the land mafia.
The memorandum also demanded probe into killing of Rakesh Pandit the Municipal Councillor Tral and Executive Member of Committee and the security lapses if any need to be looked into and the perpetrators of this heinous crime be also punished. The other members of the delegation included Sanjay Raina, Sunil Bhat and Dr Ramesh a social activist.
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