Kashmiri Pandits and other devotees on Monday paid obeisance at the Mata Sidh Lakshmi Temple in LokBhawan, Anantnag, and celebrated HarbahUtsav with traditional rituals. Special prayers were held, seeking the return of the Pandit community to the Valley, reminiscent of how they used to live in the 1990s.Devotees from within the region and other parts of the country visited the temple, participated in the PooranAhuti and havan, and joined the festive atmosphere at LokBhawan.LokBhawan, a village located in the Larkipora area of Anantnag district, is about 15 kilometres from the main town and is renowned for its historic temple and natural spring.
KanchanPandit, a resident of LokBhawan, told Rising Kashmir that she visited the temple for the first time in 35 years along with her mother. “I had no idea of the place, I used to imagine it based on what my mother told me. But when I reached here, everything was exactly as I had heard,” she said.“The soul finds peace here. There can be no other place like this. My mother spent her childhood here and shared so many memories with us. Today, we experienced it firsthand,” Kanchan said.She added that the native village looks beautiful and the number of devotees visiting is increasing every day, which is a positive sign.
Sanjay Koul, a member of the local Treeth, expressed gratitude to all devotees who came from various parts of the Valley and the country to attend the event. “I would also like to thank the local (Muslim) community for their blessings and support.”“We performed a havan at the temple and offered prayers for the well-being of the entire world, and India in particular,” Koul said. “Our special prayers were for peace and prosperity in Kashmir, and for the return of the times when Kashmiri Pandits lived here in harmony, as they did before the 1990s.”He also extended heartfelt thanks to the district administration. “I sincerely thank LG Sinha, DC Anantnag , R&B Khanabal, and all the departments for their cooperation,” he added.
