Srinagar, Oct 20: Former ‘Sadr-e-Riyasat’ of Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Karan Singh, has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appealing for the reopening of the Sharda Peeth pilgrimage in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), drawing parallels with the successful Kartarpur Corridor.
In the letter, dated October 13, Dr Karan Singh proposed that a delegation of three members from the Save Sharda Committee should be allowed to visit PoK and initiate sacred rituals at Sharda Peeth during a significant religious occasion.
This development comes after a delegation from the Save Sharda Committee Kashmir Regd. met with Dr Karan Singh in New Delhi. The delegation, led by Ravinder Pandita, Head of the committee, apprised Dr Karan Singh of the current state of temples, especially in the valley, and requested his intervention in writing to the Prime Minister for the reopening of the Sharda Peeth pilgrimage.
The delegation presented Dr Singh with a Sharda Shawl and a portrait of Sharda Peeth in PoK, symbolizing the historical and cultural significance of the site.
The 92-year-old is the son of former Maharaja Hari Singh who acceded to India after partition. Dr Karan Singh was ‘Sadr-e-Riyasat’ of J&K from 1952 to 1965 and later served as Governor of the state in 1965. He lauded the efforts of the civil society initiative taken by the Save Sharda Committee and thanked them for their commitment to revitalizing the pilgrimage to Sharda Peeth.
Ravinder Pandita, Head and Founder of the Save Sharda Committee expressed gratitude to Dr Karan Singh, calling him the “last legend of Maharaja anarchy” for his support in preserving the cultural and religious heritage associated with Sharda Peeth.
This appeal to reopen the Sharda Peeth pilgrimage holds the promise of fostering people-to-people connections and religious harmony, akin to the Kartarpur Corridor.
