Kupwara, Oct 15: The inaugural Navratri Puja of Sharad Navratri took place at the newly constructed Sharda Temple located on the Line of Control (LoC) in the Teetwal border region of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district this past Sunday. This momentous occasion attracted a substantial number of pilgrims from all across the nation, marking the first such celebration in the area in 75 years since the partition.
Swami Govindananda Saraswati, originally from Hampi and renowned for his rath yatra from Kishkinda, the birthplace of Lord Hanuman in Karnataka, graced the event with his presence, drawing a significant following of devotees.
Adding to the spiritual ambiance were the Kashmiri Pandit pilgrims, including the distinguished A K Raina, a renowned theatre personality who also starred in the acclaimed film “Kashmir Files.”
Ravinder Pandita, the Head and Founder of the Save Sharda Committee Kashmir, expressed that this was indeed another historic moment to conduct the Navratri puja at Sharda Temple on the LoC for the first time since the partition.
Pilgrims from various parts of the country and local residents shared their sentiments about this historic celebration. A local resident named Ajaz Khan mentioned that this day had been long anticipated, and it was truly incredible to witness the revival of a cultural and religious heritage right on the LoC.
Vijaya Devi, who had travelled from Rajasthan, conveyed her overwhelming emotions about being part of this historic celebration. She remarked, “It’s a testament to the unity and resilience of our diverse nation.”
Significantly, the original temple and Gurudwara that once stood at Teetwal were destroyed during the tribal raids of 1947. Today, a new temple and Gurudwara, has come up in the same architectural style, have been constructed on the same sacred land, with their inauguration taking place on March 23 of this year, graced by the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
