Save Sharda Committee founder Ravinder Pandita and members perform ‘Sharda Puja’ on banks of Kishenganga river on 26th August
On the eve of Sharda divas on August 26th, 2020 the Save Sharda Committee members Kashmir performed first-ever ‘Sharda puja’ since partition in 1947. The puja was performed on the banks of Kishenganga river in Keran in Kashmir right on LoC.
Led by its head and founder Ravinder Pandita, the followers Swami Nand Lal Ashram started from Tikker in Kupwara to Keran at LOC and performed Sharda Puja for all ancestors and deceased. It is worthwhile to mention that oblations were also offered to those who were deceased unnaturally, particularly in the ongoing violence, in Jammu & Kashmir.
The puja was curtailed to 40 minutes due to inclement weather. The Kishenganga river is the dividing line on two sides of Kashmir and a heavily guarded zone between the Indian and occupying Pakistani armies.
“It was one of the traditional routes of annual Sharda Yatra during pre-partition days”, said Ravinder Pandita. The last to sit on Sharda Peeth was Swami Nand Lal ji, who had to migrate to Tikker in Kupwara in 1948 after the tribal raids.
Save Sharda Committee Kashmir has been actively working for reopening of Sharda Peeth and is striving for cross-LOC religious and heritage tourism. On the occasion of this annual Sharda Divas, civil society members of POJK too paid obeisance at Sharda Peeth on the request of Save Sharda Committee Kashmir.
The puja assumes significance as it was allowed by Indian Army as well as the District Police and the members demanded reopening of the Sharda pilgrimage on the lines of Kartarpur pilgrimage.
In October last year, Hong Kong-based Hindu couple of Indian origin performed a puja at the Sharda Peeth shrine in Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK), a first of its kind in the last 72 years. PT Venkataraman and his wife Sujatha, through coordinated efforts by the Save Sharda Committee and the civil members’ society in PoJK travelled to the Sharda shrine on a valid visa and performed the puja, offering prayers to Goddess Sharda and Swami Nand Lal ji.
The Save Sharda Committee was formed by Ravinder Pandita and other concerned people to further the cause of re-opening the pilgrimage route and restoration of the shrine of Goddess Sharda. The committee is demanding ratification of LOC permit rules for facilitating travel of Indian Hindus for an annual pilgrimage to PoK to perform pooja.
In 2019, the Save Sharda Committee had obtained a judgement from a Court in PoJK on the preservation of Sharda site like other historical sites in the occupied territories.
