The lighting of earthen lamps and the resumption of Diwali celebrations at the Mata Sharda Devi temple serve as a symbol of cultural resilience and communal harmony in the region. The event has garnered attention for its historical significance and the efforts made to revive traditions that had been dormant for several decades.
The festivities included prayers conducted within the newly reconstructed Mata Sharda Devi temple located in the region along the Line of Control (LoC). Ravinder Pandita, the Head and founder of the Save Sharda Committee, expressed the significance of this momentous occasion, stating that this marks the first Diwali celebration at the temple in three-quarters of a century.
The Save Sharda Committee played a pivotal role in organising the event, aiming to revive and rejuvenate the cultural and religious practises associated with the historic Mata Sharda Devi temple. The temple’s reconstruction stands as a testament to the efforts aimed at preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of the region.
“It’s a matter of happiness that Diwali is being celebrated in the same way as it used to be before 75 years. The inauguration of this temple was done on March 22 after its renovation,” Pandita said while speaking to ANI.
He further appealed to the government to open the Sharda Peeth — “the seat of Sharada” like that of Kartarpur Sahib.
“This is our request to the government that Sharda Peeth gets open like Kartarpur Sahib,” he said.
After performing the Diwali rituals, the people gathered outside the temple and burst firecrackers.
The ancient temple and its centre were rebuilt with a view to reviving centuries-old pilgrimage to Sharda Peeth temple in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Sharda Peeth is an abandoned temple located in Sharda village along the Neelum River, which was a major centre of learning. It is regarded as one of the 18 highly revered temples across South Asia.
The Save Sharda Committee took the lead in the reconstruction of the temple and a Sikh gurdwara after reclaiming the same.
The temple was inaugurated on March 22 this year, Pandita said. “The inauguration of this temple was done on March 22 after its renovation as it was demolished during the attacks in the past. Prior to the tribal raids in 1947, a dharmshala and a Sikh gurdwara used to exist in the same plot that was burnt down in the raids,” Pandita said.
Teetwal was a traditional route of pilgrimage to Sharda Peeth which was last stopped in 1948 after the tribal raids and partition.
