Save Sharda Committee Kashmir (Regd.) meets J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti- seeks her immediate intervention in re-opening of Sharda Peeth Pilgrimage in POK
Save Sharda Committee Kashmir (Regd.) called on J&K Chief Minister Ms Mehbooba Mufti and briefed her about the recent developments on re-opening of Sharda Pilgrimage in Muzaffarabad, POK, particularly in the wake of Supreme Court of POK (AJK) order on preservation of Sharda peeth. Recently Chief Justice of POK Hon'ble Chief Justice Jenab Chaudhary Mohammad Ibrahim Zia gave the historical judgement on preservation of Sharda Peeth in Muzaffarabad district of POK. This landmark judgement dated 2nd. January’2018 was addressed to Ravinder Pandita, founder of the committee . A memorandum was presented to the Chief Minister asking her indulgence for reopening of pilgrimage that has not been held since last 70 years. Earlier She was presented with the soil and flowers received from PoK civil society and the photographs depicting recent developments & efforts by the committee on the pilgrimage.
The delegation was led by Sh. Ravinder Pandita, Head of the committee, who stressed the need for an amendment to LOC permit rules to include annual pilgrimages besides meeting relatives as contained in the permit rules, presently. The meeting lasted 45 minutes and the issue was thoroughly discussed with regard to Cross LOC heritage & religious tourism. The Chief minister was briefed about the strategic importance of the site by former Lt. Gen. (Retd) Ata Hasnain, who is also the founder member of the committee. Other members included Adv. Vinod Trisal, member of the committee,Sh. Vijay Vaishnavi from KP Sabha Chandigarh, Smt. Kusum Pandita , Shrawan Pandita and others.The Chief Minister while appreciating the efforts of the committee assured the committee members that she will be personally taking up the matter with Prime Minister earnestly.
In a press release the founder Head of committee Sh. Ravinder Pandita has said that these temples like Sharda and other shrines and not only of religious but historical & archeological importance too. We have been striving for the Re-opening of Sharda pilgrimage on the lines of Nankana sahib Lahore annual yatra by sikhs. Though we have LOC permit in place for J&K state subjects, but it is meant for meeting relatives only living across Loc hence we are deprived of visiting Sharda - the basic seat of learning. The last yatra undertaken was by our Guru Swami Nand Lal Ji, a great saint of Kashmir during partition in 1947. His followers included the then sarpanch of Sharda village namely Zaman Khan.
Although we have formed a committee and pressing our government for a dialogue with Pakistani Government, yet much needs to be done at people to people contact as well. Last year we got a breakthrough when a few friends of ours living in Muzaffarabad called Civil society in POK laid flowers on our behalf in the temple and sent us sacred soil & these flowers to India. we all Kashmiris in particular hail the great and kind act and later in March this year we had sent a photo of Goddess Sharda at their address in AJK which was installed inside the temple, but the same is not seen there now in their recent visit in October. “ I have received lot of visiting pilgrim delegations from POK here in New Delhi and these people have shown absolute willingness and have invited us for pilgrimage to Sharda and the restoration of same thereof”, Ravinder Pandita said..
As far as restoration of these religious sites is concerned, our committee is willing and undertakes the restoration work and any assistance thereof. The Hon'ble court may take suo-moto cognizance of our undertaking especially for Sharda temple in POK, which is our heritage. This may bridge lot of differences between kashmiris separated by LOC at the moment. Temples & shrines are being restored and reclaimed by our sister organization APMCC in Kashmir valley as well, though we are out of valley for the last 28 years. The struggle for re-opening of Sharda pilgrimage and setting up of Sharda University in J&K cannot be undermined. Save Sharda committee Kashmir (Regd.) had earlier written a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan undertaking to work on the restoration work of temples & shrines in Pakistan and Sharda in POK, in particular. Earlier the committee founder Ravinder Pandita met Sh. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi MOS minorities in Govt. of India recently in New Delhi along with a delegation and discussed steps for preserving religious shrines in Pakistan. The minister assured the committee that Govt. will take all possible steps and give financial assistance also in consultation with his counterpart in Pakistan for preservation of minorities shrines in Pakistan.
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