Breathe of sigh after 31 years! Srinagar Temple finally opens with support of local Muslims
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Srinagar, Feb 17: The Shitalnath Temple of Srinagar that was closed 31 years ago due to growing militancy in the valley and outmigration of Hindus, finally reopened on the occasion of Basant Panchami, on Feb 16. The temple is located in the Habba Kadal area of Srinagar, where a special pooja was performed by the devotees for the reopening ceremony that coincided with the auspicious Basant Panchami pooja.
According to the devotees who went to the temple to seek blessings for Basant Panchami, unlike the conditions in the past years, the muslim community of the valley was supportive of the idea to reopen the Shitalnath temple. Since most of the Hindu population that lived around the temple had left the valley long time ago, it was the muslim community who stepped ahead to help in restoration and reopening of the temple. One of the organizers of the pooja, Ravinder Razdan said "Our Muslim brother and sisters brought pooja items. We used to do this pooja every year. Bab Shital Nath Bhairao's birth anniversary falls on Basant Panchami that is why we celebrate this day with fervour."
After the abrogation of article 370 in Aug 2019, the incidents of stone pelting and militancy have decreased to a remarkable number. The Union Minister of State Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy had informed Rajya Sabha on Feb 8, that the number of terrorist violence cases and stone pelting incidents in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir have dropped drastically in 2020, in comparison to 2019.
According to the minister's statement, a total of 157 terrorists were neutralized in 2019 and 221 were eliminated in 2020. There were 594 cases of terrorist violence in 2019, that reduced to 244 in 2020. There were 327 stone pelting incidents in 2020 as compared to 2,009 in 2019. The numbers were evident of the positive change that is taking place slowly in the valley. The recent incident of reopening of the Srinagar temple with the support of the local muslim community adds value to the fact that the 'Naya Kashmir' is evolving to transform into the best possible way it can.