Arde Nareshwar Temple in Nadimarg springs back to life

Nadimarg (Shopian) Oct 5: The Arde Nareshwar temple in Nadimarg village of south Kashmir's Shopian district sprang to life after 20 years.

On Saturday, the members of the Kashmiri Pandit community assembled in the village and performed the Murti Sthapana ( idol installation ) Pooja.

Following the Nadimarg massacre, which left 24 Kashmiri Pandits dead, the survivors and the other community members, who had stayed put after the mass exodus of the community in early nineties, also fled the village leaving the place of worship in the area unattended.

However, after a 20-year long hiatus, the community members from across the Union Territory assembled in the village and performed the puja.

During the ceremony, the members from the Muslim community welcomed their Hindu brethren and extended every possible support in organising the event.

"They are an inseparable part of our culture and we feel incomplete without our Kashmiri pandit brothers," said a member from Muslim community.

He said that they would be extremely happy if the community returned to their homeland .

Bushan Lal, a Kashmiri Pandit, said that they were thankful to the administration for renovating the temple. He expressed hope that the government would create a peaceful atmosphere for their return .

The district administration had made the adequate arrangement for the smooth conduct of the Pooja. Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shahid Saleem Dar visited the spot and reviewed the arrangements. He also interacted with the community members and listened to a host of their welfare issues.