Trehgam: Grand Masjid shares common yard with temple in rare display of religious harmony

Kupwara, Jan 24: Kashmir has always maintained the essence of religious and communal harmony over the years. One such example can be witnessed in Trehgam village of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district where a grand Masjid shares a common yard with Hindu temple for decades.

The two religious places of different faiths are situated in a single row thus displaying and symbolizing communal and religious harmony.

A famous pond in front of the two religious entities happens to be the main source of water for almost dozens of villages in Trehgam.

According to locals this pond is a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity. The pond also contains numerous fish which according to locals are sacred for both the communities.

No one among each community has ever tried to harm them; in fact, locals of Trehgam hold the responsibility of feeding them every morning and evening. The fish can be seen floating in the crystal-clear water.

According to locals the pond has a historical significance and even Sir Walter Roper Lawrence has written about this pond in his famous book “The Valley of Kashmir.” The pond is not only a great source of drinking water to one lakh souls but it irrigates over one thousand kanal agricultural land in summers.

 “The pond never stops producing water; it is a great endowment of the Almighty to us. We don’t have any other water resource in our locality and that adds to its significance even more,” they added.

“The locals over the years in Trehgam have made sure to protect the sanctity of the temple during the times of disturbance across Kashmir. This even when there was nobody to look after the temple after our Kashmiri Pandit brothers left their native place. The Kashmiri Pandits visit the temple throughout the year from time to time and offer Puja here. We always welcome them with open heart,” Block Development Council Chairman Trehgam Mohammad Abdullah Mir told Greater Kashmir.

 “We also made sure to fence both the religious places. We had kept a specific amount for the fencing of Masjid and Mandir under MGNREGA and BADP. The locals of Trehgam have several times renovated the temple; in fact the tin of the roof was once changed after the locals found it damaged due to rust,” he added.

“We wish Kashmiri Pandits return to their original roots and get settled here permanently so that the atmosphere of unity and diversity may be seen once again,” said BDC Chairman.