Bhaderwah: Amid deepening fear psychosis over multiple tremors in Bhaderwah during past fortnight, residents have offered animal sacrifices and organised Maha Yagnas to ward off a possible calamity.
Priests at Jamia Masjid in Bhaderwah offered sacrifice of 10 sheep and goat yesterday and flesh was distributed among the people.
Around 2,000 Muslims offered prayers at Jamia Masjid as well as other mosques in the mountain-locked Bhaderwah valley.
"We have offered animal sacrifice to get rid of the trouble of earthquake. We offered special Nimazi-e-Toba and prayed for warding off calamity," priest Mohmmad Ilyas Malki said.
Hindus organised a two-day Maha Yagna and community kitchen at the historic Vasuki Nag temple here and prayed to avoid any further quakes.
Over 4,000 Hindus and several high priests from outside the state chanted mantras and offered prayers to seek blessings of Gods and Goddesses to end the trouble.
The community has also organised prayers at high altitude shrines of Nagni Mata and other temples.
Three moderate intensity tremors shook Bhaderwah valley in Kashmir and adjoining areas of Doda-Kishtwar belt of Jammu in the wee hours yesterday, prompting authorities to once again shut schools in the region.
A total of 33 tremors have been recorded in the Bhaderwah-Doda-Kishtwar belt during the past fortnight with maximum 11 on May 1.
Two persons were killed and 69 others, including 26 students and three teachers, were injured when scores of buildings were damaged due to repeated tremors in the area.
A tremor measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale was recorded at 12:27 pm and subsequent 10 after shocks continued till 3:02 pm on May 1 in Kishtwar and Doda in which over 400 buildings were damaged.
PTI
