Hindu New Year 2022: Kashmiri Pandits celebrate ‘Navreh’ in Srinagar after a gap of 32 years

Scenes of 1989 were repeated today at Mata Sharika Devi Temple in Srinagar, where hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits held special prayers. The temple, commonly known as ‘parvat’ among Kashmiri Pandits, is considered the most pious religious place of the Kashmiri Pandit community. It is situated under 'Hari Parbat' in the downtown area of Srinagar.

There used to be a ‘mela’ - a massive celebration before the migration of the Kashmiri Pandit community from Kashmir on these days as Navreh is the first day of the new year. 

Before exodus, the pandits living in the surrounding of this temple used to start their day with morning prayers at this temple and many of them also used to go to ‘Makdhoom Sahib’ a shrine adjacent to this temple. 

After 32 years, Kashmiri Pandits again held special prayers at this Mata Sharika Devi temple on the eve of Navratri ( Navreh).

Doctor Ravish has visited this temple for the first time after the community migration. He says for 20 years he used to visit this temple daily early in morning and offer prayers and then only start his daily works. Not only he but his parents too used to practice the same but in the nineties they had to leave this place because of insurgency and couldn’t come here. Ravish said his parents died in this wish to visit this temple, but today he was there with tearful eyes.

Ravish said: “I used to visit here every morning, since I was born, I used to come early morning offer prayers, it started when in my childhood i along my parents used to come here today, I have no words how am feeling am here after 32 years.  My soul is here, only my body was away from this place, this is where my life is, there will be happiness in Kashmir only when peace will be everywhere, my father and mother left this world with hope that someday they will come to the temple again. There is hope that Mata Sharika will bless us, and everything will be fine again, we need same old brotherhood.”

Kashmiri Pandits living not only in Kashmir but outside Kashmir had gathered for the celebrations as they feel the situation has improved in the valley.

A Kashmiri Pandit, Vijay Raina, who had come from outside Kashmir, said we had lost hope of coming back to our homeland, but I felt that our community will soon return the valley.

Raina said, “Today on New Year's Day such an atmosphere is being created and a good message will go to the displaced people. We used to think that we will not be able to come back but now Situation is becoming good and it looks like that Pandit community will return soon.”

A Navreh Milan festival was organised by JK peace Forum and the message behind was to rebuild the lost trust between two communities and give a message to people who are outside Kashmir that now time had come to return and to shorten the gap between two communities. Satish Maldaar  the organiser said that only love and our culture can rebuild the bridge and this is what we are trying for.

Satish Maldaar organiser said, “It is great happiness that today we have come here again with the blessings of Mata Sharika, on New Year we are praying for peace and happiness, we want that same brotherhood to be formed again. We have no doubt that the people of Kashmir are patriots, and we hope that the same people of Kashmir will make ways to bring back Kashmiri Pandits. This Navreh Milan is a beginning of a new year but the beginning of a new era.” 

The payers were done in great atmosphere and apart from Kashmiri pandits and Kashmir Muslims many tourists were present in temple and took part in special prayers. Member parliament Subramanyam swamy was chief guest. He said, “The message is that no one can destroy a Hindu. Kashmir Pandits will be given their rights. I prayed here that Mata give me strength, so that I can get justice for these Kashmiri Pandits.”

After the release of 'The Kashmir Files’ film depicting exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley many activities are happening one local Kashmir Pandit Sandeep Mawa had given government ultimatum to constitute a fact-finding commission and many others have filed petition for the reopening of the cases of former terrorists.