Srinagar: After a gap of 22 years,
Kashmiri Pandits on Monday held a grand prayer (Mahayagya) at
Paapharan spring and installed a `Maha Shivlingam` at a temple
in Saali village in south Kashmir`s Anantnag district.
The shivlingam was installed by General Officer
Commanding of Army`s Victor Force Maj Gen Gurdeep Singh.
Mahant Nityanand Dass also installed a `Dwajhadand`
and `trishul` (trident) at the temple before the `Shivlingam`
was installed.
The installation of the `shivlingam` is part of
efforts to reopen Hindu temples in Kashmir valley which
remained unattended after Kashmiri Pandits left the region in
1990.
Dozens of temples in Srinagar and other areas of
the valley have been opened as situation turned normal in
recent years and many Pandit families have returned to
Kashmir.
PTI
