The Hindu : International : `Pandits welcome to Sharda temple'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 27, 2004

International

International

`Pandits welcome to Sharda temple'

By Shujaat Bukhari

MUZAFFARABAD, NOV. 26. The Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) Government is ready to facilitate the visit of Kashmiri Pandits to the Sharda temple here and has announced a major renovation work.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Sardar Sayyab Khalid, said here that his Government was ready to welcome Kashmiri Pandit pilgrims to this place of worship, which is around 150 km from here. "We can even help them if they want to come through this road," he said, adding that in this part of Kashmir there was complete religious freedom. He was aware of the demand from Kashmiri Pandits when they met the delegation of Pakistani journalists which visited them in October in their camps in Jammu. "We would love to receive them as they belong to Jammu and Kashmir."

The Minister for Archaeology, Mufti Mansoor, told The Hindu that the renovation of Sharda temple had been started along with other religious places. There were 10 places of worship in "Azad Kashmir". They were many gurdwaras as well. The renovation work could not be taken up in the last decade because of "continuous shelling from the Indian side." "We have earmarked Rs. 10 crores for the renovation of all these places of worship," he said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News Update

Stories in this Section