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| Lakripora for first time in 22 years of turmoil. | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, June 9: To revive the age old composite culture of Valley which has seen lot of bloodshed during past 21 years of turmoil, the local Muslims of village Lakripora in Pahalgam tehsil of Anantnag district have renovated the ancient Kheerbhawani temple in the village to welcome their Hindu brethren from Jammu and other parts of the country on the occasion of Mela Kheer Bhawani in the temple today.
Over 300 Kashmiri Hindus drawn from Jammu and other parts of the country converged in this tiny hamlet on the bank of river Lidder to participate in the annual mela of Kheer Bhawani on the occasion of Jesht Ashtami which was celebrated for the first time in this village in last 21 years after the turmoil gripped the Valley.
A large number of members of Muslim community including prominent citizens and leaders of various political parties from village and its surrounding localities had assembled in Lakripora to welcome their Hindu brethren. The locals hugged the members of minority community and it was really a scene of emotions as the members of two communities who had lived in the village for years together met after two decades.
Besides renovating the temple, the Muslims had made all arrangements for the hawan which was performed on the occasion at this holy shrine. The Kashmiri Hindus who visited the shrine and their ancestral village for the first time in last 22 years lauded the role of their Muslim brethren saying that they could never decorate the temple to such a level when they were themselves living in the village.
The Muslims of the area really deserve all praises for their goodwill gesture, said Mohan Kumar a migrant from Jammu who also accompanied the Pandit delegation to visit the village. The Pandits participated in the puja at this holy shrine besides performing the hawan. They also interacted with their Muslim brethren who pursued them to return to the village and offered them all help and cooperation in this regard.
``We crave for the return of our Pandit brethren’’, said Mohammed Akbar a resident of Aishmuqam, Pahalgam. ``We had innate relations with the Pandits of Lakripora for centuries together and apart from belonging to two different religions we shared the joys and sorrows tighter throughout. But unfortunately after the turmoil gripped the Valley the pandit brethren felt insecure and they left the valley to other parts of country for their safety’’, he added.
Mr. Akbar said the Muslim neighbors could not stop them as they themselves felt insecure as the militants ruled the roost at that time and they had no guarantee of their own security so they could not retain their Pandit brethren at that time. But now the situation has changed in Valley completely and the militants and secessionist elements feel totally isolated the Pandits should not feel any threat on their return, he added while appealing the community members of this tiny hamlet to return to their homes and hearths and live along with their Muslim brethren as before.
He said except belonging to separate religions and having the different way of worship the two communities have a common culture and language. The strong bonds between the two communities can only guarantee the revival of composite culture and Kashmiriyat for which it is high time now that we should forget the past and work for better and prosperous future.
It may be recalled that thousands of Pandits left for Kashmir to participate in Kheerbhawani temple at Tulmulla in Ganderbal district, Tikekr in Kupwara district, Manzgam and Kanbarnan in Kulgam district of South Kashmir to participate in Mata kheer Bhawani festival today.
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