Muslims Join Hands With Pandit In Pulwama To Restore 80-Year-Old Temple For Communal Harmony

On a day when the entire country was exchanging messages of love and peace, Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) orchestrated a ghastly attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama. Over 44 of our soldiers were martyred in a suicide-bombing attack on February 14.

A grief-stricken nation received coffins of the martyred soldiers as simultaneous encounters kept taking place in Kashmir. The attack was carried out by an Indian Kashmiri, a 19-year-old terrorist Adil Ahmed Dar who rammed an explosives-laden SUV into the convoy.

However, the outcome of this terror attack which was already gruesome took a turn for the worse when Kashmiris all around India started getting attacked. Xenophobia overshadowed patriotism and values of unity in diversity that represent India.

Photo Credit: News18

There was a large exodus of Kashmiris from metropolitan cities like Delhi, Noida, Jaipur and Ludhiana though, the highest number was recorded from Dehradun. Many experts believed that the Jaish wanted to drive a wedge between religious groups in India through this terror attack in which they had become successful.

Indian Kashmiris bore the brunt of every mayhem that broke out in India. Days later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke in favour of Kashmiris saying, "Our fight is for Kashmir, not against Kashmiris... Kashmiris have suffered the most due to terrorism, and the rest of the country must support them.¡±

As war-mongering and hate among communities spread, there was an overall narrative to embrace India for its diversity and stand by its pillars of strength which include secularism and democracy.

Photo: News18

To spread peace and love in the war-ravaged zone, Kashmiris and Pandits have joined hands to restore an 80-year-old temple at Achan village in Pulwama district. The temple which was abandoned years ago is located just 15 km from the suicide attack on CRPF convoy.

The temple and the mosque lie side by side, however as the mosque remained abuzz with worshippers and devotees, the temple stayed deserted ever since Hindus fled militancy in the valley in 1990s.

The temple which has six kanal compounds is being renovated and soon an idol will also be placed inside the sanctum sanctorum. Though, the restoration work had to be halted following the Indo-Pak border tensions, the work resumed on auspicious festival of Maha Shivratri where Muslims served Kashmiri Kehwa tea to everyone at the temple.

Photo: NDTV

Bhushan Lal, who is supervising the works with local Muslim Auqaf Trust told News18, ¡°We want to revive it to its previous glory when hundreds would pour into the village to listen to chanting of hymns.¡±

The team has an entire plan ready. First, they will need to level the ground, paint the main gate and then install the deity. The dome will also be restored within a few weeks. ¡°I wish we could relive the old days. I appeal to our Pandit brothers and sisters to come back to the village,¡± said a villager Mohammad Yunus.

The Muslims who are looking after the work said that they are doing this to make their Pandit brothers feel welcome and they shouldn¡¯t feel that their temple is incomplete.