‘Kalash puja’ performed for reopening of PoK temple

‘Kalash puja’ performed for reopening of PoK temple

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 23

‘Kalash puja’ was performed on the banks of the Kishanganga river at Teetwal near the Line of Control (LoC) for the reopening of Sharada Peeth Temple in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The puja was performed by the All-Parties Migrants Coordination Committee (APMCC) and the Harmukh Ganga Gangbal Trust.

“It was the first ‘kalash puja’ since 1947 and the APMCC has been actively campaigning for it for four years,” said an APMCC statement issued on Monday.

Volunteers lead by Vinod Pandit, chairman of the APMCC, took a holy dip in the Kishanganga river on the banks of which the ancient Sharada Peeth is located in PoK. They also appealed to the governments of India and Pakistan to expedite the process of re-opening of Sharada Peeth Temple on the pattern of the cross-LoC visits by residents of J&K on permit.

The APMCC also appealed to Governor NN Vohra to pursue the matter with the Prime Minister’s Office, while pointing out that the state government had already taken up the matter with the Centre.