The first Navratra Puja of Sharad Navratri was held in the newly built Sharda Tempe at the Line of Control (LoC) Teetwal Kashmir on Monday. A number of pilgrims from across the nation took part in the celebrations. This Navratra Puja was held for the first time in the said Temple since independence. Earlier in the year the Chaitra Navratri Puja was observed and now the Sharad Navratri was held. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on this occasion took to X (Formerly known as Twitter) to say, "It is a matter of profound spiritual significance that for the first time since 1947, the Navratri pujas have been held in the historic Sharda Temple in Kashmir this year."
The Union Home Minister in his tweet said, "It is a matter of profound spiritual significance that for the first time since 1947, the Navratri pujas have been held in the historic Sharda Temple in Kashmir this year. Earlier in the year the Chaitra Navratri Puja was observed and now the mantras of the Shardiya Navratri puja resound in the shrine. I was fortunate to reopen the temple on 23rd March 2023 after restoration. This not only signifies the return of peace in the valley but also marks the rekindling of our nation's spiritual and cultural flame under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi."
Swami Govindananda Saraswati of Hampi reached the Temple along with his followers on a Rath yatra from Kishkinda (Birthplace of Lord Hanuman in Karnataka). Some Kashmiri Pandit pilgrims were also seen at the occasion. Notably, a renowned theatre artist AK Raina who has acted in the movie 'Kashmir Files' was also seen here.
The Founder of the Save Sharma Committee Kashmir regd., Ravinder Pandita said, “It was yet again a historical moment to perform Navratri puja at Sharda temple LoC first time after partition. The temple and Gurudwara that used to exist here were burnt down in tribal raids in 1947 and a new temple & gurudwara has come up on the same piece of land on the same pattern, that was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 23 March, this year.”