Sumbal, May 27: Kashmiri Pandits revived an age-old tradition by observing the birth anniversary of Nand Kishore Maharaj at the Nand Keshwar Temple in the Sumbal division of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Tuesday.
The ceremony, called Jyeshtha Amavasya or ‘Sumbli Mawas’ locally, was the first of its kind in 36 years, with the festival last observed in 1988, Ashok Kumar Bhat (Sumbli), vice-president of the temple trust, told Greater Kashmir.
“It was a grand festival, hundreds of devotees joined us at the temple,” Bhat said. “It was a spiritually fulfilling experience,” he added.
Bhat said that after the Kashmir turmoil and the migration of Pandits, which he described as “splitting a flower in half,” the festival was not observed on such a scale.
“I would be joined by a few Pandits to observe the occasion annually since then, but we would not hold the ceremony (Hawan), the ritual of burning offerings. But today, it was after 36 years that the Hawan was held and nearly 400 Pandits from various areas joined us here for the grand festival,” he said.
Bhat expressed gratitude to the district administration for its support and also thanked Muslim brothers for attending the festival. On the occasion at the temple, which is being looked after by a Muslim caretaker, Khurshid Ahmad Khanday, Puja or Praan Archana — the ritual of installing life into the deity — was also performed. Notably, new Shivling was also installed in the temple in April. Former Municipal Council Chairman, Jahangir Ahmad, said it was “history” being repeated. Expressing happiness over the festival being held after so many years, he said religion never teaches enmity.
He added that the situation which arose in the 1990s was an “assault on our shared brotherhood,” which mostly harmed Muslims, giving a bad name to the community.
“Today, I feel so happy,” Ahmad said, adding, “We have always wanted our Pandit brothers, who left everything behind, to return to the Valley and revive the age-old bond.”
“Words fall short to express the happiness we are feeling holding the festival after many years,” one among the Kashmiri Pandits at the Temple said.
People expressing doubts should visit here to see on their own the positive atmosphere and unmatched brotherhood Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims share, he added.
Some of the Pandits appeared nostalgic and without holding back emotions appealed for proper rehabilitation from government, saying, “we want to die at our birth place.”
