After 32 years, Kashmiri Pandits celebrate 'Navreh' in their homeland in Kashmir
Highlights
- Kashmiri Pandits celebrated 'Navreh' (New Year) festival along the banks of Dal Lake
- Kashmiri Pandits held special prayers at the Mata Sharika Devi temple
- People exuded confidence in the positive steps taken by the administraion and the government
For the first time after 32 years since they left the Kashmir Valley, Kashmiri Pandits celebrated the 'Navreh' (New Year) festival along the banks of the Dal Lake in Srinagar city. According to the Kashmiri Pandit calendar, Navreh is the first day of the new year.
Kashmiri Pandits held special prayers at the Mata Sharika Devi temple. The temple is situated on a hillock called the 'Hari Parbat' in the middle of old city of Srinagar. Before their exodus, local Pandits used to celebrate the beginning of the new year at this temple.
Those who had gathered for the celebrations said the situaion has improved in the valley in the last couple of years. The number of terror incidents have also decreased. People exuded confidence in the positive steps taken by the administraion and the government and hoped to return to their homeland.
A local Kashmiri Pandit from Old Srinagar’s Habba Kadal area spoke to India TV on the occassion. He said "my soul lives in the valley, this is my nation and I never left Kashmir even though my parents were killed in 1990 during the exodus." "I have been praying in this temple for the last 32 years but today I feel Kashmir is changing. Many people have congregated today in the temple," he added.
The Supreme Court in 2017 had dismissed a plea which had sought investigation into the alleged mass murder of Kashmiri Pandits in the valley in 1989-1990. Later, it had also dismissed the review petition filed in the matter. A movie 'The Kashmir Files was recently made on the subject. Written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri and produced by Zee Studios, the film depicts the killings and exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley in the 1990s.
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