Kashmiriyat: Muslims, Pandits join hands to renovate 80-yr-old temple in Pulwama

Pulwama's Muslim community and a sole Kashmiri Pandit family have joined hands to restore an 80-year-old temple in Acchan. The temple was left unused ever since the Hindus migrated from the area due to militancy in 1990.

Pulwama: Sending a strong message to the hatemongers, Pulwama's Muslim community and a sole Kashmiri Pandit family have joined hands to restore an 80-year-old temple in Acchan, which was left unused ever since the Hindus migrated from the area due to militancy in 1990.

Barely 12 kilometres from the blast site where 40 CRPF men were killed on February 14 in Pulwama, the village is brimming with a fresh spirit to restart the temple that brings a lot of memories to the elders.

The temple in a six-kanal (area) compound is being refurbished and soon the idol would be placed at the sanctum sanctorum for worship and hymns would be chanted out, aloud.

Acchan had 40 families of Kashmiri Pandits but most of them left valley in 1990.

The villagers have given a facelift to the main temple building and restored a spring and drainage.

The Muslims want the family to worship at the temple as they do in their mosques, so they have come up with the idea of reconstructing the glory of the decades-old temple for them.

The expenses are being managed by a local Muslim trust and many Muslim youngsters are working voluntarily.