Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir's Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said that the day was not far when all Kashmiri Pandits would return to their homeland. "With God's grace, all Kashmiri Pandits would return to their homes in Kashmir and the day is not far," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function at Jammu. He said that the salaries of the Kashmiri Pandit employees working under the Prime Minister package in Kashmir, who rejoined their duties, have been released. "The relief and rehabilitation department ensured that these employees are properly rehabilitated," he said.
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He said that at Pantha Chowk area of Srinagar, Yatri Niwas has been constructed and upgraded to accommodate 3,000 pilgrims at a time. Sinha was attending one of the most prominent festivals of Kashmiri Pandits 'Herath', which is similar to Shivratari. Among the Kashmiri Pandits, this is known as 'Herath', a phonetic derivation of Har-ratri the night of Hara (Shiva). It is a socio-religious function that is a very part of our life. It is believed that every Kashmiri girl is a Parvati and is wedded to Shiva. The Shivratri symbolises the wedding of the two, and on the occasion, the Bhairavas and other Ganas accompanying Lord Shiva are fed with the choicest dishes up to the fill and their satisfaction.
