Srinagar: Bharatiya Janata Party leader and chairperson of Center Waqf Board, Darakhshan Andabi laid the foundation stone of Sharada Peeth at Tetwal village along the Line of Control in Jammu & Kashmir on Friday.
She was accompanied by Ravinder Pandita, Chairman of Save Sharda Committee, and senior government officials. The foundation stone laying ceremony was attended by a large number of people who termed the effort of the government as a milestone as this has happened after the Partition.
The ceremony was performed with Hindu rituals. Earlier in the morning, the Sharda Yatra Committee had performed Bhoomi-Poojan on the land.
Darakhshan Andabi, BJP leader said, "It is a proud moment for us that we have performed the foundation stone ceremony of Sharda Peeth near the LOC in Jammu and Kashmir. I would like to thank the administration, civil societies, and uniformed forces for their support. The formation of the Sharda Peeth will revive old heritage of the Jammu and Kashmir including Sufism. This will increase the brotherhood among the citizens and will enhance the education system. People who come to visit the temple, will also be enlightened with the training."
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Sharda Peeth is an abandoned temple in Sharda village on the banks of river Neelam across the LoC. It was a major center of learning and was considered one of the 18 highly respected temples in South Asia. Before the invasion of the tribes, Sharda Peeth was a center and India liberated it from the occupation of the tribes. The site was retrieved by the committee at the place where there used to be an ancient Dharamshala till 1948.
Until 1948, Sharda shrine was the last stop-place for pilgrims from Kashmir and Jammu. The site was deserted after the 1948 tribal invasion of Pakistan and now the Sharda Yatra Committee, led by Ravinder Pandita, after a long struggle reclaimed the land and the foundation stone for this historic reconstruction of Sharda Peeth was laid.
