Connecting chords of divine Goddess Saraswati, Mehbooba Mufti appeals PM Modi to open Sharada Peeth pilgrimage
Srinagar, December 1: With India and Pakistan laying foundation for Kartarpur corridor enabling Sikh pilgrims to seek blessings in the gurudwara . People’s Democratic Party leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the opening of Sharada Peeth, a revered temple across the Line of Control for Kashmiri Pandits. The leader appealed the Prime Minister to initiate the process of opening the Sharada Peeth pilgrimage on the lines of Kartarpur corridor.
PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti tweeted, “Wrote to PM Narendra Modi for opening of Sharda Peeth route for facilitating the Pandit community. I hope like Kartarpur, this too will be considered for better peace & prosperity in the region.”
Sharda Peeth
The ancient temple of Sharada, which has ruins of a temple to Hindu goddess Saraswati and the adjacent ruins of Sharada University lie in Neelam Valley, 160 km from Muzaffarabad, and right across the Line of Control in a small village, Shardi or Sardi, where the river Neelam (Kishanganga) converges with the Madhumati and Sargun streams. The site is very significant for Kashmiri Pandits, who have been demanding to be allowed to visit the shrine.
Revering to the ancient temple the Sharda Peeth has now shackled into ruins. It was in the 7th Century A.D, a Chinese Buddhist Monk, Xuanzang visited this important seat of learning. On seeing the dilapidated condition of the temple, Swamy Vivekananda said "Had I lived at that time of invasion, I would not have allowed them to destroyed the temple" immediately he heard the voice that " who are you to protect me? Protecting the protector?"
PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti had urged, PM Modi to consider the offer for opening of Sharda Peeth and Katasraj and other shrines to bridge gap between the two neighbouring nations.