News Shorts l Ardhanarishwar Mandir: After 21 years, Murti Sthaapna Ceremony held at J&K's Ardhnarishwar temple

By: Amit kumaR Agarwal

God ArdhNarishwar (File Photo)

For the first time in over two decades, the historic ArdhNarishwar Temple in Nadimarg village, located at the border of Kulgam and Shopian districts, reopened on Saturday, marking a significant spiritual and cultural event for the Kashmiri Pandit community.

It may be recalled that after the grossly inhumane tragedy of the Nadimarg massacre of 2003, where terrorists brutally killed 24 Kashmiri Pandits, and subsequent exodus of Kashmiri Hindu families, the temple, had remained shut.

After two decades the temple, hosted the Murti-Sthaapana ceremony and special prayers (Puja). After 21 years, devotees from across Jammu and Kashmir, including families who were forced to leave Nadimarg because of terrorists, gathered in large numbers for the ceremony, which began with a havan on Friday and culminated on Sunday with the installation of the deity's idol.

A devotee, highlighted the temple’s historical significance, noting that it once housed a much-revered and worshipped Shivling. Another Kashmiri Pandit who traveled from Jammu to attend the ceremony, expressed his joy at returning to his ancestral village after such a long gap. He said that he used to live in Nadimarg, where around 100 Hindu families once lived. After the massacre by terrorists in 2003, the village saw the exodus of Hindu families, recalling the trauma of being forced to leave the ancestral village.

Despite the absence of families in the village, Kashmiri Hindus emphasized that the community’s connection to the temple had remained strong over the years. They thanked the central government's initiative to return normalcy in J&K.