Kashmir has been a place of saints and shrines. Kashmir’s relation with Hindu religion and mythology is as old as Kashmir herself. According to legend, the Kashmir valley was once a lake called “Satisar” which meant the lake of goddess Sati. The name “Kashmir” is derived from “Kashyapmir”. Saint Kashyap drained the waters of lake “Satisar”by cutting a gap in the hills of present day Baramulla. The place came to be known as Kashyapmeru or Kashyapmir which meant the mountain or the sea of Kashyap. Kashmir finds mention in ancient Hindu texts like Nilamat Purana,Paninni’s Ashtadhyay, Mahabharata and Varahamihira’s Brihat Samhita. In Kashmir, due to the rise in Islamic fanaticism in the late 1980s which subsequently led to the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus, Hindu temples and shrines were attacked. The prelude to large-scale desecration of the temples was witnessed during the Anantnag riots of 1986. During the 1986 Anantnag riots, the minority community of the valley i.e. Kashmiri Hindus were attacked including their religious shrines.

With the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990, the Hindu temples were left in the lurch. The temples and shrines lost their caretakers and worshippers. Ethnic cleansing usually involves the removal of all the physical vestiges of the targeted group (which in Kashmir were Kashmiri Hindus) through the destruction of monuments, cemeteries and places of worship.

Kameshwer Temple, Karfali Mohalla, Habba Kadal, Srinagar
(Photo Courtesy: Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti, Srinagar)

The temples and religious shrines form an important part of the rich cultural/religious heritage of Kashmir. The protection and renovation of the temples and shrines is pivotal to preserving the centuries old Hindu heritage from getting lost.

In a written reply to a question by Rajya Sabha member, Minister of State for Home Affairs Jitendra Singh stated that 430 temples existed before the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from the valley out of which 170 temples have been damaged and 90 temples were renovated. [Source: http://is.gd/vulLYj]

Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti (KPSS), a valley-based Kashmiri Pandit organisation, disputes the government figure. As per KPSS, 887 temples and religious places/shrines existed before 1990. By 1995, the number of temples which were destroyed/burned/looted were 738. Further, the number of idols which were broken by fanatics is around 2754.In recent years, some temples/shrines like Bhagwaan Gopinath Ashram, Kharyar near Habba Kadal in Srinagar, Tripur Sundari Temple, Devsar in Kulgam district, Badrakali Temple, Handwara in Kupwara district etc. were reopened due to efforts of various Kashmiri Pandit organisations.

There have been several reports of encroachment of temple/shrine properties in these years. But no strong action has been taken by the Jammu and Kashmir state government. Sanjay Tickoo, President of Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti (KPSS), says that the present value of total immovable property of these temples is around Rs 10,000 crore.

Shiva Temple, Anantnag
(Photo Courtesy: Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti, Srinagar)

For protection, renovation and management of the Hindu temples and shrines in Kashmir, a proper system needs to be in place. In this regard, the Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Religious Places (Management and Regulation) Bill 2008 was proposed. The bill has been pending before the Jammu and Kashmir state legislature for more than four years.Recently, the Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Religious Places Bill was tabled on the last day of the budget session in Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly but not passed, and was referred to the select committee. [Source: http://is.gd/Jhbha0]

In April, Pakistani and Talibani flags and anti-India graffiti appeared on the walls of Hari Parvat fort in Srinagar [Source: http://bit.ly/15dG81L] with slogans such as“Welcome Taliban” which seemed a clear sign of the presence of some form of Islamic fanaticism.

It seems the gods in Kashmir have to wait for some more time (and not even the god knows how much time) so as to get their abodes properly reconstructed.This is alongside their wait for the worshippers who were displaced from the valley 23 years ago and are yet to return. It seems it will be a long wait for the gods.

Article Image Vichar Nag Temple, Soura, Srinagar
(Photo Courtesy: Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti, Srinagar)