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Interior Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the temple. (File) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday inaugurated the Mata Sharda Devi Temple near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Karnah sector of Jammu and Kashmir, saying the repeal of Article 370 returns to the Territory of the Union to their ancient traditions, culture and "Ganga-Jamuna Tehzeeb". Shah said that the opening of the temple was the beginning of a new dawn and a quest to revive the Sharda culture.
"The Mata Sharda Mandir is opened for devotees on the auspicious occasion of our New Year. This is a good omen for devotees across the country. The blessing of Mata Sharda will henceforth remain upon the entire country for centuries to come ", said. to declare. he said in his speech.
The Union Minister regretted that he could not be physically present at the site, but promised to visit the temple on his next visit to J and K.
"Whenever I visit Jammu and Kashmir, I will start my visit by bowing down to the Mata Sharda Devi Temple," he said.
Shah said it was the beginning of a new dawn made possible by the blessings of Mata Sharda Devi and the joint efforts of people, including civil society, on both sides of the line of control. .
“I convey my best wishes and gratitude to the Chairman of the Save Sharda Committee, Ravinder Pandita, for his struggle for so many years which has now paid off… This milestone is not just the renovation of a temple, but the beginning of the search. for the revival of the Sharda culture,” he said.
Sharda Peeth was once considered a hub of education in the Indian subcontinent, it added.
Referring to Mr. Pandita's request to open Sharda Peeth through the LoC on the lines of the Kartarpur Corridor, the Union Home Minister said that the Center will "surely make efforts in this and there is no doubt".
"After the repeal of Article 370 through the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, peace was established in Kashmir and brought back to the valley as well as Jammu its ancient traditions, culture and Ganga-Jamuna Tehzeeb," he stated.
Jammu and Kashmir has taken initiatives across all sectors for social and economic change, under which renovation works are underway at 123 selected places of religious significance, Shah said.
Many Sufi temples and places including Ziyarat Shareef Reshimala, Ram Mandir, Safakadal Temple, Haloti Gompa Temple and Jagannath Temple are undergoing renovation. A budget of Rs 65 crore has been allocated and 35 venues will be renovated and reactivated in the first phase, it added.
Mr. Shah said that 75 Sufi religious sites and shrines have been identified and 31 cultural mega-events and 20 cultural utsavs have been organized in each district.
This led to the revival of our ancient heritage, he added.
Congratulating J&K Governor Lt. Manoj Sinha for implementing all of PM Modi's projects on the ground in UT, Mr. Shah said the passion with which he worked was appreciable.
"Under Modi's leadership, Sinha has played a great role in bringing industrial investment to JK. I praise and admire the JK administration and its leader Manoj Sinha for that," he said.
The Union Minister also expressed his thanks to all civil society people under the leadership of Mr. Pandita from both sides, both from Poland and Jammu and Kashmir, for the opening of the temple in Kupwara district, north from Kashmir.
The ancient temple and its center are being rebuilt with a view to reviving the centuries-old pilgrimage to the Sharda Peeth temple in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Sharada Peeth - "the seat of Sharada" - is the Kashmiri name of the goddess Saraswati. It was one of the oldest universities on the Indian subcontinent.
