Pandits celebrate Ram Navami at Handwara for first time after 1989

Baramulla, Mar 27 (UNI) Emotions ran high and strong when about 300 Kashmiri Pandits, including women and children, celebrated Ram Navami in a temple at Handwara in the frontier district of Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir, a state riven by years of violence, for the first time since their migration in 1989.

As news spread that Pandits, who had migrated from the remote area to Jammu and other parts of the country in 1989 following militancy, were reaching there to celebrate Ram Navami, the birthday of Lord Rama, a large number of Muslims started cleaning the Badarkali temple, which remained virtually shut for all these years.

The Kashmiri Pandits were accorded a warm welcome by their Muslim neighbours, who were awaiting them.

Later, the Pandits organised a '' havan'' and offered prayers throughout the night.

''We prayed for early restoration of peace in the valley so that we could return to the soil we originally belong to,'' the Pandits visiting the village for the first time after their migration said.

They said they missed the love and affection of Muslim brethren.

Emotional scenes were all there to be seen in abundance when some Muslim gave bear hugs to their Pandit neighbours. They were seen asking after their elders. However, their faces wore gloomy expressions when they got to know about the deaths of some people among Muslims and Pandits during the separation period.

Kashmir had changed as a lot of construction has taken place during all these years, the Pandits said, adding that they were eagerly wanting to return to their homes and live with their Muslim brethern.

The Pandits expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made for them and the warm welcome they received during their visit.

UNI