Kashmiri Muslims In Bandipore Celebrate Shivratri, Want Pandits To Return

[Mercury]

Kashmiri Muslims In Bandipore Celebrate Shivratri, Want Pandits To Return


An ancient temple in Bandipore came to life today when Kashmiri Muslims offered prayers on Shivratri.

BANDIPORE: An ancient Shiv temple in Bandipore's Sumbal town on the banks of Jhelum hasn't had devotees on Shivratri for years. Not after Kashmiri Pandits fled the town 25 km from Srinagar during the peak of the militancy in the early nineties.

Friday morning was different.

Kashmiri Muslims living in the town turned up at the temple to celebrate Shivratri, the biggest festival on the calendar of Kashmiri Pandits. A local contractor Imtiaz Ahmad led the prayers after dozens of young men scrubbed the temple floor clean; pouring water on the Shivling, the representation of the Hindu deity Shiva. He also offered fruits and sweets.

It may be a small step.

But the message was big. And the hundreds of Muslims standing at the temple gate with placards - that asked the Pandits to come back home - made sure nobody missed it.

Mr Ahmad said they did their best to keep the tradition alive, and intact. "That is why we entered the temple, cleaned it... (We did) whatever we could do since we are Muslims, not Pandits. In our humble way we performed puja here," he added. People also distributed walnuts, continuing with the tradition of the Pandits on Shivratri.

Another resident Manzoor Ahmad added: "They are part of our body and soul which has been snatched and separated from us. Today we are sending a message to them. Please return, we are with you."

This is the first time that the Muslims in a region had come together to make their message to the Pandits heard. A common refrain was that they had decided not to let any political party or ideology divide them.

 

[PlugnPlay]

Don't be too hopeful,

Kashmir has Regressed from this,

To This,

 

[Mercury]

Don't be too hopeful,

Kashmir has Regressed from this,

True. IMO this happened largely due to incorrect strategies adopted by Indian government during 80s to 2K. Let us hope things will improve now, even if gradually.

 

[Mamluk]

Don't be too hopeful,

Kashmir has Regressed from this,

To This,

What Kashmiri women do with themselves is none of your business!

Keep to your tropical cesspool and stop raping your own!!

 

[takeiteasy]

Don't be too hopeful,

Kashmir has Regressed from this,

But, not alone Kashmir, most of India's Muslims are also moving fast to Saudi-fication. The culture of Purdahs and very strict enforcement of Shariat. The educated elites, ofcourse are living freely.

 

[MULUBJA]

Kashmiri Muslims In Bandipore Celebrate Shivratri, Want Pandits To Return


An ancient temple in Bandipore came to life today when Kashmiri Muslims offered prayers on Shivratri.

BANDIPORE: An ancient Shiv temple in Bandipore's Sumbal town on the banks of Jhelum hasn't had devotees on Shivratri for years. Not after Kashmiri Pandits fled the town 25 km from Srinagar during the peak of the militancy in the early nineties.

Friday morning was different.

Kashmiri Muslims living in the town turned up at the temple to celebrate Shivratri, the biggest festival on the calendar of Kashmiri Pandits. A local contractor Imtiaz Ahmad led the prayers after dozens of young men scrubbed the temple floor clean; pouring water on the Shivling, the representation of the Hindu deity Shiva. He also offered fruits and sweets.

It may be a small step.

But the message was big. And the hundreds of Muslims standing at the temple gate with placards - that asked the Pandits to come back home - made sure nobody missed it.

Mr Ahmad said they did their best to keep the tradition alive, and intact. "That is why we entered the temple, cleaned it... (We did) whatever we could do since we are Muslims, not Pandits. In our humble way we performed puja here," he added. People also distributed walnuts, continuing with the tradition of the Pandits on Shivratri.

Another resident Manzoor Ahmad added: "They are part of our body and soul which has been snatched and separated from us. Today we are sending a message to them. Please return, we are with you."

This is the first time that the Muslims in a region had come together to make their message to the Pandits heard. A common refrain was that they had decided not to let any political party or ideology divide them.

This is a great gesture by Kashmiri Muslims. After all they have that these rite in them. One day that will tell that what actually they are. They will return to their original fold.

 

[Politico]

the good part of multi culturism is the fact that all people prosper from the activities of the various cultures. the muslims in this case would have been selling fruit and sweets and walnuts to the hindu worshippers during their prayer times and business would be thriving. the hindus would have profited during the islamic festivals. when u remove 1 segment then it leaves a business void and a noticeable absence of a community which exited, in this case the hindus. people in south asia should stop playing politics along religious divide. it is stupid but unfortunately it is deeply entrenched and the only losers can be the people themselves. destroying places of worship or religious artifacts or insulting and demeaning the manner of worship or beliefs of others is simply retarded. unfortunately we see much of that on this forum which is a reflection of the mentality of the people in the indian sub-continent...backward and medieval

 

[PlugnPlay]

But, not alone Kashmir, most of India's Muslims are also moving fast to Saudi-fication. The culture of Purdahs and very strict enforcement of Shariat. The educated elites, ofcourse are living freely.

It is always the educated elite who push for these things. Who do you think Jinnah was ?

The poor and little educated are more innocent and free of bigotry. They value their native intelligence, native culture and native language.

Its the "educated" who insist on urdu and burka and have contempt for the natives and their way of life.

For e.g. Kahsmir' has stopped educating kids in kashmiri language, but are taught "urdu" in school ........ a language that never existed in kashmir a few decades back.

True. IMO this happened largely due to incorrect strategies adopted by Indian government during 80s to 2K. Let us hope things will improve now, even if gradually.

This happened due to pakistani ideology poisoning the population. Bangladesh won its war, kashmir lost its will to fight.

 

[takeiteasy]

For e.g. Kahsmir' has stopped educating kids in kashmiri language, but are taught "urdu" in school ........ a language that never existed in kashmir a few decades back.

Urdu in India is the new lingua franca of Muslims...except Malabari/Malayali Muslims.

 

[PlugnPlay]

Urdu in India is the new lingua franca of Muslims...except Malabari/Malayali Muslims.

Its not a "new" thing. Its as old as 1947 when it was one of the main planks or a two nation theory.

As a matter of fact urdu has also crept into the malayalam language (along with the burqua) used by malayali muslims in the last or so decade. e.g. Baaki, harjji, jilla, haajir, nakkal, wakalath, dosth etc.

 

[takeiteasy]

As a matter of fact urdu has also crept into the malayalam language (along with the burqua) used by malayali muslims in the last or so decade. e.g. Baaki, harjji, jilla, haajir, nakkal, wakalath, dosth etc.

It's not URDU definitely. As a native, I know Malayalam has arabic, portuguese words from centuries back. The words you are using may have came from Farsi. Even tamil has farsi lone words like Baksheesh.

 

[Indika]

Pandits will never return back to their native land the valley and kashmir issue will never get resolved. Thats a sad fact and reality.

 

[TISSOT]

It's not URDU definitely. As a native, I know Malayalam has arabic, portuguese words from centuries back. The words you are using may have came from Farsi. Even tamil has farsi lone words like Baksheesh.

Are you a malayalee ?

 

[AKD]

Fake news.

https://twitter.com/x/status/835878871434158080

 

[Ashesh]

Fake news.

https://twitter.com/x/status/835878871434158080

Was about to post it.