The historic Sharada Bhawani Temple in Budgam district of Kashmir was reopened on Sunday, August 31, over three decades after it was closed, in a ceremony that brought together the Kashmiri Pandit community and local Muslim residents. The temple, located in Ichkoot village, was reopened with traditional rituals of Mahurat and Pran Pratishtha, marking the emotional return of Pandit families to their ancestral village for the first time since the early 1990s, when militancy forced them to leave the Valley.

Sunil Kumar Bhat, president of the Sharda Asthapna Community, Budgam, said, “This temple is like a branch of the Sharda Mata temple in Pakistan. We have longed to reopen it, and the local Muslim community encouraged us, urging us to return and re-establish it.” He added that the reopening had come after a 35-year gap and expressed hope that such gatherings would become an annual tradition. During restoration, a Shivling was recovered and has now been re-established in the temple.

The reopening also highlighted Kashmir’s tradition of communal harmony, with local Muslims participating in large numbers and welcoming the Pandit families. “Without the support of the local community, this would not have been possible,” Bhat said. “When we first came here, we were only four people. Today, the entire village is with us, which says everything.”

An elderly Muslim resident emphasized the shared history of the two communities, stating, “These people are residents of this village. We lived and ate together before the situation worsened. The valley is their janambhoomi. If they need anything, we are here to support them.” The return of the Kashmiri Pandits to offer prayers was seen as a significant step in both faith and reconciliation, strengthening the Valley’s shared cultural and spiritual heritage.