Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that the Indian government will make attempts to build a corridor to Sharda Peeth in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, like the Kartarpur corridor, so that devotees can participate in the Shardha Yatra. Amit Shah made the comments while virtually inaugurating the Mata Sharda Devi Temple, located along LoC in the Kupwara district in north Kashmir.
The doors of the Mata Sharda Devi temple located in Teetwal village of the Kupwara district of North Kashmir have been opened for devotees from today which is also the first day of Chaitra Navratri. The temple is just 500 meters away from Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). It has been built by Sri Sringeri Math and Seva Sharda Samiti Kashmir.
The holy place was inaugurated virtually by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) National President and member of parliament for Bengaluru South, Tejaswi Surya also attended the occasion.
Addressing the event, the home minister said, “Ravinder Pandita (head of Save Sharda committee) has asked for a Kartarpur-style corridor for Shardha yatra and that the government of India will surely make attempts in this direction, there is no doubt in that.”
Sharada Peeth is a ruined Hindu temple located in the Neelum Valley of PoK, built several centuries ago. Sharda Peeth is one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peeths. It is near the Line of Control (LoC) where Neelum (Kishanganga) rivers meet Madhumati and Sargun. It was constructed in the first century during the Kushan Empire. The temple was constructed by King Lalitaditya.
A Kartarpur-style corridor for Sharda Peeth has long been demanded by Kashmiri Pandits for a long time. Residents of the village have contributed some of their lands to the committee for the temple’s construction. A mosque and a gurudwara are also being built around 136 miles from the historic site.
The Kartapur Corridor was opened in November 2019, which allows Sikh devotees in India to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib near Lahore in Pakistan without requiring a visa. The 4.7 km long corridor connects the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan with Gurudwara Dera Baba Nanak in the Gurdaspur district in Indian Punjab.
The Mata Sharda Devi Temple has been built by Kashmir’s Save Sharda Samiti and Sringeri Math to revive the pilgrimage to Sharda Peeth, which stopped after 1948 as the main temple fell under the PoK. The temple has been built on a place which used to be the location of a camp for the Sharda Peeth pilgrimage.
During his address, Amit Shah further said, “Today I am not there but whenever I come to Jammu, my journey will start after offering prayers at this temple.” He referred to it as the beginning of a new era and also congratulated everyone, including Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who contributed to this important milestone.
He said that the installation of the idol is the first step in the process of discovering the Sharda civilization. “It is believed to mark the start of the enlightenment’s foundation, tying sentience to the boundless consciousness of the cosmos. People would travel great distances to visit this location to visit the mother and connect with their culture.”
Amit Shah remarked that the abrogation of Article 370 is taking the Union Territory back to its old traditions, culture, and the ‘Ganga-Jamuna Tehzeeb.’
He further mentioned that Sharda Peeth was formerly regarded as the knowledge centre of the Indian subcontinent. “People from both India and other countries used to travel here for learning and spirituality. It was here that Adi Shankaracharya acquired enlightenment.” The Sharda script bears Goddess Sharda’s name.
He concluded by saying that it is our responsibility to keep Jammu and Kashmir peaceful and assured that the long-standing customs of the valley will be reinstated.