After 35 years, Shivling has been reinstalled in the historic Jogeshwari Shiva temple located in Rainawari, Srinagar, on Wednesday (28 May 2025). In 1990, terrorists in Kashmir desecrated this Shivling and threw it in the river.
The police had recovered the Shivling at that time, but it could not remain installed in the temple for long after that. It was then kept in the police station. Now after 35 years, following the order of the Special Magistrate of Srinagar, the Rainawari Kashmir Pandit Committee took back the Shivling from the Rainawari police station. Kashmiri Pandits have now reinstated the Shivling after performing puja and havan.
Calling it a victory of faith BL Jalali, President of Jogeshwari Temple Trust, said that the original Shivling of the temple is still missing. Efforts will be made to bring it back as well. He said that at present there is no arrangement for the priests to stay in the temple, so an appeal has been made to the administration to provide protection to the temple and get it rebuilt.
