After remaining closed for 36 years, the doors of a nearly 170-year-old Lord Ram temple reopened in Srinagar today. While Kashmiri Pandits marked the occasion with a Maha Yagi, Muslims in the neighborhood fondly recalled pre-1990s memories of shared harmony and separation. This marks a moment of cultural and emotional significance for the region, and scenes of pre-nineties were seen across.
Located in the Habba Kadal area of Srinagar city, the temple was built in 1857 and is among one of the oldest in the Kashmir Valley. Its reopening comes 36 years after it fell silent due to the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits and the start of insurgency in the Valley. The opening symbolizes the revival of heritage and communal harmony.
The Raghunath Mandir Committee marked the occasion with a grand celebration and Maha Yagi on Ram Navami. Organizers described the event as an expression of gratitude, adding that installation of the temple idols is planned in the coming months.
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Sunil, Gen Secretary, Raghunath Mandir, said, “I am deeply happy to be back here after so many years to celebrate Ram Navami. It feels like a blessing from Lord Rama that we are able to mark this occasion again after 36 long years. Over the past three days, our childhood friends have stood by us, sitting with us and sharing in this moment.
We approached the Government of India and the local administration, and the temple has now been renovated in phases under the Smart City initiative. Our hope is that community members will once again return to this temple. With the reopening of such temples, a sense of security is gradually returning, and it sends a powerful message to Kashmiri Pandits across the world that they can come back to the Valley. We believe the support and reassurance of the Muslim community is vital in rebuilding that sense of trust and security. With that, I am confident that Kashmiri Pandits will return soon.” (the byte is in WT)
A devotee, Dr Mukhti Sharma, a Kashmiri Pandit, said, “It is an incredibly joyful moment for all of us that the doors of this temple have reopened after 36 long years. Words fall short of expressing the happiness we feel today. Seeing the situation improve and temples reopening one by one across the Valley gives us hope. We believe that as these sacred spaces are restored, it will inspire the return of Kashmiri Pandits to their homeland.”
The temple has been reconstructed under the government’s Smart City initiative, restoring its structure while preserving its historical essence.
Members of the Kashmiri Pandit community travelled from different parts of the country to attend the opening. They were joined in large numbers by members of the local Muslim community, reflecting a shared sense of belonging and unity.
Ghulam Hassan Rather, a local Muslim of the area, said, “Today brings back memories of the celebrations we witnessed here 36 years ago. For us, a temple or a mosque is the same; it is the house of God, and it deserves equal respect. Kashmiri Pandits belong to this land, and they should return to Kashmir. This moment feels as special to us as Eid. They are our brothers, an integral part of our society, who once played a vital role in educating generations here. We must acknowledge the past with honesty, learn from it, and move forward together in a spirit of respect, reconciliation, and unity. Kashmiri Pandits never did any wrong with Muslims, but Muslims betrayed them.”
Many people at the event grew emotional as they recalled life in the area decades ago, when Hindus and Muslims celebrated festivals together. The banks of the Jhelum River, they said, once served as a common space for such shared festivities.
The reopening of the temple is being seen not only as the revival of a religious site but also as a hopeful reminder of Kashmir’s long-standing tradition of communal harmony, with hope for Kashmiri Pandits that they will soon return to their homeland.
