Pampore, July 18: A historic temple and ‘ashram’ in Pampore locality of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district is in shambles since 2014 floods and nobody seems to be bothered about it.
Kashmiri Pandiths living around Satish Mandir complain that the temple has been damaged in 2014 floods and nothing is being done to restore it.
“The walls and ceiling of the temple have developed cracks,” said Nancy, a local Pandit girl.
According to her, the temple is around 400 years old and was built for Kashmir’s saint-poetess, Lal Ded or Laleshwari’s mentor, Sat Sahib.
“It is one of the important halt points for the pilgrims of annual Chadi Mubarak Yatra which is carried out by hundreds of Sadhus after culmination of Amarnath Yatra,” added Nancy.
The Sadhus used to perform ‘Puja’ inside the temple and then stay here in the Ashram, she said.
But after the temple and the Ashram were damaged in 2014 floods, the Sadhus have not been able to stay here. They perform ‘hawans’ in the temple and thereafter leave without staying in the Ashram.
“We urge authorities to restore this temple and Ashram so that we could worship there as per our customs” requested local Pandits.
When contacted, Tehsildar Pampore, Ishtiyaq Mohi-ud-Din said that they will take up this matter with higher authorities and help in restoring this old temple.
