Faith More Powerful Than Fear, Say Kashmiri Pandits

Faith will always trump fear - this was exemplified by the large number of Kashmiri Pandit community members who gathered here on Tuesday for the annual Kheer Bhawani Mela, held in the shadow of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and heightened border tensions.

- Observer News Service

The revered temple of Ragnya Devi, nestled in the shade of mighty chinar trees in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district, was decked up for festivities with thousands of devotees from across the country offering prayers on the occasion of 'Zyeth Atham’ also known as ‘Jyeshtha Ashtami’.

A multi-layer security ring was thrown around the temple complex, situated around 25 km north-east of Srinagar, and along the routes for the Mela in the Valley, which is still reeling from the aftermath of the horrific Pahalgam attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were gunned down by terrorists.

"There is some impact (of the Pahalgam attack)," Nanna Ji, a Kashmiri Pandit, said.

He said the attack was a ploy by Pakistan to destroy the age-old Hindu-Muslim brotherhood.

"But, I want to say this that a Kashmiri Pandit is incomplete without a Kashmiri Muslim, and Kashmiri Muslim is incomplete without a Kashmiri Pandit,” he said, adding such conspiracies will never be allowed to succeed.

The atmosphere brimmed with religious fervour and communal amity between Hindus and Muslims as locals opened not just their homes but their hearts as well for the people.