Teetwal, (Kupwara-Kashmir)

A Gurudwara dedicated to Guru Teg Bahadur was thrown open at the Line of control today, 75 years after it was destroyed by the invading tribesmen from Pakistan.

The gurudwara is part of the Mandir-Masjid-Gurudwara complex planned to be opened at the quaint north Kashmir village that lies at a virtual stone’s throw from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

It has been reconstructed by a committee comprising activists and local villagers of all faiths.

The committee has recently completed the construction of the magnificent Sharda Peeth temple of the Goddess, a replica of the original standing in a ruinous stand in the village Shardei on POK.

Ravinder Pandita, of the Save Sharda Committee, posted this video of Gurudwara's inauguration on Twitter:

It was a hard struggle to reclaim the lost heritage.
The gurudwara that stands on 5marlas alongwith18 marlas of temple in one complex,was reconstructed by same committee that constructed the temple @AmitShah@AdityaRajKaul @AshokSGarcha @AwazThevoice @rpsinghkhalsa @HardeepSPuri https://t.co/9oz2UIt9PH pic.twitter.com/DDvF4DeAsv

— Ravinder Pandita(Save Sharda) (@panditaAPMCC63) April 30, 2023

The temple was inaugurated by Home Minister Amit Shah on 22 March.

The legend and land records of the village suggest that a Dharamshala for the Hindu pilgrims on the way to Sharda Peeth temple and a gurudwara existed in the village.

Both were destroyed by the Pakistani army during its first invasion of Kashmir in October 1947.

It was in September 2021, that Ravinder Pandita, Leader of the Save Sharda Committee discovered that plots of land fon which once stood for the Dharamshala and Gurudwara existed in the Teetwal village of Kupwara district.

In the meanwhile, the Muslims also decided to build a Masjid juxtaposed with the Temple-Gurudwara. The land for the Masjid has been earmarked and its construction would begin soon.

The local Muslims had preserved this plot even though not a single Hindu or Sikh resides in Teetwal.

Pandita said the Save Sharda Committee took up the challenge and reconstructed both temples as well as the gurudwara on the same lines as used to exist pre-partition.

ALSO READ: I feel complete with Hindus and Sikhs returning: Teetwal Sarpanch Abdul Rashid

A large number of Sikhs including women participated in the installation of Guru Granth Sahib inside the Gurudwara amidst chants of Gurbani and showering of petals, thus bringing the lost heritage to its pristine glory.