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‘It was the reunion of natives as never before; there was no adulteration in our affection. Muslims, men, women, youth, with tears in their eyes, greeted the Hindus with such intense warmth and love. A collective emotional outpouring overwhelmed the atmosphere’
When the Dehradun-based Sanjay Pandita was boarding a flight from New Delhi to Srinagar on a June weekend, 35 years after his family had fled a violence-hit Kashmir, he was anxious and uncertain. He was embarking on a mission to relive a new life in his native village, Murran, in the Pulwama district of South Kashmir.
His family, wife and two sons, and 100 Kashmiri Pandits, whose families once lived in Murran, joined him in his journey. They had left their homes, land, shared memories, in the village in 1989-90, after the eruption of violence in Kashmir, triggered by Pakistan-backed militants.
Pandita, 65, who has worked with LIC, and has ince settled in Dehradun, wanted to spend a few days with his Muslim neighbours. They all wanted to experience what they so terribly missed abut in their serene and picturesque village.
This initiative was his brainchild. He was joined by Chander Mohan Bhat and Sanjay Koul who live in different parts of north India. They took the occasion of the festival at ‘Brarimaej’, the local temple of the community goddess, to maker their visit. Sadly, the festival was not being held since the last 35 years.
Murran village was once home to 80 Pandit families was left with 35 at the time of mass exodus of the community. Today only five families live in the village which is located 43 km from capital Srinagar and 5 km from Pulwama town. The latter was an epicenter of terrorism and uprising till a few years ago.
This year the festival fell on June 10-11 and Pandita and others yearning decided to make a fresh beginning with reviving the tradition of hawan at the iconic temple in Murran after 35 years. They wanted to give themselves a chance to relive life in their native village given the return of peace in Kashmir.
Within one and a half months the plan shaped up and all arrangements were finalized. A few native Hindus who would occasionally revisit their village were of great help in communicating with the locals to make arrangements.
Pandita told Awaz the Voice that he was overwhelmed to see Muslims welcoming them with open arms. “It was the reunion of natives as never before; there was no adulteration in our affection,” he said. He described how local Muslims, men, women, youth, with tears in their eyes, greeted them with such intense warmth and love. A collective emotional outpouring overwhelmed the atmosphere.
It was like a reunion of brothers and sisters who were compelled to separate during the winter of 1989-90. This was the difficult period when terrorism rocked Kashmir and Hindus were forced to flee after the selective killings of some members of their community. Terrorists had literally taken over their village and the neighbourhood. The environment was loaded with fear and apprehension. Announcements were then made from the mosques asking Hindus to convert, flee, or die.
“All the Muslims greeted us with open arms, hugging and crying uncontrollably. It was a decisive moment in which we all felt loved and showed our deep affection for each other. Muslims also entered the temple premises before and during the hawan to ensure that everything needed for the religious ceremony was in place,” said Pandita.
“The local Muslim biradari (community) and the youth of Murran extended a welcome that surpassed all expectations, infusing the gathering with an unprecedented warmth. Their efforts were indispensable, as they meticulously arranged every detail, from the thorough cleaning of the premises, to enhancing the temple’s ambience with an exquisite touch of beauty,” he said.
Adding to the vibrancy of the occasion, a local musical group performed an array of bhajans. Hindus and Muslims joined the musical night in the temple premises where bhajans and sufi numbers echoed, making the beautiful night resplendent. “As their melodies soared, the atmosphere became profoundly divine, enveloping everyone present with an overwhelming sense of intense spiritual bliss,” said Pandita.
The visitors were deeply touched when the local Awqaf Committee of Babahaji Mosque orchestrated a reunion of Muslims and Hindus within the mosque premises over a simple cup of tea.
“Members from both the communities gathered in large numbers, the air was thick with emotion as they reminisced about the days gone by, days filled with shared experiences and deep-rooted bonding. The scene was one of heartfelt reunion, a powerful testament to the enduring strength of our shared history,” said Pandita.
Arrangements for the stay of the 100 visitors had been made inside the temple premises. However, many happily chose to stay in the homes of their Muslim friends. It felt as if the clock has turned back.
“A group of 100 women came to meet us as we arrived in the village. Once again, there were emotional scenes of re-union,” said Pandita, known by his nick-name of Nika Laal to the elders and his peers in the village.
“All of them recognized me and others. They remembered our nick-names. Everyone was calling me Niklalam.”
The locals brought walnuts, almonds, special dry fruits grown in Kashmir, and, especially, the long ‘Kashmiri chilly’ which is loved across the land. The Muslims came to the temple for a vegetarian meal.
Bilal Ahmad, a local Muslim told Awaz the Voice that he was in school when he saw Hindus leave in hordes. He recalled his Hindu friends and the shared memories of his childhood. He said he was also told by his parents how Hindus and Muslims lived in peace and harmony, and as happy neighbours who cared for each other, until the guns arrived.
Indeed, the reunion, in the auspicious presence of the community goddess, the shared meals, the warmth, the uplifting spiritual music, the forgotten memories resurrected, the bonhomie and friendship, it all created an atmosphere of absolute bliss. Murran once again became the same Murran, as it used to be, 35 years ago.
Source: awazthevoice