After two decades of silence, the Arde Nareshwar Temple at Nadimarg in South Kashmir has reopened its doors, rekindling faith, memories and the promise of unity.

Nestled in the serene yet scarred landscapes of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, the Arde Nareshwar Temple stood as a silent witness to one of the darkest chapters in the region’s history. For over two decades, its bells were silent, its walls deserted — haunted by the tragic massacre of 24 Kashmiri Hindus also known as Kashmiri Pandits in 2003 that forever changed the narrative of this quaint village.

Now, in an inspiring twist of history, the temple is alive again. The reopening with the sacred Murti Sthapana Puja (idol installation ceremony) marks more than a religious revival. It is a moment of healing and hope, a bridge connecting the past with a future many dare to dream of in this conflict-torn region.

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The Arde Nareshwar Temple stands today as a beacon of resilience and renewal. It symbolizes what could be — a Kashmir where its people, irrespective of faith, coexist as they once did. However, for this vision to thrive, it requires more than ceremonial moments. It calls for sustained efforts—political will, social acceptance, and a commitment to addressing the wounds of the past.

Devotees from across Jammu and Kashmir, some returning to their ancestral lands after decades, gathered this fall to celebrate this auspicious event. The air was filled with chants, the crackle of sacred fires, and, most importantly, an unmistakable sense of belonging.

The night of March 23, 2003, remains etched in Kashmir’s collective memory. Gunmen posing as security personnel orchestrated a brutal massacre, claiming the lives of 24 Kashmiri Hindus, including women and children. It was an incident that epitomises the violent exodus of Kashmiri Hindus during the 1990s after the eruption of militancy in Kashmir.

As prayers echoed through the temple walls, it felt like a new chapter was being written. Sanjay Dhar, a devotee attending the Puja, expressed his emotions poignantly: “After more than 20 years, the Puja has resumed at the temple. It fills me with immense happiness to see this moment.”

Harmony in diversity

What sets this reopening apart is not just the ceremony, but the warmth with which local Muslims welcomed the returning Pandit community.

Abdul Rashid, a long-time resident of Nadimarg, shared his thoughts with a smile, saying, “We welcome our Hindu brothers back. We’ve always lived in harmony and hope this marks a new era.”

In a rare and touching gesture, local Muslims joined hands to ensure the ceremony went smoothly, a show of Kashmir’s centuries-old tradition of pluralism that often gets overshadowed by conflict.

The event also drew the attention of local authorities. Deputy Commissioners Athar Aamir Khan and Mohammad Shahid Saleem Dar made special visits, interacting with devotees and temple committees. They assured their commitment to preserving cultural heritage and improving infrastructure.

Underlining the significance of the event, Dar remarked, “This marks the beginning of an era of peace and prosperity.”

Initiatives like developing a new road to the temple and proposed community facilities, including a Yatra Bhawan (pilgrimage center), aim to support both the spiritual and cultural needs of the returning Pandit community.

Beyond symbolism: The bigger picture

The temple’s reopening is part of a broader governmental push to restore religious and cultural sites in Kashmir. Under the “Smart City Project,” multiple Hindu, Muslim and Christian shrines are being renovated to reflect Kashmir’s diverse spiritual tapestry.

Yet, the challenges of resettling Kashmiri Pandits remain immense. Decades of broken promises have left the community skeptical. While some families have returned under government-sponsored scheme, many continue to grapple with social isolation, bureaucratic hurdles, and security concerns.

Kashmir acceded to India at the time of India’s independence in 1947 rather than merging with a Muslim Pakistan. Nearly seven million people live in the Kashmir Valley, 97 percent of them Muslims. About 47,000 people have been killed in conflict, mainly between Indian security forces and Kashmiri militant separatists in the last three decades, according to government figures.

In the early 1990s, after armed militancy erupted against the Indian rule, many Kashmiri Hindus fled for their lives and settled outside Kashmir leaving behind their residences, businesses and places of worship.

After moving out of Kashmir many Pandits lived in one room tenements in cramped transit camps in the northern city of Jammu. Successive Governments promised better accommodation and facilities to them but implementation remained slow on the ground.

There are a total of 1842 Hindu places of worship in Kashmir, including temples, shrines, holy springs, holy caves and holy trees. Of the 952 temples, 212 are running while 740 are in a dilapidated condition. Just 65 temples remained open after Pandits left Kashmir in the early ‘90s. They were open mainly due to the presence of security forces or non-migrant Pandits living in the vicinity. Between 1997-1998, 35 temples were revived mostly in the villages with the help of Kashmiri Muslims. Since 2003, 72 more temples have been revived by the tourism department in collaboration with the managing committees of the temples.

Since their migration from Kashmir the return of Pandits has been promised by all political parties but without much success. A scheme for resettling Pandits was launched during the Congress-led UPA government 15 years ago. It was seen as a significant effort for the return of Pandits to Kashmir. As part of the rehabilitation scheme, Kashmiri Pandits were given government jobs for settling down in Kashmir with their families in transit accommodations in colonies guarded by the security forces. Later, in a bid to woo the Kashmiri Pandits Prime Minister Narindra Modi’s BJP government, revived the plan to resettle Pandits in Kashmir.

But the difficulties of Kashmiri Pandits who took the plunge of returning to the region despite security concerns didn’t end. Besides feeling a sense of social isolation in Kashmir, the complicated procedures force them to go to Jammu to the relief commissioner’s office for getting basic things done.

Sanjay Raina, living in one such colony at Sheikhpora in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district for the last 15 years, said it is very stressful for them to live in Kashmir while their families are living in Jammu and other places in India. He said things got worse in times of the pandemic.

“We are approaching the age of retirement from services with zero hope of any reforms for the betterment of the scheme for Pandits,” he said.

Since the eruption of militancy in Kashmir the emphasis has been largely on providing relief and rehabilitation to migrant Kashmiri Pandits. The government has also reached out to non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits as well and brought them under Modi’s employment package by earmarking jobs for them in Kashmir on the lines of migrant Pandits. This was seen as a welcome step to prevent further flight of Pandits whose numbers have been constantly dwindling in Kashmir.

“The renovation of temples is a welcome move, but efforts also need to be set in motion to help the Kashmiri Pandit government employees in Kashmir to end their social isolation,” Raina said.

As the temple bells chime once more, they carry a message that echoes far beyond its sacred precincts: A call for peace, unity and the rekindling of Kashmir’s shared soul.

Amit Pandey, an independent journalist based in India, covers a wide range of topics, including religion, politics and cybercrime.