Prayagraj: The Save Sharda Committee Kashmir (Regd.) has once again urged the government to open the Sharda Corridor, similar to the Kartarpur Corridor, to allow devotees access to the ancient Sharda Peeth in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
In a press conference held in Prayagraj, the committee reiterated its demand, referring to a recent statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his meeting with Sringeri Shankaracharya Vidushekhara Bharati Ji at the Prayagraj Kumbh. The Home Minister reportedly assured that efforts are underway to facilitate the reopening of Sharda Peeth.
The committee also called on followers of the Shankaracharya tradition to actively advocate for the corridor, emphasizing its religious and historical significance.
Additionally, Ravinder Pandita, President of the All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS), urged the government to take concrete steps for the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits. He also stressed the need for the immediate formation of a Temple & Shrine Board until a Temples Bill is introduced and passed in the Jammu & Kashmir Assembly.
Pandita invited Sanatanis and Sharda devotees to visit the newly built Sharda Temple at Teetwal, Kupwara, constructed as part of efforts to revive the region’s ancient spiritual heritage.
The demand for the Sharda Corridor remains a long-standing issue among Hindu devotees, particularly Kashmiri Pandits, who seek access to the 8th-century Sharda Peeth, once a major center of learning and pilgrimage.