Kashmir Temples & Shrines: Looming Existential Crisis
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The landscape of Kashmir is dotted with magnificent religious places that bear an eloquent testimony to thousands of years of Hindu spiritual heritage. They create idyllic spiritual ambiance for the devotees. The temples and shrines are inextricably linked to the physical and spiritual existence of Kashmiri Pandits (KPs). These are the defining landmarks and symbols of their faith. Apart from being inalienable Spiritual Centres of KP Community, these shrines and temples have immense heritage value. Several of these temples have been mapped by INTACH, a Valley based NGO, under the auspices of UNESCO- as part of thousands of years of Kashmir’s Hindu heritage that must be preserved and protected. Historically, Hindu temples and their other places of worship in the Valley have been subjected to desecration and plunder ever since advent of Islam t...