Save Sharda Committee Demands Indian Government Intervention in Restoration of Sharda Temple in POK

 The Save Sharda Committee (SSC) is calling on the Indian government to intervene in the restoration of the Sharda temple premises in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK). SSC founder Ravinder Pandita alleged that the Pakistan army had encroached on the dilapidated old Sharda temple premises and opened a coffee house despite a court order in the committee's favor. Pandita demanded that the Sharda Peeth be reopened for devotees to go on a pilgrimage and called for it to be declared a UNESCO heritage site. He stated that civil society in PoK has also raised their voice in tandem with SSC on this issue, as well as about damages to the boundary wall.

The construction of the new Sharda Yatra Temple at Teetwal in Kashmir was virtually inaugurated on March 22, and nearly 10,000 pilgrims have visited the new site since its inauguration. The SSC founder announced the launch of a website to provide complete information and a travel guide for pilgrims and tourists on the newly reconstructed Sharda temple. He also called for a march to the LoC if the coffee house is not removed by Pakistan authorities and its army. The march is being planned for the near future should the encroachment not be addressed.