After 36 Years of Silence, Srinagar’s Raghunath Mandir Reopens on Jhelum’s Banks

Srinagar: On the banks of the Jhelum, Srinagar’s historic Raghunath Mandir reopened after thirty-six years, rekindling memories of shared festivals and symbolizing the revival of heritage and communal harmony in the Valley.

Built in 1857 by Maharaja Gulab Singh and modelled after Jammu’s Raghunath Temple, the shrine had remained silent since the late 1980s, when the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits and insurgency forced its closure. Its reopening this week, under the government’s Smart City initiative, was marked by hymns, hawan, and a grand puja on the occasion of Ram Navami.

The atmosphere was charged with emotion as Kashmiri Pandits travelled from across India to attend, joined by local Muslim residents who stood alongside them. Joint security forces were deployed in significant numbers to ensure smooth proceedings, yet the mood remained celebratory and peaceful.

“This is not just about reopening a temple; it is about reopening hearts. Our Muslim neighbours have stood with us these past days. If this shrine can be revived after decades, others can too. Above all, we seek peace,” said Bharat Raina, President of the Raghunath Mandir Committee.

The sound of Vedic hymns filled the air as priests performed rituals, while devotees lit lamps and offered prayers. A hawan in the temple courtyard sent smoke mingling with chants of Ram Naam Satya Hai, creating a spiritual aura many said they had not experienced here for decades.

“Thirty-six years ago, these streets were alive with Pandit processions. We welcomed them, and the riverbanks were our common ground. No one could tell who was Pandit or Muslim; we lived as one. Today feels like those days returning,” recalled Mohammad Iqbal, a local Muslim resident.

For many attendees, the reopening was deeply personal. Tears flowed as they remembered mornings by the Jhelum when Hindus and Muslims celebrated festivals together, indistinguishable in their brotherhood. The sight of communities standing side by side once again was seen as a powerful reminder of Kashmir’s tradition of coexistence.

“Today’s revival of the Raghunath Mandir is not just the restoration of a shrine, but is the restoration of our spirit. As the hymns echoed and the hawan flames rose after decades of silence, this temple became a beacon of hope. It tells us that Kashmir’s heritage of harmony can be reclaimed, step by step, shrine by shrine,” said one devotee.

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