Srinagar, May 15 (NVI): In an emotional homecoming, members of the Kashmiri Pandit community on Thursday returned to the historic Nand Kishore Temple in Sumbal area of Bandipora district to participate in the annual “Sumbli Mawas” festival after a gap of several decades.
The two-day religious festival commenced on Thursday and will continue till May 16, with devotees arriving from Jammu and other parts of the country to take part in the prayers and rituals at the temple.
Many devotees turned emotional as they revisited their native town and nearby villages, recalling memories of their childhood and life in the Valley before the migration of Kashmiri Pandits in the early 1990s.
Community members described the occasion as a significant spiritual and cultural reunion, saying the visit helped reconnect them with their roots, heritage and long-standing traditions associated with the temple.
Authorities made elaborate security and logistical arrangements for the smooth conduct of the festival, officials said.(NVI)
