Restoration work on several historic temples in Jammu and Kashmir is progressing rapidly, and worship has begun to resume in many of them after years of closure. According to the Kashmiri Pandit organization Vijeshwar Devsthan Trust, there are a total of 438 temples in the valley, of which renovation has started on about 350 temples, while 80 temples remain in a dilapidated condition.

Srinagar and Bijbehara Temples

At the Sheetalnath temple in Srinagar, prayers resumed after 36 years, and Diwali was celebrated there after the temple reopened on September 23. This temple was burnt down by miscreants in 1991 and was also damaged in the 2014 floods. Although its exact age is not clear, based on references by the 15th-century historian Jonaraja, it is believed to be over 700 years old.

Ghulam Nabi Sheikh has been cleaning and maintaining the Jia Devi temple in Bijbehara, located 45 kilometers from Srinagar, for the past 37 years. Additionally, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo laid the foundation stone for the renovation of the Vitthal Bhairav temple on October 17.

Baramulla and Akura Projects

The Baramulla district administration has allocated a budget of 13 lakh rupees for the restoration of a roughly 500-year-old, 12-foot-tall Shiva Linga. Meanwhile, 2 crore rupees have been sanctioned for the renovation of the Vishwanath temple, and work is expected to begin after April, although it has been stated that the work may proceed in phases if the current plan does not cover the entirety of it.

The PWD issued a tender on September 22 for the revival of the ancient temple in Akura, which will cost approximately 75 lakh rupees.