Temple's reopening after 18 years draws huge number of Pandits

Bijbehara (J&K), Aug. 28 (PTI): It was a dream come true for several hundred displaced Kashmiri Pandits who thronged an ancient Shiv temple in this southern highway township which was reopened today after a gap of 18 years.

The Pandits arrived at the temple located on a hillock at Thajwara, overlooking Srinagar-Jammu national highway, from Jammu and other parts of the country where they had migrated after eruption of militancy in the state in early 1990s.

"This is the grace of Lord Shiva that we got a chance to offer prayers at the shrine, visit our birth place and meet our Muslim brothers," president of Jammu-based Devasthan Prabandak Committee Bijbehara V N Jotshi, who came here, said.

Popularly known as Pracheen Amarnath shrine, the temple houses a cave in which water pour from the top and it is viewed as a replica of the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in the Himalayas. The temple reverberated with religious songs since last evening as hundreds of devotees gathered to participate in a havan (special prayers).

Jotshi, who had arrived here about two weeks back to be part of various other Kashmir-based Prabandak committees, which has decided to reopen the shrine for devotees, said the havan was organised to attract the blessings of lord Shiva and return of peace in the state.

"We are looking forward for the day when we will return to our roots here," he said and praised the Muslims for their help in successful prayers at the shrine.

The shrine has a great religious significance. Those who could not manage to track the arduous route to Amarnath cave used to visit the temple and offer prayers, Jotshi said and hailed the efforts of majority community for extending all possible help in reopening of the shrine.
(http://www.hinduonnet.com

UK churches ban yoga group

LONDON: Two local churches have banned a group from conducting yoga classes because the ancient practice is allegedly "un-Christian". The yoga class for children was to be run by Louise Woodstock at the Silver Street Baptist Church and St James' Church of England in Taunton, Somerset. But church ministers this week banned it and branded yoga as a "sham" and "un-Christian".

Woodstock, who was turned away from the churches on Thursday, said: "I couldn't believe it when they suddenly said I couldn't have the hall any more because yoga is against their Christian ethos. It's crazy because we're talking about kids pretending to be animals and doing exercise routines to rhymes." "The churches are being narrow-minded. I explained to the church that my yoga is a completely non-religious activity. There is no dogma involved."

Reverend Simon Farrar of the Baptist Church withdrew his consent for using the hall for a children's activity group after discovering it was for yoga. St James's church also barred her for the same reason. Rev Farrar said: "Clearly, yoga impinges on the spiritual life of people in a way which we as Christians don't believe is the same as our ethos."

Rev Tim Jones, the vicar of St James' church, told The Telegraph: "The philosophy of yoga cannot be separated from the practice of it, and any teacher of yoga must subscribe to the philosophy. As Christians, we believe that this philosophy is false and not something we wish to encourage."
(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com)