When militancy swept through Jammu and Kashmir during the 1990s, forcing a massive exodus of the Kashmiri Pandit community, religious life across the Valley was abruptly dislocated. Shrines and places of worship that had witnessed daily prayers for centuries were suddenly left deserted, locked, and vulnerable to decay. In the middle of that dangerous era, Zahoor Ahmad Dar, a resident of the Charar-i-Sharief area in Budgam district, made a remarkable personal commitment to step forward. Associated with the National Socialist League of India, Dar took on the quiet responsibility of guarding and maintaining more than 111 temples across Kashmir, standing as an enduring symbol of interfaith solidarity.
Stepping Forward When Shrines Were Left Abandoned
The sudden migration of Kashmiri Pandits in the early 1990s left the vast majority of local Hindu places of worship without caretakers or custodians. Over time, approximately 75 percent of these historical and community structures deteriorated into dilapidated, crumbling ruins. Recognizing that these sacred heritage spaces faced permanent loss, Zahoor Ahmad Dar took it upon himself to regularly check on them, clean their grounds, and protect them from harm at a time when nobody else was available to undertake the task.
His protective efforts required extensive traveling throughout the districts of the Valley under hazardous conditions. Whether traveling south to Anantnag, north to Handwara, or traversing remote rural belts, Dar made routine inspection trips to evaluate the structural condition of unattended complexes. Key sites under his watchful care included the Jeshtheswara (Jyeshtha Devi) temple, a shrine situated near Raj Bhavan in Srinagar, and the historic Bhadrakali temple located in Handwara.
A Joint Effort with M.K. Pandita Across Districts
Dar did not carry this demanding burden completely in isolation. He worked closely alongside a trusted collaborator, M.K. Pandita, who was personally looking after several temples and served in-charge of a community trust. Together, they forged an extraordinary intercommunity partnership: Pandita represented the Kashmiri Pandit community, while Dar represented the local Kashmiri Muslim community, both sharing an identical mission to safeguard sacred architecture.
The two men coordinated visits across multiple regions to check that boundary walls remained intact and structures were shielded from desecration or encroachments. Because circumstances were fraught with unpredictability, they had to move constantly between distant locations to verify security on the ground. While Pandita joined during vital moments and accompanied Dar whenever feasible, the sheer scale of daily logistics often required Dar to travel and inspect far-flung sites entirely on his own.
Navigating Severe Risks and Maintaining Strict Secrecy
Operating inside the Valley during the 1990s carried immense personal peril. Tending to Hindu religious spaces in an atmosphere charged with militancy exposed anyone involved to direct suspicion and deadly violence. Dar acknowledged that fear was a constant companion throughout those years, forcing him to establish an absolute rule of secrecy concerning his daily movements.
He deliberately chose not to inform neighbors, acquaintances, or associates about his destination when setting out for Srinagar, Budgam, Handwara, or Pulwama. Whenever questioned in transit about his errands, he offered vague answers about ordinary personal chores to evade suspicion. The threat of being tracked, targeted, or confronted by armed actors was intensely real, prompting Dar to conduct every single temple visit quietly, unannounced, and without seeking public recognition.
The Restoration of Sheetal Nath Temple After 36 Years
Within Srinagar itself, Dar routinely monitored shrines situated across sensitive inner-city neighborhoods, including Lal Chowk and Habba Kadal. He conducted morning and evening inspections whenever time permitted to ensure the compounds remained undisturbed. One of the prominent heritage locations under his protection during the 1990s was the Sheetal Nath temple in Srinagar.
With the gradual return of stability to the Valley, the operational care and administration of Sheetal Nath temple were formally handed over to the relevant community trustees. In a milestone moment for the area, temple bells resonated within the Sheetal Nath complex after an absence of 36 years, marking the resumption of traditional havan and prayer ceremonies by Kashmiri Pandits. Visiting the restored precinct brought deep personal satisfaction to Dar, who saw barren ruins transformed into a flourishing compound adorned with vibrant flower gardens and filled once again with devotional chants.
Spiritual Conviction and an Enduring Shared Heritage
Reflecting on where he found the fortitude to navigate years of imminent physical danger, Dar attributed his perseverance entirely to divine grace and inner spiritual conviction. He noted that alongside his routine visits to Muslim shrines and Sufi dargahs, caring for abandoned temples offered him a profound sense of inner peace and purposeful fulfillment. In his view, performing service for sacred spaces transcends worldly gains and prepares the soul for what lies beyond.
Dar affirmed that whether one is Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, or Christian, all places of worship command equal reverence, and every person is placed in the world to serve a distinct moral calling. In his words, he was merely answering a duty that God placed within his heart. His decades-long dedication without fanfare represents a testament to the traditional spirit of Kashmiriyat, demonstrating that profound human bonds and mutual respect can survive even the darkest chapters of regional conflict.
