Srinagar: Muslim politicians on Monday extended good wishes to the Kashmiri Pandit community on the occasion of Herath, considered as the Kashmiri equivalent of Maha Shivaratri.
Herath greetings to Kashmiri Pandits everywhere. May all your prayers on this special day be answered #HerathPoshte, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah tweeted.
Peoples Democratic Party president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, too, extended Herath greetings to the Kashmiri Pandits.
Herath Poshte to our Kashmiri Pandit brethren. May this occasion bring you joy, prosperity & peace, she tweeted.
Conveying his greetings, People’s Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone wished that the good old days of bonhomie between the Muslims and the Pandits return to the valley.
Herath Mubarak. Apart from the festivities a reminder of the good old days. The Herath Saal. The fish curry. The very very spicy food. The soggy rice. The yanga. And most importantly so much of love. To the good old days of togetherness. May those days return, Lone wrote on Twitter.
CPI(M) leader Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami, too, extended his wishes to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Kashmir’s recent history is full of tragedies and the migration of Kashmiri Pandits is the tragic part of this history. Today, when this festival is celebrated, the day reminds us about communal harmony and brotherhood which is the landmark of Kashmiri’s rich culture and ethos.
The philosophy of Kashmiryat without the existence of Kashmiri Pandits shall be incomplete and we must strive for their dignified return, Tarigami said in a statement.
Herath is the most prominent festival of Kashmiri Pandits, which is celebrated on trayodashi or the 13th day of the dark half of the month of Phalguna, between February and March, and not on Chaturdashi or the 14th as in the rest of the country. PTI

Press Trust of India