MoS Home Affairs Nityanand Rai was present during the ceremony to reopen the temple. [Video]

With the help of the locals, the historic Uma Bhagwati temple dedicated to Maa Bhagwati was renovated and thrown open for the devotees in the presence of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai at Brariangan area in Shangus Tehsil of the Anantnag district.

The temple has been reopened after a gap of nearly 34 years as it was vandalized by terrorists in the year 1990.

The Union Minister was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Anantnag, Syeed Fakhrudin Hamid, Senior Superintendent of Police Anantnag, Dr G V Sundeep Chakravarthy, officers from the district administration and office bearers of Uma Bhagwati Asthapan Trust.

During the re-opening ceremony, the idol of goddess Uma, brought from Rajasthan was placed in the sanctum sanctorum.

The Union Minister, while addressing the gathering of devotees, expressed confidence that a large number of devotees shall visit the temple on its re-opening.

He said that the government’s commitment towards a developed J&K and the UT’s …