Bhaderwah (J&K), Apr 30 (PTI) Thousands of Nag devotees, including tourists, on Wednesday thronged the Shiv-Bani temple in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district to participate in a festival.

Located at a height of 7,000 feet in the dense forest, the devotees gathered at the hilltop temple, 18 km from Bhaderwah town, to celebrate 'Shiv-Bani' festival by seeing the opening of the temple doors, locally known as Kewars, on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya.

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The festival was observed over a week after the terror attack at south Kashmir's Pahalgam town, which left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead.

The organisers of the festival and district officials praised the "bravery" of the public who had gathered there in the wake of the terror attack and said the gathering is a testimony that "faith has won over terror".

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"Terrorists cannot create fear psychosis by their inhuman acts like the killing of innocent persons in Pahalgam...Nothing can deter us from celebrating our age-old rituals and festivals," Thakur Yudhvir Singh, festival organiser, told PTI. Doda Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police Sandeep Mehta also visited the temple and inspected the security arrangements. "The unprecedented rush of people...from other states (too) clearly indicates that people have defied the nefarious designs of the forces who every now and then try to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere," the deputy commissioner said. The visitors said they are not scared of terrorist threats and have faith in the Army and other security agencies. "We feel completely safe and secure here, and moreover, we don't want to give the enemies the satisfaction for their cowardly act,” Jiger Patel, a tourist from Ahmedabad Gujarat, said. The event showcased the traditional Kud dance, a revered folk ritual of the Chenab Valley, symbolising spiritual devotion, gratitude to local deities, and harmony.

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