Amid Heightened Security Measures, KPs Offer Prayers On ‘Jyeshtha Ashtami’
Tulmulla (Ganderbal): In a vibrant display of spiritual fervor and communal harmony, thousands of devotees, mostly from the Kashmiri Pandit community, thronged the revered Mata Kheer Bhawani temple in Tulmulla village of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district to participate in the annual Kheer Bhawani Mela.
The festival was celebrated with great devotion and religious fervour. The event, one of the most significant religious congregations for the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community, drew pilgrims from across the country.
The temple, dedicated to Ragnya Devi—an incarnation of Goddess Durga—holds immense religious significance for Kashmiri Pandits. The devotees offered kheer (sweet rice pudding), flowers, and other sacred offerings to the deity, seeking blessings for peace and prosperity.
A mystical spring that flows beneath the temple is believed to mirror the state of the Kashmir Valley. According to local belief, the color of its water symbolizes the valley’s fortunes: clear water indicates auspicious times, while a darker hue is seen as a sign of unrest or difficult days ahead.
The Mela passed off peacefully amid elaborate security and administrative arrangements made by the authorities and District Administration.
In a heartwarming gesture that exemplifies Kashmir’s age-old ethos of Kashmiriyat, local Muslim residents actively participated in the arrangements—setting up stalls with offerings, assisting pilgrims, and maintaining facilities around the temple premises.
“It gives me immense pleasure to see Pandits return. Most of my childhood friends were Pandits. Without them, we are incomplete”, said Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, a local resident. “I pray they all return permanently one day.”
Many visiting Pandits were visibly emotional, expressing a deep sense of belonging and nostalgia.
“Kashmiriyat is still alive. Though I haven’t spent much time here in recent years, the warmth and affection of the people remain unchanged,” said Anil Bhat, a Kashmiri Pandit. “I want to spend the rest of my life here. Reconciliation must come from both sides, and I consider the Muslims here as my own.”
Another devotee, overwhelmed by the experience, said, it feels like “I’m in the womb of my mother the air, the affection, the food, and the climate have made me nostalgic.”
Many devotees said that this festival continues to serve as a symbol of hope, healing, and shared cultural heritage in the valley and reminding everyone of the bonds that transcend religion and time.