Better facilities sought for Kheer Bhawani pilgrims

Tribune News Service
Srinagar, May 22

J&K Peoples’ Movement president Shah Faesal on Wednesday urged the state government to increase the budgetary support for the facilitation of the annual Mata Kheer Bhawani Mela being celebrated on June 10.

Stressing the need for making adequate transport arrangements from Delhi to Srinagar, Faesal said besides religious significance, the pilgrimage ‘represents the nostalgic homecoming of the Kashmiri Pandits to their motherland and every effort should be made to ensure maximum participation’.

Faesal made the statement after meeting a delegation of the Kashmiri Pandits at the party office here. “Tulmul has the potential of emerging as a spiritual centre of Kashmir, where the idea of inter-faith brotherhood can be nurtured. It can also open up immense opportunities for the pilgrimage tourism for the entire Ganderbal district,” he added.

Faesal asked for upgrading the facilities at Tulmul to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims and emphasised that previous liabilities on the account of boarding and transport arrangements should be cleared immediately. Faesal assured the delegation that the party would leave no stone unturned to ensure dignified return of the Kashmiri Pandits to their homeland and would make all efforts for the protection of their sites of worship.