Devotees throng Kheer Bhawani temple for annual festival

Kashmiri Pandits from across the country on Tuesday gathered in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district to participate in the annual Kheer Bhawani Mela.

Advertisement

The festival is the biggest religious festival of Kashmiri Pandits and Pandits who are settled across the country visit the Valley to participate in the festival at the temple in Tulmulla village of Ganderbal district.

On Tuesday, a large number of devotees attended the festival despite the apprehensions that this year, the number of devotees would be less in the aftermath of April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 25 tourists and a local pony-wala were killed.

Last year, around 30,000 devotees visited the temple to attend the festival.

At the temple on Tuesday, the atmosphere resonated with the chanting of hymns and ringing of bells. Those who participated in the festival said that nothing could stop them from coming to their homeland to participate in the festival.

“We come here every year. There were some apprehensions because of the attack, but we decided to come this year as well,” said Meetu Koul, a devotee from Jammu. She added, “We prayed that Kashmiri Pandits should come back to their homeland.”

Other than the devotees, politicians made a beeline to the temple on Tuesday and offered prayers. Jammu and Kashmir L-G Manoj Sinha visited the temple and interacted with the devotees. Talking to the media, Sinha said devotees in large numbers visited Kheer Bhawani temple today and it’s a “good sign.”

“I think after the heinous terror attack on April 22, it is for the first time that people in such large numbers have assembled at one particular place in Kashmir,” he said, adding that preparations are in full swing for the annual Shri Amarnath Yatra which begins next month.

Among the politicians who visited the temple on Tuesday included former Chief Ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah. Leaders from the Congress, BJP and other parties also visited the temple.

Mufti, on her visit, said, “Their unwavering resilience in the face of adversity is truly inspiring. The Kashmiri Pandit community remains an integral, irreplaceable part of our shared heritage and holds a vital place in any meaningful and lasting resolution of the Kashmir issue,” she said.

BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh, who also visited the temple, said the massive gathering at Kheer Bhawani today “is a testament to the unwavering devotion and resilience of the devotees.” “Despite attempts to create fear, the sacred land of Kashmir continues to draw pilgrims from far and wide, showcasing the unbreakable spirit of India’s civilisational heritage”, he said.

Former CM and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah hoped that Kashmiri Pandits would return to the Valley. He said their participation in the Tuesday’s festival was “a befitting reply” to the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack. He said people are hopeful “today marks the beginning of their return home.”

Abdullah also urged the people to shed any fear over the April terror attack and visit J&K in huge numbers.