KHEER BHAWANI TEMPLE
FESTIVAL - ART AND CULTURE
News: Kashmiri Pandits take part in
Kheer Bhawani temple fest
What's in the news?
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Thousands of Kashmiri Pandits converged at the
Kheer Bhawani temple in Kashmir
Valley’s Ganderbal district to attend the annual
festival of Zyestha Ashtami on Friday. Many of them had migrated to
different parts of the country in the 1990s in the wake of raging militancy.
Kheer Bhawani Mela:
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Every year on the auspicious day of Jyeshtha
Ashtami, Kashmiri Pandits make a pilgrimage to the Mata Ragnya Devi Temple or
the Kheer Bhawani Temple to express their reverence.
Important Takeaways:
●
The deity Kheer Bhavani holds great significance
and is deeply respected within the region.
●
This vibrant fair takes place near the Kheer Bhawani Spring, locally known as
Syendh, distinct from the Sindhu (Indus) River.
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It stands as one of the largest Hindu gatherings in
the region, second only to the Amarnath pilgrimage.
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Throughout the years, the Kheer Bhawani Mela has
evolved into a symbol of communal
harmony and fraternity in Kashmir.
Backdrop:
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Under the rule of Ranbir Singh (1830-1885), a temple was constructed on the island,
featuring a revered goddess idol and a Shiva linga within a lofty chamber built
inside the spring.
○
This amalgamation
of a Shiv Linga and a goddess idol is unique to this sacred Hindu site.
Reference in Historical
Literatures:
1. Kalhana's
Rajtarangini:
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It mentions the sacred spring of Tula Mula, noting its location in a marshy area
that was once engulfed by floods thousands of years ago, submerging both the
spring and the temple.
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The Bhrigu
Samhita also makes a reference to Kheer Bhawani.
2. Abu’l-Fazal's
Ain-i-Akbari:
●
It provides further information, describing the
Tula Mula area as spanning a hundred bighas, which would sink into the marshy
lands during the summer season.
Go back to basics:
Location of the Temple:
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Kheer Bhawani temple in Tulmul village, near
Srinagar is the most important temple for the 60,000 displaced Kashmiri Pandits
who live all over India.
●
Mela Kheer Bhawani is an important annual festival
for the pandits.
● The term kheer refers to rice pudding that is offered in the spring located in the temple to please the Goddess.