Video | COVID-19: Kheer Bhawani Mela celebrated without devotees, Aarti goes online

Srinagar, May 30 (UNI) The Mela Kheer Bhawani, the most important festival of Kashmiri Pandits, was celebrated on Saturday on the occasion of Zyestha Ashtami without any participation of devotees in the central Kashmir district of Ganderbal, where thousands of pundits from different parts of the country used to participation in three-day pooja every year.

However, the rituals and Aarti of the deity would be conducted as per tradition by priests in the Kheerbhawani Temple on Saturday and the same will be shared with the public and devotees via social media.

Government used to make special arrangements to bring pundits, including women and children, in buses and other mode of transport from Jammu to Tulmula in Ganderbal. The festival also used to give an opportunity for divided pundits and their Mulsim brethren to meet each other.

Officials, however, said that this time due to Covid-19 Mela Kheerbawani was not organized to curtail spread of COVID-19. “There was no participation of devotees this year,” they said, adding no Pandit family was brought from Jammu or any other place.

The management of the Dharmath trust cancelled the Mela due to COVID-19. But, the rituals and Aarti of the deity would be conducted as per tradition by priests in the Kheerbhawani Temple on Saturday and the same will be shared with the public and devotees via social media.

It is said that a holy spring in Kheer Bhawani Temple at Tullamula changes its colours from time to time.

“It takes on various hues like red, pink, orange, green and blue, besides light green, red rosy and milky white shades. Any shade of black colour is considered to be inauspicious for the inhabitants of the valley,” Kashmir pandit priests, looking after the shrine, said.

Thousands of devotees from different parts of the country and within the state visit the shrine on the occasion every year. The number of devotees, which declined after the migration of the Pandit community from here in early 90s due to eruption of militancy, later witnessed manifold increase during the past about a decade.

Many times, rising of bubbles have been observed, which form the mystic Chakra on the surface of the water. Such a sacred and mysterious spring is found nowhere else in India.

The spring, dedicated to Goddess Kheer Bhawani, has an irregular septagonal shape with its apex called Pad (feet) to the East. The northern and the southern sides are longer than the western side which is called Shir (Head). In the centre of the holy spring where once stood a mulberry tree, there is one marble temple which enshrines some idols found at the time of cleansing the spring.

There are many interesting stories related to this festival. One of them is that when Ravana was killed at the hands of Rama, Goddess Bhawani ordered Hanuman to carry her to Satisar-Kashmir along with 360 Nagas.

Hanuman selected the site and installed the Goddess in the Northern part of the valley. She came to be known as Kheer Bhawani or Ragyna Bhagwati as her favourite offerings consisted of rice cooked in milk and sugar, and all other vegetarian forms of diet.

There is also an interesting story about how this spring came to light among the people. It is said that one Brahmin named Krishna Pandit of old city Habba Kadal had a vision wherein he was informed by a Deva to offer Puja to Kheer Bhawani in the swamps of Tullamulla. The pandit was guided by a snake through the swampy and marshy land, until he reached the hollow trunk of a mulberry tree.

The pandit took the clue and after performing Puja poured milk which he had brought for this purpose. It is thus that the holy spring was discovered and was known to Kashmiries.

It is believed that the discovery of the holy spring has been made on Ashadha Saptami, the seventh day of the bright fortnight of the month of June-July. Kashmiri Hindus come here every Ashtami – eighth day of the bright fortnight of each lunar month and majority of Kashmiri Hindus consider Kheer Bhawani as their guardian Goddess. The annual festival is held on Jesht Ashtami (May-June) when Kashmiri pandits visit the place in large number to offer prayers to seek the blessings of the diety.

Devotees also throng on every Shukla Paksh Ashtami round the year and perform ‘hawans’ to please the goddess. The historic Temple of Kheer Bhawani was built by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1912 and later renovated by Maharaja Hari Singh. The diety of Goddess Ragyna is decorated in a small white Marble Temple.

UNI