Amid tight security, over 200 pilgrims leave for Kheer Bhawani

Divisional Commissioner, Jammu Ramesh Kumar flagging off annual Kheer Bhawani Yatra at Nagrota on Tuesday. -Excelsior/Rakesh
Divisional Commissioner, Jammu Ramesh Kumar flagging off annual Kheer Bhawani Yatra at Nagrota on Tuesday. -Excelsior/Rakesh

Pooja of Sandal tree held at Manzgam temple

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU/SRINAGAR, June 7: Amid tight security arrangements nearly 250 devotees, mostly migrant Kashmiri Pandits, left Jammu in a fleet of Government arranged buses to pay obeisance at the revered Kheer Bhawani temple at Tulmulla in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, early this morning officials said.
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The annual Mata Kheer Bhawani mela at the famous Ragnya Devi temple, one of the biggest religious functions of the Kashmiri Pandits, is being observed on June 8 after a hiatus of two years owing to COVID-19 outbreak.
However, the usual rush of the devotees was missing due to the recent targeted killings in the Valley and calls for relocation of the employees working under the Prime Minister’s package for Kashmiri Pandit migrants who moved to Jammu from the Valley since 1990 due to security concerns.
Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Ramesh Kumar flagged off the yatra from Nagrota on the outskirts of Jammu and said adequate security arrangements are in place both in Jammu and Kashmir divisions for the successful conclusion of the pilgrimage.
“About 250 Kashmiri Pandits and locals of Jammu have left for Kashmir. The Government has made all necessary arrangements for the pilgrims for safe and secure pilgrimage,” Kumar told reporters.
He said the pilgrims will perform ‘darshan’ at the temple on Wednesday and will return to Jammu a day later.
Kheer Bhawani melas are organised at six shrines across Kashmir. These are Ragnya Bhagwati shrines at Tulmulla in Ganderbal, Manzgam in Kulgam, Devsar in Kulgam, Logripora in Anantnag, Tikkar in Kupwara and Raithan in Budgam district.
Among these temples, the Tulmulla temple nestled in the shade of mammoth Chinar trees witness massive gathering with Pandits settled in Kashmir and different parts of the country visiting the shrine to seek the blessings of the presiding deity.
Asked about the low turnout of devotees in view of the targeted killings, the Divisional Commissioner said, “the Government facilitated the pilgrims who registered for the yatra.”
“The pilgrims will not face any difficulty in performing the yatra. There will be no shortcoming as security will be ensured enroute and at the shrine,” he said.
Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed eight targeted killings since May 1. Three of the victims were off-duty policemen and five, civilians.
“We responded to the call of Mata and are leaving for the shrine to offer our prayers,” a 24-year-old Manik, a Pandit migrant living in Jagti township here, said.
Manik, who is accompanied by several of his relatives, said the targeted killings caused fear among the community but “We decided to go ahead as we could not visit the shrine in the past two years due to COVID-19.”
Expressing satisfaction over the security and other arrangements made by the Government, the banker by profession said they have made the registration for the yatra on May 31.
“We will pray for peace and prosperity of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. Vicky Bhat, another Pandit who had come to see off his friends and relatives, said he too had registered for the yatra but gave up his plan on the advice of his parents.
Wishing the pilgrims a safe yatra, Bhat said he wishes to perform the yatra next year.
Meanwhile, reports reaching here from Kheer Bhawani Tulmulla about 400 pilgrims had reached the holy shrine by this evening from Jammu and different areas of Kashmir.
However in normal times thousands of pilgrims used to visit the holy shrine on the occasion of Mela Kheer Bhawani.
The number of Kashmiri Pandits visiting the temple this year is very less compared to pre-COVID years when over 15, 000-20, 000 people participated in the mela.
However, there were mixed reactions from the people who had reached from different parts of the country to attend the Mela Kheer Bhawani.
Subhash Zutshi from Jammu said that the situation was getting bad in Kashmir and that the same was affecting everyone. “But no matter the situation, we need to pray for the next generation to live peacefully in Kashmir; enough of everything now,” he said.
He said that there is fear and that it seems that the situation of the 90s has returned to Kashmir. “There were hopes that we will finally return to Kashmir, but things do not seem to be quite suitable,” he said.
When asked whether people will prefer to come to Kheerbhawani in the wake of recent killings, he said: “Those who will be called in by Mata will reach here.”
Ashok Kumar Koul from Delhi who is these days staying in Kheerbhawani said that people are afraid. “Whatever has happened (killings) was bad and we urge the Government to take steps to ensure our return.”
He said that if the Government wants, the Kashmiri pandits would be made to return to Kashmir. “The way the 370 was abrogated, if the Government wants, it could easily ensure our return,” he said.
He said that Kashmiri Muslims want them in Valley, “but the Government needs to take the necessary measures.”
Another devotee, Ravinder Kaul from Srinagar said that targeted killings will not stop them from coming to Mata Kheerbhawani. “Attempts are being made to instill fear among people so that we won’t come to participate in the event.”
The Mata Kheer Bhawani Welfare Society which has been illuminating the shrine every year since 2013 has this year also illuminated and decorated the entire shrine and holy temples both at Tulmulla and Tikker in Kupwara district. Convener of the Society, Kiran Wattal said that society has hired experts from Amritsar to illuminate the shrines of Mata as no volunteers of society from Jammu showed willingness to visit holy shrine in view of the selective killings.
On the eve of Kheer Bhawani Mela the traditional Pooja of Sandal tree was held at Manzgam shrine of Mata today as usual. The president of Kheerbhawani shrine Manzgam, Kuldeep Raina said the Sanstha has also decided to perform hawan tomorrow.