Omkar Dattatray
Whole of Jammu and Kashmir is the land of festivals, fairs and festivities and Festival of Mata Kheer Bhawani is one such festival. It is one of the main festivals of Kashmiri Pandits and they celebrate this festival with traditional gaiety and with fervor.
They used to celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm before their unfortunate exodus as a result of militancy in 1989-90. This festival falls on the Astami of the Zaith Shuklapaksh that is the bright fortnight of the Hindu Calendar month and generally falls in the Georgian month of May/June.
Before migration of the Kashmiri pundits, they along with the Dogra speaking Kashmiri Rajputs thronged in very big numbers there and used to pay their obeisance to Mata Kheer Bhawani and offered water, milk, flowers, louts and Kheer to spring which symbolizes the ma Shakti/Rajnya and take her blessings. Before performing pooja the devotees both men women take a bath in the cold waters in the river nearby.
The sacred shrine of Mata Kheer Bhawani is located in village Tulmulla district Ganderbal ,Kashmir .On this auspicious occasion of the festival a big fair or mela is held at this place .Mela Kheer Bhawani has got much significance because it is the festival of Hindi-Muslim harmony and the place is frequented by the Muslims as well .The flowers ,doop, milk ,earthen divas called in Kashmiri parlance as Rattendeep are all sold and provided to Hindu devotees by the Muslim baradri and both the Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims anxiously and eagerly wait for this festival and enjoy the scenic beauty of this place.
There is a big natural spring and in the middle of it there is the temple/shrine of Mata Kheer Bhawani. It is believed that the spring change its colors it is widely held view that the color of this spring had turned to red in 189-90 and the militancy took its birth and so the red color indicates misfortune and danger. Before the onset of militancy and before migration Kashmiri Pandits as well as Muslims in big numbers used to visit this shrine and paid their obeisance and get the blessings of the Maa Shakti.
During the peak of militancy, the Kashmiri Pandits could not visit this shrine and it was after many years that Kashmiri Pandits temporarily residing in Jammu and other places visited this shrine and used to pay their obeisance. The Kashmiri Muslims welcome and greet their Pandit brethren and provide milk, flowers, louts, doop , Rattendeep and other Poja items to them.
Thus, the charm and rush of the devotees has now returned to the shrine as thousands of Kashmiri Pandits and other Hindus in large numbers visit this sacred shrine and pay obeisance to the Maa Shakti. Before migration there used to be the vendors selling toys, balloons, readymade garments, fruit like water melon, cucumber etc and it added beauty and charm of this shrine.
A Yaghya is also solemnized on this auspicious occasion for world peace and communal harmony. This year also some 25 vehicles from Jagti Jammu and Nagrota were flagged by the divisional commissioner Jammu on 27th of May Friday and about 4500 devotees’ men, women, children, young and old took to the pilgrimage to Tullmulla as the festival of Kheer Bhawani falls on 28th of May.
Kashmiri Pandits have also constructed a replica of Mata Kheer Bhawani shrine at a height in Janipur called Bhawani Nagar and an artificial spring has been laid at this place and the Kashmiri Pandits and other Hindus from Jammu in large numbers visit the Bhawani Nagar temple and pay obeisance to Mata and get the blessings .A hawan is also performed at the Bhawani Nagar Shrine for world peace and prayers are also offered f or peace and tranquility and for return and Rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits back to their place of birth-Kashmir.
The festival of Kheer Bhawani is a gazetted holiday in Kashmir Division and the UT government should announce the day as a holiday in Jammu province as well. Kheer Bhawani is located 29 Kms north of capital Srinagar at village Tulmulla in Ganderbal district and attracts thousands of people from all over the country. The shrine is dedicated to Goddess Rajnya Davi, popularly called Kheer Bhawani.
The name Kheer Bhawani derived from the fact that thousands of devotees offer milk and Kheer (Pudding) to the sacred spring as they believe the pudding turns black to warn of the impending disaster. Devotees believe that the color of the natural spring inside the shrine changes annually and predicts Kashmiri’s future. Legend is it that Mata Ragnya flew from Sri Lanka during demon King Ravana ’s reign, to Kashmir and established her seat beside a spring in the tullamulla village.
It is also believed that Mata Ragnya Bagawati left Tullmulla and went to Trukuta Hills Katra Jammu as it is the general belief that Ragnya is in fact Sita and she had been asked by Lord Rama to remain at Trikuta hills and protect the humanity till we again meet and you will get my Darshan .Be it Hindus or Muslims ,devotees from all across India throng the shrine during Kheer Bhawani festival .The annual pilgrimage to this shrine is a sort of homecoming for many Kashmiri Hindus who migrated from their place of birth in Kashmir valley when terrorism was at its peak in the valley.
It is at this shrine that age-old tradition of communal harmony comes to the forefront as the local Muslims set up stalls for the convenience of Kashmiri Pandits who visit the shrine ,and have been traditionally welcoming their Pandit brothers with milk during the festival .A big number of the Kashmiri Pandits /migrants participate in a Maha-Yagna ,a traditional offering ,at the shrine .Stalls are enacted and all kinds of wares are sold at the fair .The enthusiasm of the Muslim residents of Tullamulla is a perfect blend of religious harmony that is so special to Indian culture.
The confectioners also erect their stalls at the Tullamulla and Pakodas ,sweets and Lochi-puri (Pancake) are the main attractions of the fair and the devotees purchase necessarily the Lochi and take it to their homes .The festival of Zaith Ashtami is also held and take place at Manzgum or Manzgam ,Khanbarnnan at Devsar both in Kulgam district ,at Lorikipoura Anantnag and at Tikker Kupwara .At all these places Mata Rasjnya Bhagwati is propitiated and devotees in large numbers visit these shrines on the occasion of Zaitha Ashtami and some people also observe fast in honor and memory of flowers ,.doop ,agarbati, and Rattendeep.
All these shrines give a festive look on the occasion of Zaitha Ashtamhe Rajnya Davi.At these places’ fairs are also held and local Kashmiris put up their stalls of wares, sweets, fruits, jelabi, toys and especially milk. Rajnya Bagwati is also the presiding deity of the majority of Kashmiri Pandits.
May Mata Rajnya Davi bring normalcy and peace to Jammu and Kashmir so that KP’s will return to their homeland very soon and this is our prayer to the Goddess on this day.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist)
