Thousands of devotees thronged the shrine of Goddess Ragneya Devi here today to celebrate the annual Kheer Bhawani mela.
Local and migrant Kashmiri Pandits along with tourists performed puja throughout the day while a large number of Muslims were also seen at the temple. The devotees prayed for peace and return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley. “We prayed for peace and our return,” said R K Bhat, a migrant who had come from Jammu to celebrate the festival. “This year the colour of the water in the natural spring has remained whitish-blue, which means peaceful days ahead,” he added. Devotees believe that the colour of the spring-water at the shrine gives an indication of future days ahead. “If the colour turns pink or reddish, it does not augur well for the future,” said S K Bhat, another devotee.
Several political parties and non-government organisations besides the police, Army and government departments had set up food, drinks and first-aid stalls for devotees on the occasion.
However, the temple witnessed a comparatively lesser rush of pilgrims as compared to last year. “This year, hawans were performed at four other Ragneya Devi temples across the Valley and therefore Tulmulla received lesser number of devotees this year,” said Moti Lal Bhat, additional secretary of the J&K Dharmarth Trust, which looks after the shrine. While Bhat said around 60,000 devotees visited the shrine, Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal Showkat Ahmad Mir put the figure at around 20,000 only.
in Indian Kashmir the Pandits ans Sufis pray in the same shrines which is not allowed in wahabi/salafi Pakistan
Local and migrant Kashmiri Pandits along with tourists performed puja throughout the day while a large number of Muslims were also seen at the temple. The devotees prayed for peace and return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley. “We prayed for peace and our return,” said R K Bhat, a migrant who had come from Jammu to celebrate the festival. “This year the colour of the water in the natural spring has remained whitish-blue, which means peaceful days ahead,” he added. Devotees believe that the colour of the spring-water at the shrine gives an indication of future days ahead. “If the colour turns pink or reddish, it does not augur well for the future,” said S K Bhat, another devotee.
Several political parties and non-government organisations besides the police, Army and government departments had set up food, drinks and first-aid stalls for devotees on the occasion.
However, the temple witnessed a comparatively lesser rush of pilgrims as compared to last year. “This year, hawans were performed at four other Ragneya Devi temples across the Valley and therefore Tulmulla received lesser number of devotees this year,” said Moti Lal Bhat, additional secretary of the J&K Dharmarth Trust, which looks after the shrine. While Bhat said around 60,000 devotees visited the shrine, Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal Showkat Ahmad Mir put the figure at around 20,000 only.
in Indian Kashmir the Pandits ans Sufis pray in the same shrines which is not allowed in wahabi/salafi Pakistan