Kashmiri Pandits celebrate annual Mela Kheer Bhawani

“Faithis more powerful than fear,” said a pilgrim, who was among the hundreds visiting temples across Jammu and Kashmir to celebrate the Mela Kheer Bhawani, amid heightened security following four terrorist attacks in the Union Territory. The fair -- an annual event at the Kheer Bhawani temple, dedicated to Rangya Devi, in Ganderbal district’s Tulmulla -- is also celebrated in other shrines and temples in Jammu and Kashmir to mark ‘Zyeth Atham’, or ‘Jyeshtha Ashtami’. “Everything is in the hands of God.

There is some fear but people have come here in large numbers. Faith is more powerful than fear,” Sunny, a Kashmiri Pandit from Delhi, said as he and several others from the community congregated at Rangya Devi in the central Kashmir district for the Mela.

A multi-layered security ring was established around the temple complex and along the routes. Several Kashmiri Pandits also thronged a temple in Jammu city to mark the start of the three-day annual mela, seeking blessings and paying tributes to the victims of terror attacks. Kheer Bhawani Peeth at Janipur area of Jammu city was constructed as a replica of the original shrine here after mass migration of the community from the valley in early 1990’s. “This is our biggest festival which we have been celebrating here for the past three decades … We prayed for the safety of our country, especially Jammu which has come on the terror radar,” Anu, who visited Kheer Bhawani Peeth, said. Sunny said that the members of the Kashmiri Pandit community felt very good to pay obeisance at the revered shrine.

“It feels very good to have come here. It has been a memorable experience,” he said.

D K Kaul, another Kashmiri Pandit who visited the temple here after 20 years, said there seems to be no fear among the pilgrims.

“There are miscreants everywhere and it is their job to create disturbances and wedge between the communities. We have no fear, we have the support of our Muslim brothers. The neighbouring country does not want Muslims and Hindus to live together in brotherhood. We want to live together. We have no complaints or grudges with our Muslim brothers, they provided us shelter in their homes and kept all the facilities,” Kaul said.

As devotees jostled with each other to move closer to the main temple complex, walking barefoot and carrying rose petals, the chants of hymns echoed through the temple compound here.

The devotees offered tribute to the goddess as men took a dip in the stream close to the shrine. They paid obeisance to the deity while offering milk and ‘kheer’ (pudding) at the sacred spring within the complex.

It is believed that the colour of the sacred spring water flowing beneath the temple here reflects the conditions in the valley.

Several Kashmiri Pandits also thronged a temple in Jammu city to mark the start of the three-day annual mela, seeking blessings and paying tributes to the victims of terror attacks