Kashmiri Pandits yearn for home at Kheer Bhawani Temple
At the crack of dawn, when Shreya Tikoo stepped inside the Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple complex, escorting her grandfather for the first time, the resonating sound of the conch greeted her on Monday morning. The air was filled with the fragrance of flower petals and incense sticks. A large number of devotees were already present in the temple premises, offering prayers on the auspicious occasion of Jyeshtha Ashtami.
As the day progressed, Shreya made many friends and participated in the rituals, soaking herself in the spiritual atmosphere of the temple complex nestled in the shade of mammoth Chinar trees in the central Kashmir district of Ganderbal. After performing prayers, Shreya expressed her keen desire to stay back in the Kashmir valley for some more time.
“Mera bahut man hai yahan rahne ka lekin philhaal ke liye wo abhi possible nahin hai”. (I wish I could stay back a little longer, but it is not possible.) I have met several relatives here. Compared to Jammu, I feel nice here. “I really get the vibes that’s our place”. A large number of youngsters who visited the temple complex for the first time also expressed a similar desire to one day return to their ‘homes and hearths’.
“We have been yearning for ‘ghar wapsi’ since 1990. 36 years later, we are still struggling for a dignified and secure return to our homeland”, several other members of the exiled Kashmiri pandit community reiterated their passionate demand, seeking their rehabilitation at the earliest.
Kashmiri Pandit families travel from different corners to offer prayers on the occasion of Jyeshtha Ashtami. Devotees offer milk and kheer (rice pudding) at the sacred spring within the complex while chanting ‘sholokas’.
The annual festival witnessed one of the highest footfalls in recent years. The festival marks the appearance day of Goddess Ragnya Bhagwati. It is celebrated at several shrines dedicated to the deity across Kashmir, including Kheer Bhawani at Tulmulla, Tripur Sundari at Devsar, Ragnya Bhagwati at Manzgam, Loktipora and Tikker.
The local Muslim families welcome them with open arms and set up small shops offering pooja material and other logistics to ensure hassle-free celebrations.
