Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandit devotees leave for Kheer Bhawani mela

Jammu: Amid tight security arrangements, hundreds of people, mostly Kashmiri Pandits, left for the Valley in a convoy of 60 buses early Sunday from here to take part in the Kheer Bhawani mela, one of the biggest religious functions of the community.

Kheer Bhawani mela will be held at five Ragnya Bhagwati shrines at Tulmulla in Ganderbal, Manzgam and Devsar in Kulgam, Logripora in Anantnag and Tikkar in Kupwara on Tuesday.

The usual rush of devotees was missing this year, presumably due to the Pahalgam terror attack and the military action between India and Pakistan following it.

Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley and other parts of the country gathered in huge numbers at the Kheer Bhawani temple at Tulmulla.

Relief Commissioner (Migrants) Arvind Karwani along with Deputy Commissioner, Jammu Sachin Kumar Vaishya and senior police officers jointly flagged off the convoy of Road Transport Corporation (RTC) buses from Nagrota on the outskirts of Jammu this morning.

The devotees will perform ‘darshan’ at the temples on Tuesday and will return to Jammu a day later.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Jammu Joginder Singh said all required security arrangements have been made for the pilgrims.

“All arrangements are in place for the pilgrims with regard to their safety and security and boarding and lodging en route and in the Valley,” Relief Commissioner Karwani said.

Fewer devotees have turned up for the mela as compared to last year. Tourists were targeted in the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. Most of the 26 people killed in the attack were tourists.

India and Pakistan were on the brink of a full-fledged war after the attack. On the intervening night of May 6 and 7, Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The two countries were engaged in an intense military conflict for four days and reached an understanding to halt all firing on the evening of May 10.

Shruti Dhar, an elderly devotee, said: “I am a regular visitor to Kheer Bhawani and have no fear of going there this time around. We have been witnessing such situations from our childhood days. Whatever happened in Pahalgam is highly condemnable and barbaric.”

Dhar, who had migrated from Sanat Nagar in Srinagar to Jammu, said she is happy to join the caravan and offer her prayers at the temple to seek blessings and pray for the prosperity of J&K, the country and the return of Pandits to the Valley.

Saroj, a non-Kashmiri married to a Kashmiri Pandit, said this was her first visit to the Valley and there is no fear in her mind.

“Kashmir is part of India and the (Pahalgam) attack was possibly an attempt by the terrorists to frighten us. We have to defeat their designs and visit the place in good numbers,” she said.

Delhi-based Raj Kumar, also a member of the displaced community, said the government should be more alert to prevent Pahalgam type of incidents.

Sarla Bhat said she is happy to visit her birthplace in Kashmir. “I have full faith in Mata that we will complete the pilgrimage without any trouble."