PDP President Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday visited the Kheer Bhawani Shrine in Tulmulla, Ganderbal, to participate in the annual Kheer Bhawani Mela. She expressed contentment at the significant turnout of Kashmiri Pandit devotees, highlighting it as a heartening sight to see a large number of community members gathering at the revered shrine.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that Mufti addressed reporters at the site, stating, “I am very happy to see our Kashmiri Pandit brothers and sisters arriving here. They should look forward to the future and forget what happened in the past.” She emphasized a forward-looking perspective for the community.
Mufti further suggested that young Kashmiri Pandit doctors should consider returning to Kashmir to reconnect with the local population. She specifically named prominent doctors, including Dr. Sameer Kaul, Dr. Upendra Kaul, and Dr. Sushil Razdan, encouraging them to visit the valley and re-establish ties with its people. The People’s Democratic Party chief also indicated that the Jammu and Kashmir administration should provide necessary facilities to support such initiatives and foster community integration.
“Brotherhood should be maintained,” Mufti asserted, adding that efforts should be made to “sideline those powers who want to leverage the difficulties faced by the Kashmiri Pandits.” Her remarks underscored the importance of communal harmony and warned against exploiting the community’s past challenges for political or other agendas.
The Kheer Bhawani Mela is one of the most significant religious festivals observed by Kashmiri Pandits annually. The shrine, dedicated to Goddess Bhavani, is located in the village of Tulmulla in the Ganderbal district, approximately 25 kilometers northeast of Srinagar. The festival typically falls on the eighth day of the waxing moon in the month of Jyeshtha, according to the Hindu lunar calendar.
The event draws thousands of Kashmiri Pandit pilgrims from across India and abroad, who converge at the shrine to offer prayers and seek blessings. Many believe that the goddess blesses her devotees with protection and prosperity. The annual fair is also marked by traditional rituals, cultural performances, and the distribution of prasad (consecrated food).
Historically, the Kheer Bhawani Shrine holds immense cultural and religious importance for the Kashmiri Pandit community. While many left the valley following the outbreak of militancy in the early 1990s, the annual mela continues to be a focal point for their cultural and religious identity. Efforts to encourage the return of the community and to foster a sense of belonging and security remain ongoing discussions within the region’s political and social discourse.
Mehbooba Mufti’s visit and her statements come at a time when discussions around the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in the valley are recurrent. Her call for unity and a future-oriented approach is aimed at bridging divides and promoting reconciliation within the community and with the broader Kashmiri society.
The Chenab Times News Desk