Kashmir's Living Testament to Communal Harmony and Spiritual Oneness

In a world increasingly shadowed by division and discord there are still places where the soul of humanity breathes freely— where faith unites rather than fragments and tradition becomes a sanctuary for togetherness. One such sacred space lies quietly in the heart of Kashmir: the Mela Kheer Bhawani, a luminous celebration that transcends religion and radiates the spirit of oneness.

- DR. RIZWAN RUMI

Every year as the fragrant breeze of Jyestha Ashtami brushes through the ancient Chinars of Tula Mula the village awakens to a rare and beautiful sight. Thousands of Kashmiri Pandits, many returning after decades of exile, walk through the temple gates of Kheer Bhawani with folded hands, eyes moist with memory and hearts heavy with longing. They come not only to offer kheer and prayers to Goddess Ragnya Devi but to reconnect with a homeland that still whispers their names in the rustle of leaves and the ripples of the sacred spring.

The origins of this sacred shrine as narrated by Ravinder Pandita Head of Save Sharda Committee Kashmir Regd are steeped in ancient lore. “It is believed that the Goddess Ragnya was carried by Hanuman from Sri Lanka and first settled in Manzgam and Logripora in South Kashmir followed by Tikker in Kupwara and then Badipora in Budgam. Finally the Goddess took the form of water and chose her eternal abode in Tula Mulla in the district of Ganderbal.”