Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti visited the well-known Ragnya Devi temple within the Ganderbal district and celebrated the annual Kheer Bhawani mela with devotees together with Kashmiri Pandits on Sunday.
Mufti, who paid obeisance on the temple, stated that she prayed for the dignified return of the Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley.
Nestled within the shade of mammoth Chinar bushes within the central Kashmir district, the temple witnessed huge crowds of devotees, most of them Kashmiri Pandits, who made the journey from throughout the nation.
The devotees, strolling barefoot, carried rose petals and provided tribute to the goddess as males took a dip within the stream near the shrine.
As the devotees jostled with one another to maneuver nearer to the primary temple advanced, the chants of hymns echoed via the temple compound and paid obeisance to the deity whereas providing milk and kheer (rice pudding) on the sacred spring throughout the advanced.
The mela, an emblem of communal concord, handed off peacefully because the administration had made elaborate preparations, together with safety associated, for the devotees.
Mufti says she desires Pandits to return to valley
“I came here to welcome our Kashmiri Pandit brothers who have come from Jammu and other places. We are here to pray for the dignified return of these people to their homes so that once again Hindu-Muslim-Kashmiri Pandits live together in Kashmir with brotherhood,” Mufti informed reporters.
Additional Director General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar additionally paid obeisance on the shrine. He stated, “Ganderbal Police has made very good security arrangements. Srinagar police had also deployed ROP (road opening parties). There is foolproof security and the locals have supported the police as well. I wish all of them well.”
Meanwhile, in Jammu, 1000’s of migrant Kashmiri Pandits on Sunday provided prayers to goddess Ragnya Devi on the event of ‘Zaisht Ashtami’ at Kheer Bhawani Peeth within the Janipur space.
The ‘peeth’ was constructed as a reproduction of the unique shrine in Tulmulla after the mass migration of the group from the Valley within the early 1990’s. “We missed a visit to Tulmulla this time and decided to offer our prayers here…We are witnessing the same atmosphere which used to prevail at the Kheer Bhawani shrine in Kashmir during the annual fair,” Ratika, a devotee who visited the Jammu temple, stated.
The administration of the temple, Ardh Ratri Maha Regheneya Sewa Sanstha Trust, had arrange a number of stalls for the comfort of the devotees, who thronged the tastefully adorned shrine to supply their prayers in their conventional means. A member of the belief stated the sanstha, with the assistance of native authorities, had made enough preparations for the sleek conduct of the competition on the peeth.
(With inputs from PTI)
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