J&K: Kashmiri Pandits troop to Valley temple fair, revive return hopes
Mehbooba Mufti
and J&K LG Manoj Sinha joined hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits Tuesday at Mela Kheer Bhawani, an annual fair at an eponymous shrine in Ganderbal's Tulmulla, marking the largest gathering since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and raising hopes of the displaced community's return to the Valley.
LG Sinha interacted with people and extended warm greetings on the occasion. The shrine is known as Kheer Bhawani as devotees offer milk and
kheer
(milk pudding) to a sacred spring there which, the legend has it, changes colour. Pandits from across the country travel to the temple fair, around 35km from Srinagar, each year.
'Devotees in large numbers is a good sign. I think after the heinous (Pahalgam) terror attack on April 22, it is the first time that people in such large numbers have assembled at one place in Kashmir.
May Mata Kheer Bhawani keep showering her blessings on J&K people,' Sinha said, vowing to make the pilgrimage safe and hassle-free.
Sinha also announced that preparations were in full swing for the annual Amarnath Yatra this year from July 3 to Aug 9. 'We have made all arrangements for the security of yatris. I request pilgrims from across the country to come for the yatra,' Sinha said.
PDP president Mehbooba cited the large Pandit throngs at Kheer Bhawani temple to reiterate her belief that guns were not the solution to Kashmir's issues.
'Kashmir issue cannot be resolved through military force or militants' guns. Political solution is the only way forward. There should be a political process. That process cannot be completed until our Kashmiri Pandit brothers and sisters return with due respect and settle in the Valley,' Mehbooba said.
Farooq, president of J&K's governing National Conference (NC), echoed the views as he was greeted warmly at the fair. He stressed the 'urgent' need for return and resettlement of Pandits in the Valley, calling for land as well as proper housing facilities. He recalled that NC had during its past stints in office attempted such rehabilitation and expressed hope the situation would improve enough for Pandits to live in Kashmir as they once did.
Kheer Bhawani temple was built by then monarch Pratap Singh in 1912. The spring there has held religious sanctity for Pandits over centuries, with many claiming its origin to Lord Rama's times.
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