Mela Kheer Bhawani draws hundreds of devotees to Tulmulla Ganderbal

Hundreds of devotees Saturday reached Kheer Bhawani Temple in Tulmulla, Ganderbal where they would be joined by thousands of devotees to celebrate the annual festival of Mela Kheer Bhawani on Sunday.

Nestled in the shade of mammoth Chinar trees, the temple witnessed a good rush of devotees, most of them Kashmiri Pandits.

The locals and the administration welcomed the devotees. The devotees were enthusiastic and seemed happy to be visiting the place. “I am so happy to be here. I am glad to see young boys, both Muslims and Hindus, making arrangements for the festival,” a devotee said.

As devotees jostled to move closer to the main temple complex, the chants of hymns echoed through the temple compound. In the outer compound of the pantheon, stalls were set up by local Muslims to sell everything needed to perform the rituals of the festival.

Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the annual mela. The annual yatra to one of the holiest shrines of Kashmiri Pandits takes place on Zyestha Ashtami, which falls on Sunday, May 28.

The authorities have made adequate arrangements for the security and lodging of Kashmiri Pandits. Most of the devotees prefer to stay at the shrine for the night to engage in extended prayers.

Contingents of Police and paramilitary forces have also been placed on the route for the security of the devotees. Except for some inconvenience caused by inclement weather, the devotees were satisfied with the arrangements made by the administration.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ganderbal Shyambir and SSP Ganderbal Nikhil Borkar visited the Kheer Bhawani temple and inspected the arrangements besides meeting the devotees. Shyambir assured the devotees that proper arrangements of food, accommodation, and sanitation had been made.

He said that any loopholes would be checked and the facilities improved wherever required. “All the arrangements are in place and better than earlier,” Shyambir said. He said that some inconvenience might have been caused due to the inclement weather but the facilities had been further improved and ensured.

Traffic Police, Rural Kashmir, has also issued a route plan for vehicles carrying devotees to the Kheer Bhawani temple.