Thousands of devotees on Tuesday thronged the temple of Ragnya Devi, a revered goddess of Kashmiri Pandits, to celebrate the annual festival of Kheer Bhawani.
Nestled in the shade of mammoth Chinar trees in this village in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, the temple witnessed massive crowds of devotees, most of them Kashmiri Pandits, who made the journey from across the country.
Walking barefoot, the devotees carried rose petals and offered tribute to the goddess as men took a dip in the stream close to the shrine.
“I am so happy that I came here. I prayed for peace and harmony. I was glad to see young boys, both Muslims and Hindus, making arrangements for the festival of the Mata,” said Santosh Kaw, a Kashmiri Pandit who is visiting the temple after 27 years.
Kaw, who lived in Chanapora locality of Srinagar, left the Valley for New Delhi in 1990 at the peak of militancy.
“This is a festival of Hindus but what I saw here is an example of brotherhood between Hindus and Muslims,” said Raj Kumar, another Kashmiri Pandit, who was born in Srinagar’s Karan Nagar locality but moved to Jammu.
As devotees jostled with each other to move closer to the main temple complex, the chants of hymns echoed through the temple compound.
With the improvement in the security situation in Kashmir at the turn of this century, the confidence of the Kashmiri Pandits saw a boost with more members of the community paying occasional visits to the Valley.
This is evident from the rising number of Kashmiri Pandit devotees attending the Kheer Bhawani festival every year, with more than one lakh attending the festival last year alone.
Omar vouches of Pandits’ return
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that a sense of security and economic safeguards were the basic elements which will help in return of Kashmiri Pandits to their native land.
“Before bringing back Kashmiri Pandits, we have to instill a sense of security in them. We are making all our efforts in this direction,” Omar told reporters after visiting the Kheer Bhawani temple here.
He said economic package in the shape of employment to the youth of the Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley is an important step to help return of these families.
While the atmosphere of peace and security is gaining ground gradually and the state government has implemented half of the employment package for Kashmiri Pandits, the situation is becoming more and more palatable for their return, he added.
The Chief Minister said the state government is taking up the issue of enhancing financial support to Kashmiri Pandits to enable them construct their residential houses in the Valley.
He said the remarkable increase registered in the number of Kashmiri Pandits visiting Kheer Bhawani during last few years is an encouraging phenomenon.
“Government would continue to work to improve the facilities for the large number of devotees visiting Kheer Bhawani,” he added.
The Chief Minister said Kashmiri Pandits are integral part of the culture and ethos of Kashmir and Kashmiriyat.
He said that their return to the Valley is the cherished goal and desire of the government and the civil society.
Mr. Omar said the gradual improvement in the security situation and generation of economic avenues for this community would give required boost to the endeavours of the government to achieve this goal.
I was in Kheer Bhavani Temple on the same day. After 22years I visited Kashmir & stayed in a temple for 7 days. Intracted with the local muslims in different areas....... and reached this conclusion ............todays condition in Kashmir is worst than 1989-90 for Kashmiri Pandit. Then the only threat was to my life.........today I could see how they are destroying my cultural & reliogious identity. A terrorist Yasin Malik was also in Kheer Bhavani temple with his followers ........one of his follower was carring his shoe inside the main temple. Muslims know how sacred these temples are but they enter every temple with their shoes on.....I was reffered as old GUEST in the city by maximum muslims.........GOVT. MEDIA , Terrorists ( Ysin/ Shabir ...) misleading the masses in India that condition has improved.....There was Band/ Strike call given by these same people on 30th May to creat insecurity & inconvience among the Yatris. THINK
the call for return of Kashmiri displaced given by these leaders is purely political. yes it is time for us to return...but the mistake has been done 22 years before & people responisble must applolozise to KP's.
Let KP's do not go back mere on the grounds that displacment was handiwork of Indain agencies as I have read through some statements .
i think govt.of india is living in fools paradise , by saying pandits to
return to valley.j&k govt. is receiving bundles of money from india
govt. by saying situation is ripe for our safe and honourable come
back.the root cause of kashmir at present is not known to govt. of india
, and that is why they are beating about the bush.the mass exodus is
being witnessed since 1389, 1420, 1760, 1805 , ext ext. every time
pandits have become victoms. govt. of india is firing by keeping gun on
our sholders,because we are patriots. nothing more good bye ..
I am a Kashmiri Pandit, and have can vouch for the futility of crocodile tears that
MUSLIM BROTHERS in Kashmir have for us...or the so called return of Kashmiri
Pundits to their own land. The Abdullahs were quietly sitting and sipping tea in
London while Kashmiri Pundits were persecuted on behalf of Pakistan in Kashmir.
Most of us were given a 12 hour notice to choose between Islam or India. And
yes....did they think that Kashmiri Pundits will return to nothingness after 20
years???? I do feel for my children that they have never seen Kashmir, but trust
me..they have not missed much; for the fool who compared Kashmir to Heaven
had come from a desert.
I am in Chennai, when I stayed at Delhi during my brief stint in my banking carrier I had few neighbours who migrated to Delhi and heard their sufferings. Glad to hear about the return of Kasmiri Pandits to their home land. I pray that all the Kasmiris live in peace and harmony
Great news indeed.
The central govt has done little to nothing for the Pandits.
The Pandits are refugees in their own country and the govt has turned a blind eye to their plight. It cares more about accomodating Kashmiri muslims than the Kashmiri Hindus.
About time the people of India woke up from the IPL and started taking action..
Poor fellows ! You happened to be members of the so called majority community ! your displacement and agony remains unheard by the leaders and media ! This can only happen in a secular India. Alas !
Hope Pakistani terrorists don't creat any problem.
Will the same Muslim brother hood stand for Pundits, if Pundits starts returning to Kashmir? We know that it will not happen.
God Bless the Peace Loving people
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