Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 1: More than 500 Kashmiri Pandits today left for Kashmir to pay obeisance at Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple in Tulmulla area of Ganderbal district.
They assembled this morning at Jagti Township in Nagrota area on the city outskirts here.
Amid shouts ‘Mata Kheer Bhawani Ki Jai’, the Kashmiri Pandits boarded the buses of J&K State Road Transport Corporation and left for the Valley.
“In 17 State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) buses and private vehicles, more than 500 Pandits left for Tulmulla,” an official here said.
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The batches left for the Valley amid tight security arrangements.
He said that Divisional Commissioner Jammu Mandeep Bhandari flagged off the fleet of buses. Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner, Y P Suman and other officers of Relief organisation besides Kiran Wattal, chairman Kheer Bhawani Committee and Ashok Sidha chairman PDP, Minority Cell were present on the occasion.
“No matters what the situation is in the Kashmir Valley, we are going to visit the Kheer Bhawani shrine and pay obeisance to the Goddess,” said one Anil Dhar.
Preetiksha Kaul, a student said that entire Kashmiri Pandit fraternity has faith in Mata Kheer Bhawani.
Jammu and Kashmir Government has announced holiday tomorrow in the Kashmir Valley on the occasion of Kheer Bhawani Mela.
A langer was also organised at Ramban by Mata Kheer Bhawani Committee for pilgrims who left for holy shrine from here.
Besides, some pilgrims also left for Mata Kheer Bhawani Shrine Tikker in Kupwara district of North Kashmir and Kheer Bhawani Shrine, Manzgam in Kulgam district of South Kashmiri also.
Maintaining the tradition pooja was performed to ancient Sandal tree at Manzgam Shrine by the devotees today where a Maha Yagya will also be solemnized tomorrow.
President of the Sansthan Kuldeep Raina said that all arrangements have been made for the pilgrims visiting the holy shrine and the local people including administration has rendered all cooperation to them.
He said the Sandal tree which as per the legend exists at the Shrine from the day when Mata Kheer Bhawani was brought to Tulmulla from Shri Lanka by Lord Hanuman who planted the tree at the shrine and since then the tradition started of worshiping it.
Meanwhile Peoples Republican Party (PRP) president, Mir Ghulam Rasool has appealed the Kashmiri Pandits to visit the holy Shrine of Mata Kheer Bhawani in large numbers as the majority community will receive them with open arms.
He said Kashmir has been renowned for composite and pluralism for centuries together and no one will be allowed to harm the secular values. He regretted that this year the number of pilgrims has decreased for a long time and asked the community not to ear the rumours but visit the holy shrine in large numbers as they used to be.
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