On 8th day of bright fortnight of Chet Kashmiri Pandits returned to Reshi Bhumi to celebrate Durga Ashtami at Kheer Bhiwani in Tula Mullah. They recall that water of the spring turned black in 1990 signalling bad luck. Violence engulfed the State and they were forced out of their homes.
As usual Kashmiri Pandits kept a fast on Sunday 4th June 2006. Muslims came out to greet the Hindu pilgrims, their neighbours displaced in 1990, took them to their homes and offered them 'nun chai', 'kehwa' and the traditional 'kulcha' and 'bakarkhani'.
The legend goes that Lord Rama worshipped Mother Ragyna during his exile & desired Hanuman ji to shift the seat of Mother after the expiry of exile period, who bought it to Shadipora and was later shifted to present site as per the wish of divine Mother Ragnya conveyed in dream to one Pandit Rugnath Gadroo.
Located at Tullamula in the Srinagar district, it is a very important Hindu Shrine. The temple is associated with the Hindu Goddess, Ragnya Devi. An Annual festival takes place here on Jesht Ashtami ( May-June) when Hindus visit the place in huge numbers to offer prayers to seek the blessings of the deity.
Devotees also throng on every Shukla Paksh Ashtami round the year & perform HAWANS to please the Mother. The Historic Temple of Kheer Bhiwani was built by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1912 & later renovated by Maharaja Hari Singh. Surrounded by steams, the place abounds in Chinar tree in-and-around the compound complex within which is a hexagonal Spring wherein deity of Goddess Ragyna is decorated in a small white Marble Temple.
Kheer Bhiwani lies in the Ganderbal tehsil of Srinagar District and the nearest Airport is approximately 25 Kms away in Badgam District. This Airport is connected with major cities of India. The nearest Rail Head is at Jammu which is 300 Kms away and from there National Highway NH1A connects the Kashmir valley with India.
KASHMIR in the olden times was known as Reshi Bhumi or the land of saints. It is surrounded by the snow-clad high mountains, water absorbed in the soil gives birth to numerous springs scattered all over the country. Those springs are known as Nags (serpents).
They are dedicated to different gods or goddesses, hence some of the towns are named after them, such as Anant Nag, Vetsar Nag, Tsandi Gam (after Tsandi Nag in the Lolab Valley) and Ver Nag in Anantnag district.
Special days are set apart in the calendar to commemorate the story of those springs and fairs are held and public worship takes place on such occasions. Jammu is known as the city of temples and life here is all alive with Hindu festivals.
Kashmir province celebrates Shiv Ratri, Sont (Sankrant), Naureh Mavas, Baisakhi, Durga Ashtami, Ram Navami, Vetal Shasti, Achhen Trai, Ganesh Choudas, Ganga Ashtami or Sharda Ashtami and Dashera.
One of these mysterious springs is situated near village of Tula Mullah. The whole place round Tula Mullah is swampy and for miles around there are rice fields. By the side of aqueducts grow a large variety of wild flowers, the most common being Mentha sylvestris (Vena) which is used in worship and the sale of which brings money to the peasant population.
It appears that Tula Mullah is a sort of floating garden, as the natives say that if they dig a hole in the ground, they find fish coming from the tributary of the Sindh which drains the place. The village is girt round by the tributaries of the Sindh which carry water from the Amar Nath and Gangabal glaciers. There is also a stream of pyre water which rises from the springs round the eastern side of the village and passing under a bridge enters into the Sindh canal (also called Gangkhai).
A maha yagna was organised beside the temple by the Civil Secretariat Hindu Devotees Sanstha. Jammu and Kashmir government has made elaborate arrangements for the transportation and security of the pilgrims, in fact Kashmiri Pandits, forced out from their homes in 1990.
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad visited the shrine on Thursday June 1st to oversee the arrangements. A common kitchen has been set up by the sanstha. Jammu and Kashmir Bank and some local organisations have set their stalls for the pilgrims
In the midst of offerings of milk, raisins, candy sugar, clarified butter, candles, chanting of Vedic and tantrik hymns, all eyes remain wide open to see when according to the legend, the goddess changes the colour of the holy water. According to the temple priest, the water changes colour from rosy to various shades of green, diluted milky and light blue. As has been the tradition, they will wash their clothes and abstain from taking meat from Saturday night.
Gaash news team. 
