Mela Kheer Bhawani to be celebrated today in Kashmir

Khir Bhawani, Jun 1: ‘Mela Kheer Bhawani’, the most important festival of Kashmiri pandits, associated with the Hindu Goddess, Ragnya Devi will be celebrated tomorrow in the central Kashmir district of Ganderbal.
The authorities have made all arrangements for the Mela while the locals Muslims have set up stalls, providing flowers, milk and other articles for the puja.
Government has also changed the holiday from today to tomorrow. Governor N N Vohra, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, Ministers Naeem Akhtar and Abdul Rehman Veeri besides other senior civil and police officers visited the shrine yesterday to take stock of the arrangements for the annual mela.
It is said that a holy spring in Kheer Bhawani Temple at Tullamula changes its colours from time to time and it takes on various hues like red, pink, orange, green, blue and has often light green, red rosy and milky white shades.
However, any shade of black colour is considered to be inauspicious for the inhabitants of the valley, Kashmir pandit priests, looking after the shrine said.
Thousands of devotees from different parts of the country and within the state are scheduled to take part in the night-long puja on the occasion of Mela. A large number of devotees have already arrived here to participate in the mela, despite rumours spread by miscreants on social media that situation in Kashmir was bad.
Rejecting the rumours spread on social media from outside the Kashmir, a group of Pandits from Jammu said they did not face any difficulty. “We did not find any change as people here love and welcome us,” they said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Public Works NaeemAkhtar, during his visit to the shrine yesterday, appealed the Pandits to visit the shrine enmasse to revive the age old brotherhood.
He expressed his concern over the rumours floated by certain sections that situation is not conducive in Kashmir. “Kashmir is 100 per cent safe and people not need to pay any heed to rumours. Government and locals are at the forefront of welcoming the people and all facilities are being provided for their safe and pleasant journey,” he added.
Local Muslims have made arrangements to provide all necessary articles for the puja.