All arrangements in place for annual ‘Mela Kheer Bhawani’

Tulmulla (Ganderbal): Authorities have made all arrangements for annual ‘Mela Kheer Bhawani’ — the most important festival of Kashmiri pandits, associated with the Hindu Goddess Ragnya Devi — in Ganderbal while the local Muslims have set up stalls, to provide flowers, milk and other articles for the ‘pooja’.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Security/Law and Order (L&O)/Home guards/Civil Defence Muneer Ahmad Khan on Saturday reviewed security arrangements made for Mela Kheer Bhawani to be celebrated on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Traffic Police Office, Rural Kashmir, has issued a route plan for vehicles carrying devotees to the shrine at Kheer Bhawani Temple, Tulmulla Ganderbal.
For the second successive year, the state government has announced free transport service for devotees from Delhi to the temple and back to attract more pundits to the mela, to be celebrated on June 10. “All the arrangements have been made for the annual Mela Kheer Bhawani,” officials said.
It is said that a holy spring in Kheer Bhawani Temple at Tullamula changes its colours from time to time.
It takes on various hues like red, pink, orange, green, blue and has often light green, red rosy and milky white shades. 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 visit the shrine on the occasion every year. The number of devotees, which declined after the migration of the Pandit community from here in early 90s due to eruption of militancy, has witnessed manifold increase during the past about a decade. The annual mela provides an opportunity to pandits to reunite with their Muslim brethren separated due to turmoil.
Expecting record number of devotees this time, the government has made all arrangements for their stay and security. A number of top bureaucrats and police officials visited the shrine to review the arrangements for the Mela.
Officials said all arrangements have been put in place for providing every possible facility to the pilgrims coming from the different parts of the Country including from Jammu for celebrating the Kheer Bhawani mela scheduled on Monday.
They said that additional water points have been installed, adding that the Engineers of the Power Development Department (PDD) department have been directed to ensure round the clock power supply during the mela days. Thousand of blankets are available for the devotees at Yatri Bhawans and Dormitories in the premises of the Temple. State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) buses will be available at different migrants camps and migrant concentrated locations at Jammu for carrying the devotees.
Meanwhile, Government of Jammu and Kashmir Special Cell for Migrants Resident Commission is facilitating free travel for Kashmiri Pandit community members from Delhi to Tulmulla Ganderbal for the annual Mata Kheer Bhawani festival, they added.
An official spokesperson said that the devotees on board heavy motor vehicles shall adopt foreshore road towards Pandach to Beehama to Duderhama to Dumb Kadal to Theru to Dangerpora to Thalan to Tulmulla (de-board at this point ) to Dumb Kadal to Theru to Dangerpora to Thalan to Parking Spot (Ground No. 1 of Central University).
“The devotees on board light motor vehicles shall adopt foreshore road towards Pandach to Beehama to Duderhama to Dumb Kadal to Theru to Dangerpora to Thalan to Tulmulla (de-board at this point ) to Thalan to Parking Spot (Ground No. 2 of Central University),” he said.
He said the devotees on board heavy motor vehicles adopting Sumbal route shall follow the Shadipora/Sumbal to Bypass to Barsoo to Dangerpora to Thalan to Tulmulla (de-board at this point) to Dumb Kadal to Theru to Dangerpora to Thalan to Parking Slot (Ground No. 1 of Central University). “The devotees on board light motor vehicles adopting Sumbal Route shall follow; Shadipora /Sumbal to Bypass to Barsoo to Dangerpora to Thalan to Tulmulla (de-board at this point) to Thalan to Parking Spot (Ground No. 2 of Central University),” he said.
He said all the devotees on board heavy motor vehicles/light motor vehicles while returning back shall adopt the following route; Central University Parking to Thalan crossing to Tulmulla to DPL Ganderbal to Beehama to Pandach or Central University Parking to Barsoo Crossing to Barsoo to Bypass to Shadipora/Sumbal. “All the passenger vehicles coming from Ganderbal towards Safapora, Wakura, Lar and Sumbal shall adopt Beehama to Dumb Kadal to Theru to Khanihama to Repora Bypass road for both side movements. No passenger vehicle shall be allowed to move from Dangerpora to Larson road,” he said.
He said Tulmulla Adda, Tulmulla-Dumb Kadal road, Dangerpora to Tulmulla road is a “No Parking Zone”.
“Any vehicle found wrongly parked on the road shall be towed and the violator will be prosecuted accordingly,” he said, adding no vehicle shall be allowed to move against traffic from Tulmulla to Dangerpora, Theru to Ladwun or from Larson to Tulmulla or from Barsoo towards Dangerpora.
“No passenger vehicle shall adopt Kahnihama to Dangerpora link road, during the Mela period. In case of congestion on Dangerpora to Tulmulla road, Light Motor Vehicles shall also adopt Tulmulla to Dumb Kadal to Theru to Dangerpora to Thalan to Central University for parking their vehicles,” he added.
“The above arrangements have been made for ensuring hassle-free movement of commuters in general and devotees in particular to the holy shrine. All the commuters/General public, especially people living in the vicinity of the shrine and surrounding areas is requested to cooperate with traffic officials and adhere to the traffic plan as envisaged for ensuring hassle free movement,” h said.
He said the district administration has kept ferry vehicles available at Central University parking slot as well as outside the Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple for carrying the devotees from parking slots to the Temple and vice versa.