Devotees Flock to Kheer Bhawani Temple After Pahalgam Attack, Defying Fear with Faith and Unity

Devotees Flock to Kheer Bhawani Temple After Pahalgam Attack, Defying Fear with Faith and Unity (image: PTI)

Srinagar: In a powerful display of resilience and devotion, devotees—many of them Kashmiri Pandits—are making their way to the sacred Kheer Bhawani temple in Tulmulla, Ganderbal, just weeks after the tragic terror attack in Pahalgam. Despite the fresh wave of concern across the Valley, faith remains stronger than fear, as the annual Kheer Bhawani Mela gathers spiritual momentum across Kashmir.

Although attendance is slightly lower this year, hundreds from across Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India have already begun their spiritual journey to Tulmulla.

Bhat praised the local Muslim community for their unwavering support. “They go the extra mile, just like during the Amarnath Yatra, to make this event possible. This is true Kashmiriyat, the harmony that defines our land.”

For many Kashmiri Pandits, who were displaced from the Valley in the 1990s during the rise of militancy, the annual Mela is a way to reconnect with their ancestral traditions. Once regular monthly visitors, they now gather on Jyeshtha Ashtami to uphold the rituals of havan and puja, keeping their cultural and religious identity alive.