Kheer Bhawani Temple

Kheer Bhawani Temple is a famous religious shrine of Kashmir valley. It is located in  Tulmulla village, Ganderbal district, at a distance of 25 kilometres from Srinagar. The place is spiritually significant especially for Kashmiri Pandits. 

Kheer Bhawani Temple gets its name from the popular Indian dessert, Kheer, made with milk, rice and sugar. People offer the sweet Kheer to Ragnya Devi, an incarnation of Goddess Durga. People often refer to the Supreme Deity by different names such as Devi, Mata, Rajna, Bhagvati, etc. 

The temple is built on a holy spring which is believed to change colour with different seasons. It is seen in tints of red, pink, orange, green, white and blue. If it turns black, it is considered inauspicious and is believed to be a sign of disaster in the valley. 

The belief and faith of locals in Kheer Bhawani Temple is immeasurable. With the grand Mela and other festivities, it is often showcased how important the temple is for pilgrims. It is undoubtedly one of the best places to visit in Kashmir for a holistic religious tour. 

Here is a brief account regarding the history and architecture of Kheer Bhawani Temple, Kashmir. We have mentioned the ways to reach here too. Take a glance! 

Kheer Bhawani Mela

Kheer Bhawani Mela marks one of the biggest religious gatherings in Kashmir Valley. It is celebrated during the Jyestha Ashtami in the month of May-June. As the Mela starts, the pilgrims walk barefoot to the temple with flowers, milk, and Kheer to offer the Goddess. They start by taking a holy dip in the nearby spring and then offer prayers at the Kheer Bhawani Temple. 

Though the festival is relatively significant for Kashmiri Pandits, it does showcase the communal harmony with even muslims making arrangements of flowers and other offerings for devotees. 

If you visit the Temple in June, you surely can participate in one of the biggest festivals of Kashmir. The mela is an exemplary part of Hindus’ cultural heritage.

History and Story of Kheer Bhawani Temple

The temple of Kheer Bhawani finds its mention in different books starting from the historic Rajtarangini written by Kalhana. 

There are abundant legends of the temple. The most popular legend that led to the establishment of Kheer Bhawani temple was that the Goddess raganiya appeared in the dreams of a local Pandit named Raghunath Gadru. It is believed that the goddess instructed him about the current location of the temple in the Tulmulla district. 

Another story in the context of Kheer Bhawani temple is that the temple was originally located in Sri Lanka where Ravana used to worship the Goddess with immense dedication. However when he captured Mata Sita, the Goddess became very angry and asked Lord Hanuman to shift her to Kashmir. 

It is even said that Lord Rama worshipped goddess Bhagwati at one time in Satyug.

Architecture of Kheer Bhawani Temple

The kheer Bhawani Temple draws huge inspiration from the Kashmiri as well as Mughal architectural style. It is said that in the Mughal period of Akbar some construction work was done for the temple resulting in different arches and domes. 

Some basic layouts are also from the Hindu temple architecture such as the santrum where the goddess’ idol is present and the Mandapam where devotees gather and offer their prayers to the Devi. 

Temple walls of the temple complex have intricate designs which can be dated back to ancient times. The current version of the temple, spring and pond was built by the former king of Jammu and Kashmir, Maharaja Pratap Singh in the early 20th century. Some renovation work was done by Maharaja Hari Singh as well in the later years.