Chief Secretary, DGP offer Prayers
Jammu: Amid heightened security and recent tensions in the region, hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits on Sunday began their annual pilgrimage to the revered Kheer Bhawani shrines across Kashmir Valley. The religious yatra, one of the largest for the displaced community, is being held this year under a visibly cautious yet spiritually resolute atmosphere following the recent Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent Indo-Pak hostilities.
A convoy of 60 buses, mostly carrying Kashmiri Pandit devotees, was flagged off from Nagrota on the outskirts of Jammu early Sunday morning. The convoy was jointly seen off by Relief Commissioner (Migrants) Arvind Karwani, Deputy Commissioner Jammu Sachin Kumar Vaishya, and senior police officials. The devotees are scheduled to offer prayers on Tuesday, June 3, at the five shrines of Ragnya Bhagwati — located in Tulmulla (Ganderbal), Manzgam and Devsar (Kulgam), Logripora (Anantnag), and Tikkar (Kupwara) — before returning to Jammu the following day.
Despite elaborate arrangements and assurances from the administration, the turnout this year has been visibly lower than usual. The tragic April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists, and the brief but intense military confrontation between India and Pakistan in early May, are being seen as key factors for the muted participation.
Nevertheless, the spirit of devotion remains unshaken. “I am a regular visitor to Kheer Bhawani and have no fear going there this time,” said Shruti Dhar, a devotee who migrated from Srinagar’s Sanat Nagar to Jammu. “We have seen worse situations. What happened in Pahalgam was barbaric, but our faith is stronger.”
Another devotee, Saroj, who is not a native Kashmiri but married into a Pandit family, expressed similar sentiments: “This is my first visit to the Valley. There is no fear. Terrorists may want to scare us, but we will defeat them by showing up in large numbers.”
Raj Kumar, a Delhi-based member of the displaced community, stressed the need for vigilance: “The government should ensure that Pahalgam-like incidents never happen again.”
As pilgrims began their journey, the top brass of the J&K administration visited the key shrine in Tulmulla to oversee final preparations.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, during his visit to the Kheer Bhawani temple in Ganderbal, offered prayers and reviewed the readiness of transport, lodging, sanitation, medical care, and power supply. He emphasized inter-departmental coordination to ensure a smooth pilgrimage and expressed confidence in a large turnout.
Meanwhile, Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat also visited the Tulmulla shrine on Sunday to review the security apparatus. Accompanied by senior police officers from Ganderbal, the DGP paid obeisance at the temple and ensured that security, surveillance, and disaster management arrangements were in place across all five mela sites.
Authorities confirmed that robust security and logistical support, including medical facilities and accommodations, have been arranged along the entire pilgrimage route and at shrine locations. Senior Superintendent of Police, Jammu, Joginder Singh assured, “All arrangements are in place to ensure the pilgrims’ safety and comfort.”
Despite the shadow of recent violence, the ongoing preparations and the determination of the devotees signal the resilience of faith and the yearning for return. The Kheer Bhawani Mela, rooted deeply in the cultural and spiritual identity of Kashmiri Pandits, continues to serve not only as a religious event but also as a symbol of communal endurance and hope for peaceful reintegration into their homeland.
