Kheer Bhavani mela

An annual festival is held on Jyestha Sukla Ashtami at Tulumul, Kashmir Thousands of Kashmiri Hindus pray to their Ishta Devi on the occasion.The shrine of Raegnya Bhagwati, also known as the shrine of Kheer Bhavani, at Tulumul, is one of the most revered Hindu temples of Kashmir The shrine is dedicated to the worship of Bhavan, the Divine Mother Tulumul is situated at a distance of 24 kilometres from Srinagar, towards the north of the city During the Hindu era. Tulumul was a place of great learning. The holy spring in the middle of which the temple of Maharatna is placed, is situated on the bank of a branch of the river Sindh In Mimata Purana, the river is mentioned as "Sandara Baga There are many references of Tulumul in the Rajatarangn The Ragina Kavach-a psalm in praise of the Divine Mother included in Sanskrit work of Rudrayamala Tantra-substantiates that Tullamulla is an ancient and popular place of pilgrimage among Kashmiri Hindus Dr Bhullar traced some sixteen manuscripts from Bmgisha Samhita, related to the holy places of Kashmir One of them is about Tulumul The Samhita mentions in detail about the sacred shrine of Bhavani.Shri Parmanand Research Institute, Srinagar in their publication Shri Shri Maha-Rajni Pradurbhavah, A leaf from Bmgisha Samhita has given a detailed description of the shrine. The origin of this temple has been described in the last chapter of Bmgisha Samhita. It is noted that Pulastya, the father of Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, was originally from Kashmir Ravana worshipped the Maharajni but in the form of Shyama. The Divine Mother bestowed Ravana, many boons. At the time of the war with Sri Rama Ravana tried to invoke the blessing of the Goddess by offering her various kinds of sacrifices. Thereupon the Goddess cursed him and ordered Hanuman to take her on the back and Anant serpent to Satisar, Kashmir Thus the Goddess came to Kashmir with 360 serpents, Nagas. The night, when the Divine Mother came to Kashmir, came to be called Rajni Ratri. The goddess is worshipped as Maharajni. For a long time the Tirtha at Tulmul remained under flood waters. There is a legend that the Divine Mother appeared in a dream to Pandit Govind Joo Gadoo and he was ordered to visit Tulumul He arranged a boat from Sowura Ghat and went to the abode of the Divine Mother with a number of earthen vessels filled with milk When he found the spring he poured milk into it. Perhaps for this reason this shrine is known as Kheer Bhawani Another version is that a pious Brahman Krishna Pandit found mention of the holy spring in a book called Brhad Katha Later, he had a vision in which he was informed by an angel that the holy spring of Mata Maharajni lay among the swamps of Tuimulla village He was further advised to move towards the north-east direction following a serpent from Shadipur and this actually happened Shri Krishna Pandit marked the place where the snake stopped. Then he moved in an oddly rectangular direction. The space thus covered, was also demarcated The swamp around the holy spring was filled up. Thereafter, a stone temple was constructed. One day Krishna Pandit was performing Puja, a Boj Patra, birch bark leaf, appeared floating in the spring. A Shaloka was written on the leaf The Shloka read, "1, prostrate to Supreme Goddess Maharajni who is lustrous, having around twelve suns and seated on lion's throne, wrapped by the serpents, not visible to the material eyes but realised by spiritualists.

Shri Krishna Pandit composed a poem of as many stanzas as there were letters in the Shloka and this poem Rajani Sotra is still extant. Although it is recorded that the discovery of the holy spring was made on Asharal Saptami, 7 day of the bright fortnight, in June-July, but devotees throng this place on every 8 day Ashtami, and an annual festival is held on every Jyestha Sukla Ashtami.

The holy spring has an irregular heptagon shape, with the apex called Paad situated to the east. The northern and southern sides are longer than the western side, which is called Sher or head. It is shaped like AUM in the Sharada. script. In the centre of the spring the Maharajni temple stands. The spring is situated in the centre of an island round which the Gang Khai, a canal from Sindh, makes a circuit. The spring is said to be surrounded by 360 springs Most of these are covered with bushes and silted up. In 1902. Pandit Ved Lal Dhar cleared the sedimentation of the main spring. The digging unearthed an ancient temple in the centre, built of large sculptured white stone with superb artistic features and marvellous images of deities The whole shrine was repaired by Maharaja Partap Singh the Dogra ruler in 1907. Maharajni is the Ishta Devi of Kashmiri Hindus.

According to Hindu scriptures, Hindu deities are expressed in three manifestations, (1) ionic form, wooden, stone or metal (2) Mantra, sound form (3) Yantra, a mystic symbol. The deities are usually worshipped in ionic forms In the Tantric culture, the devotees concentrate on a mystic symbol or Yantra, geometrical abode of the deity and are supposed to acquire super-physical powers. The Yantra is drawn by using the dot, Bindu, the straight lines, the triangle and the circle. Tantriks is a way of worship In Tantra Shastra, Maharajni has a prescribed diagram, Chakram, with her Shaktis. Mantra is a sound form of the deity It is chanted to invoke the deity in the mind generally known as Dyanam According to Maharajni Pradurbhavah the Mantra of Maharajni is a 15-worded Mantra. An appropriate ritual has to be followed while reciting the Mantra.

The pilgrimage to Kheer Bhavani has a great significance. While going to Kheer Bhavani first the pilgrims reach Vicharnag-the spring of contemplation, then to Tyangal-Bal-the hill of ambers, after which the pilgrims reach Kavaj Var -the cremator's groove and Amar- Haer-the immortal ladder. The third place is Anchar Lake, which derives its origin from Aachar-righteousness. Finally, the pilgrims reach their destination-Divine Mother.

Swami Vivekananda visited Tulumul during his stay in Kashmir Soon after, he had a vision of Mother Kali at a solitary place near Srinagar, Swami Ji went to Kheer Bhavani on 30 September 1898. There he lived an austere life and of devotion to the Mother for a week. His biography

narrates the details of his stay at the shrine. Before this famous shrine of the Mother he daily performed Homa, and worshipped Her with offering Kheer made of one mound of milk, rice and almonds. Every morning he used to worship a Brahmin pandit's little daughter as Uma Kumari, 'the Divine Virgin. When he returned to Srinagar, he appeared before his disciples a transfigured presence, writes Nivedita No more Hari Om. It is all Mother Mother now he said. One day at Kheer Bhawani he had been pondering over the ruination and desecration of the temple by the Muslim invaders Mother spoke to him what, even if unbelievers should enter My temples and defile My images! What is that to you? Do you protect me? Or do I protect you?"

At the same shrine, in the course of worship one day, Swami Ji wished in his heart that he were able to build a new temple in place of the one which is in a dilapidated condition. He was startled in his ruminations by the voice of the Mother Herself, saying to him. My child! If I so wish I can have innumerable temples and magnificent monastic centres. I can, even at this moment, raise a seven-storied golden temple on this very spot. After that Swami Ji said "Since hearing that Divine Voice, I cherish no more plans. The idea of building Maths etc, I have given up as Mother wills, so it will be "On this, one of his disciples asked, "Sir, you used to say that Divine Voices are the echo of our inward thoughts and feelings Swami Ji gravely said, Whether it be internal or external, if you actually hear with your ears such a disembodied voice, as I have done, can you deny it and call it false? Divine Voices are actually heard, just as you and I are talking"

 

Shrines, dedicated to the worship of Kheer Bhavani, are found at a number of places in Kashmir. The shrines are marked by the presence of the holy spring and a place of worship dedicated to Bhavani. (Source, Kashmir-Hindu Shrines, by CL Gadoo)

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Courtesy:-   Chaman Lal Gadoo  and  Koshur Samachar  2018, July