Thousands Gather for Jyeshtha Ashtami at Jammu’s Kheer Bhawani Peeth
Thousands of devotees thronged the Kheer Bhawani Peeth in Jammu’s Janipur area on Monday to celebrate Jyeshtha Ashtami, a major religious festival for the Kashmiri Pandit community. The temple, a replica of the revered Mata Kheer Bhawani shrine at Tulmulla in Ganderbal district, saw a steady stream of worshippers from early morning.
The first ‘aarti’ was held at 3 am, initiating day-long ceremonies including special prayers, havan, devotional singing, and distribution of prasad. The shrine was constructed in Janipur following the mass migration of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the early 1990s due to militancy.
Community Effort Preserves Cultural Identity
Built through community efforts, Kheer Bhawani Peeth has become a vital center of faith and cultural identity for the displaced Kashmiri community. It enables devotees to continue age-old traditions associated with Mata Kheer Bhawani despite being away from their ancestral homeland.
“Not everyone can travel to Kashmir, and this temple fills that void for us,” said Sheela Kumari, who came from the Bohri area of Jammu city. She added that devotees prayed for their families’ health and well-being, hoping to one day return to their homeland and offer prayers at the original shrine in Kashmir.
Elaborate Arrangements and Traditional Offerings
The temple management made elaborate arrangements for the annual festival. Traditional offerings including kand (sugar candy), milk, flowers, and incense were arranged for devotees. Over 20,000 earthen lamps were prepared, with devotees offering them while seeking fulfillment of their wishes.
Sushil Wattal, a governing body member of the temple, said they coordinated with various government departments to ensure uninterrupted services and medical assistance throughout the event. The shrine holds special significance for those unable to visit the original temple in Kashmir, serving as a spiritual link to their roots.
