Syllabus:

GS1: Indian Culture - Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

Context: 

Zyeth Atham (Jyeshtha Ashtami), observed on the eighth day of Shukla Paksha (the waxing phase of the moon) in the Hindu month of Jyeshtha (May–June), which fell on June 3, holds profound importance for the Kashmiri Pandit community. 

More on the News

• On this day, devotees honor Goddess Ragnya Devi, also known as Kheer Bhawani, at her temple in Tulmulla, in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir.  
• Tulmulla is approximately 25 kilometers northeast of Srinagar.

About Kheer Bhawani Temple

• The temple is named after Kheer, the main offering to Goddess Kheer Bhawani, revered by Kashmiri Pandits as their Kuldevi, an incarnation of Mata Durga. 
• It is dedicated to Hindu Goddess Ragnya Devi, an incarnation of Goddess Durga.
• According to a popular legend, the goddess Ragnya Devi was once worshipped by King Ravana in Lanka. However, she became unhappy with his cruel and oppressive rule.
• Displeased by his tyranny, she decided to leave Lanka. With the help of Lord Hanuman, she journeyed to Kashmir and eventually chose Tulmulla as her new home.
• Hanuman chose a place in the northern part of the Kashmir Valley, within the area surrounded by the villages of Borus (Bhawanish), Ahatung (Tungish), Ladwun (Labdawan), and Wokur (Bhageh).
• At this spot, he installed the goddess along with her attendants. She came to be known as Khirbhawani or Raji Ragyni and is said to accept only milk, sugar, rice, and other vegetarian offerings.
• Maharaja Pratap Singh built this temple in 1912, which was later renovated by Maharaja Hari Singh. 

Literary reference: 

• The temple, nestled amidst chinar trees and built over a sacred spring, finds mention in numerous ancient texts, including Kashmiri historian Kalhana’s 12th-century chronicle Rajatarangini.
• Kashmiri educationist and ornithologist Samsar Chand Kaul, in his book The Mysterious Spring of Khir Bhawani, notes that this place is mentioned in the final chapter of the Ragnya Pradurbhava, a section of the British Samhita. 

Architecture: 

• The shrine features a hexagonal spring surrounding a marble temple that houses the idol of the presiding deity. 
• The architecture of the temple is simple yet beautifully created using smooth grey stones. 
• The temple's main altar stands in the centre of a pond, featuring a marble platform that holds the goddess's idol in the sanctum sanctorum.

• Waters of the sacred spring, known as ‘Nag’ in Kashmir, are known to change colour, and according to local belief, reflect the fortunes of the Valley. 

• Light hues such as blue and green are considered auspicious, while darker shades, particularly black or red, are viewed as forewarnings of turmoil.

• Kashmiri Pandits recall that in 1990, around the time of their mass exodus from the Valley, the sacred spring is said to have turned black. This unusual event has remained a powerful and symbolic memory within the community ever since.

• The mela at Kheer Bhawani Temple, managed by Jammu and Kashmir Dharmarth Trust, continues to draw thousands of devotees annually.