Friday 15 July 2022

Shri Kheer Bhawani Temple / Kheer Bhavani Mandir / Kshir Bhawani, Tulmulla / Tullamulla, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India.

The visit to this Shri Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple at Tulmulla / Tulmulla before Sambal on Pahalgam to Baltal road in Jammu & Kashmir was a part of AMARNATH JI yatra on 05th July 2014. This was a continuation Yatra to Kailash and Chardham ( Yamunothri, Gangothri, Badrinath and Kedarnath ), with the same Group, but with a change of Travel agency. The main itinerary in this Amarnath yatra includes Shiv Khori Cave, Shri Vaishno Devi Cave, Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple, Amritsar, Wagah border and Shri Raghunath Temple Jammu.

The name Kheer obtained from the Indian dessert Kheer ( A mixture of rice and milk ), offered to the Goddess. This Hindu temple is surrounded by mosques. Hence there will be a communal tension exists always, especially during annual festival all the Kashmir Pandits will assemble in this village.

Main entrance guarded by Military personnel.

The presiding deity  :  Goddess Ragnya Devi
She is also called different names like Ragniya Devi, Maharagya Devi, Ragnya Devi, Rajni Devi, Ragnya Bhagwati etc,.  

Some of the salient features of this temple are....
The abode / sanctum Sanctorum of Mata Maha Ragnya is surrounded by a mystic spring called amrit kund. Mata Maha Ragnya is seated on this Anantnagraj on the one thousand petaled rose. Hanuman, Shri. Ganpati, Bhimraj and Kumar are in the praharam. In the middle of the amrit kund towards east resides AsthNag  Devas namely Vasuki nag, Neel Nagaraj, Taksheq Nagaraj, Takshek Nagaraj, Padbnagaraj, Maha Padam Nagaraj etc,.

Shri Kheer Bhawani  

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS 
As late as 1844 people used the cross the marshes by walking our reeds growing in the sump. The legend has it that the curiosity about the spring spread further from the learned Brahman Shri. Govindjoo Gadoo had a vision of the Goddess who manifested herself as a serpent. The devotee Brahman carried a vessel of milk arranged a boat rowed through the marshes  of Tulmul and upon reaching the sacred spot to which the serpent spring Goddess had led him slowly poured out the milk.

Latter on the same place this historic temple of Kheer Bhawani was built by Maharaja Pratap Singh of Jammu & Kashmir in 1912 and latter renovated by Maharaja Hari Singh surrounded by streams / holy springs. The temple complex is in the midst of Chinar trees and the main deity Goddess Ragnya is in a hexagonal marble Sanctum sanctorum surrounded with spring, called amrit kund.

LEGENDS 
The legend goes that worshiped mother Ragnya as Shayama, who showered her blessings on his kingdom of Ravana. The goddess thus resided in Sri Lanka. Later on due to Ravana’s misdeeds the Goddess cursed him and ordered Hanuman Ji to take her to the “Satisar” ( Kashmir), a place out off from the outside world by snow clad mountains. The mother on her vehicle along with 360 Nagas was installed at Tullamulla. The mother is worshiped by the name Mata Ragnya. The mata in Srinagar is as Tirupurasundari and Vaishnav.

In another legend Rama worshiped Mata Ragnya during his exile. After the exile, Mata Ragnya was shifted to Shadipora, from where shifted to this present place as per Mata Ragnya’s wish. It is further believed that Sita was the incarnation of mata Ragniya.

The mystic is only one and four of the world, where numerous Nagraj and their Ashtkul-Nag Devas reside. It is believed that, at the centre of the amrit kund Anant Nagraj resides which is surrounded by one thousand core Nagas having two thousand eyes and two thousand tongues. The temple in amrit kund is a divine invitation to all the devotees to see how Para-Prakriti functions. It is vivid that the colour of the spring changes serving as an oblique omen about what is going to happen in near future. The pink, milky and light green colour of the spring suggests the auspicious omen and the black and dark red indicates the wrong in auspicious signals. It was told that during 2014 flood in Kashmir, the colour changed to black.

Tullamulla Nag were the mata Rangya resides in the form of Jal-rupi having the form of water or serpent has allegorical meanings. The surrounding water  of island is the ocean of infinite life energy full of dormant potentialities  which spread  unfold expand and transport in the precious stone that grants all desires.

Shree Bhawani is praised as Goddess of learning and knowledge on the mean level and the Goddess of wisdom & enlightenment on the spiritual level. She values education and grants blessing for various examinations to all her devotees. It is believed that all leading saints like Swami Vivekananda, Prasad Joo Parimoo, Swami Rama Tirtha, Bhagwan Gopinath Bhan, etc, did penance / meditated in Kheer Bhawani Temple Complex and got the spiritual enlightenment.

Shree Bhawani is being praised as....
"I make obeisance to that one Goddess, who having taken the position of the supreme God is the Queen in reality, whose form is made of light and is adorned by the lustre of 12 suns who cannot be observed through senses, who is seated on a throne and is wrapped with serpents."

The Presiding deity Goddess Ragnya Devi with amrit kund

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS
An annual festival / mela ( on the 8th day of full moon in the month May ) is held here on Jesht ashtami ( May – June ), when Hindus visit this place in large numbers. Pilgrims also throng on every shukla paksha ashtami round the year and perform poojas  to please the mother. Navratri also celebrated in a grand manner.
 
Milk, Sugar and Vegetarian food offerings is done at this temple.

TEMPLE TIMINGS
The temple will be kept opened between 05.30 hrs to 21.00 hrs during summer and 06.30 hrs to 20.00 hrs during winter.

HOW TO REACH 
Kheer Bhavani Temple is about 22 KM from Srinagar,
Nearest Railway station and Airport are at Srinagar. 

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE :CLICK HERE

Second entrance
Sri Ganpati and Hanuman Shrine 
A small shrine under chinar tree
A duck is swimming in a nallah outside the temple. Above water it seems to be calm but to move and keep balance the legs will be struggling always. This is applicable to human beings, means - out side they may look calm but they will be struggling with worries.

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

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