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 of Yatra to
Kailash and Chardham (Yamunothri, Gangotri, 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 is 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 that exists always, especially during the annual
festival all the Kashmir Pandits will assemble in this village.
The main entrance is 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 the east resides AsthNag
Devas namely Vasuki nag, Neel Nagaraj, Taksheq Nagaraj, Takshek Nagaraj,
Padbnagaraj, Maha Padam Nagaraj, etc,.
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.
Later
on, the same place historic temple of Kheer Bhawani was built by Maharaja
Pratap Singh of Jammu & Kashmir in 1912 and later 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 by a 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 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-fourth 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 clear that the color of the spring changes serving as an
oblique omen about what is going to happen in the near future. The pink, milky, and
light green color of the spring suggests the auspicious omen, and the black and
dark red indicate the wrong auspicious signals. It was said that during the 2014 flood in Kashmir, the color changed to black.
Tullamulla
Nag where the mata Rangya resides in the form of Jal-rupi having the form of
water or serpent has allegorical meanings. The surrounding water of the 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 the Goddess of learning and knowledge on the main level and
the Goddess of wisdom & enlightenment on the spiritual level. She values
education and grants blessings 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 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 luster 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 the full moon in 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
around the year and perform poojas to
please the mother. Navratri also celebrated in a grand manner.
Milk,
Sugar, and Vegetarian food offerings are done at this temple.
TEMPLE TIMINGS
The
temple will be kept open 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,
The nearest
Railway station and Airport are at Srinagar.
Second entrance
Sri Ganpati and Hanuman Shrine
A small shrine under a 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 applies to human beings, which means - that outside they may look calm but they will be struggling with worries.
