Hundreds Of Kashmiri Pandits Gather At Annual J&K Mela Under Tight Security

The Kashmiri Pandits have gathered at Tulmulla despite a weather advisory and security concerns after the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

Srinagar:

Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits have gathered at Tulmulla in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district to participate in the annual Kheer Bhawani Mela, an age-old festival symbolising Kashmir's rich cultural and spiritual heritage.

Despite a weather advisory and security concerns after the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, faith has brought the Kashmiri pandits back to their roots for the annual reunion that follows over three decades of separation and displacement.

After the outbreak of terrorist attacks in 1990, thousands of Pandit families had migrated from the Valley to Jammu and other parts of the country. Official records show over 64,000 Kashmiri Pandit families are living outside Kashmir Valley - among them 43,000 in migrant camps in Jammu and over 19,000 in Delhi.'

Dedicated to Goddess Ragnya Devi, the Kheer Bhawani Mela is one of the largest Hindu gatherings in the Valley, second only to the Amarnath Yatra.

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