[ad_1]
The Mata Kheer Bhawani temple in Ganderbal has put in place a three-tier security arrangement for the annual festival. A 5 km area around the temple will be under surveillance by security forces, drones will be used for aerial surveillance and every activity will be monitored through CCTV.
Terrorists seem to have changed their modus operandi after they attacked a pilgrim bus in Reasi district, disturbing the peace in Jammu and Kashmir The festive season has kicked off in Kashmir with the first celebration of Mata Kheer Bhawani festival and the authorities have decided not to take any risk in celebrating the festival as thousands of Kashmiri Pandits from across the country and the world started reaching the temple a week in advance.
This time, the authorities have decided to bring devotees from Jammu to the temple in Turamulla town in Ganderbal district in protected vehicles. A convoy will be escorted from Jammu to the temple and the same security drill will be carried out after the festival.
Security forces are deployed in and around the temple a week before the festival. Every devotee entering the temple is thoroughly checked, has to undergo X-rays, and all worship items are checked by the police before entering the temple.
Jammu Kashmir Police, Central Reserve Police Force and Army are providing security in and around the temple. An area of around 5 km has been cordoned off and is being guarded by security forces. Besides manual security, technology is also being used to prevent any kind of threat or untoward incidents.
Senior Superintendent of Police Ganderbal Sandeep Gupta said, “We have made all necessary arrangements to ensure that nothing happens during the festive season. Apart from the Jammu Kashmir Police, we have also taken help from the Central Reserve Police Force and the Army. If the terrorists change their tactics, we have also taken that into consideration and are prepared,” Gupta said.
Devotees who have reached the temple appreciated the arrangements made by the district administration and the Dharmas Trust. Special tents inside the temple and rooms outside the temple were opened for the devotees and free langgar services were provided.
Pushpa Devi, who attended the festival, said: “I was a little scared before, but after seeing the arrangements here, the fear disappeared. Compared with previous years, the arrangements this year are better. We hope that the number of devotees coming to the temple this year will double that of previous years.”
Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple is very famous among Kashmiri Pandits. Most of them consider her as their Kuldevi. It is widely believed that the spring colours of the goddess in the temple can predict what will happen in the coming year.
The Pandits say that the colour of the spring was black in 1990 when the local Pandits left the valley. Similarly, the elders say that in 1947 when the tribals invaded Kashmir, the water of the holy spring also turned black that year, during the Kargil war, it turned black, and during the COVID pandemic, it turned red. If the colour of this holy spring turns red or black, then something bad will happen to the human beings all over the world, but if the colour is light blue or white, it indicates that the year will be full of happiness and good things. This year its colour is light blue.
“When the Kargil war broke out, the colour of the spring was black, but after the coronavirus outbreak, the water turned red. Mata foretells what will happen in the future,” said Goga Kalu, a female devotee.
The Kheer Bhawani temple festival is also a great example of brotherhood between the Hindus and Muslims of Kashmir. The local Muslims living around the temple offer milk, flowers and other things for worship to the visiting devotees.
Kheer Bhawani Mandir is a temple dedicated to Mata Maharagya Bhagwati and built over a holy spring. The temple is associated with Goddess Ragyana Devi, also known as Raginya or Kheer Bhawani, who is an incarnation of Maa Durga.
[ad_2]
Source link
