Kheer Bhawani Temple Jammu And Kashmir

Kheer Bhavani, Ksheer Bhavani or Ragna Devi Temple is a famous temple of Bhavani Devi. Located above a sacred spring of water in the village of Tulmul[a] in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir. It is 25 kilometers away from Srinagar. Kheer Bhavani Devi is worshiped by almost all Kashmiri Hindus. Traditionally, Kheer was offered in the temple in the spring season, hence the name ‘Kheer Bhavani’. She is known as Maharagya Devi. (Here the names Maha, Mata, Bhagwati and Devi are respectful.) It is believed that as a prediction of a natural disaster, the water in the temple pond turns black even before the disaster occurs.
Maharaja Pratap Singh and Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir have contributed to the construction and renovation of the temple. There are other temples of Kheer Bhavani in this area. Mata Kheer Bhavani Temple in Tikkar, Kupwara has been renovated by the Indian Army. In 2021, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Indian politician Rahul Gandhi visited the temple to pay homage to the goddess.

History, folklore and legends
According to the legend, Maharagya Devi was pleased with Ravana’s devotion and appeared before him. Ravana found an image of the goddess installed in Ceylon. However, the goddess became angry due to Ravana’s cruelty. With the help of Hanuman she came to Tulmul.
The color of spring changes here. In 1886 Walter Lawrence reported the spring water to be purple in color.
When Swami Vivekananda visited Kashmir in the 1890s, the condition of the temple while worshiping Kheer Bhavani worried him. In The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, the goddess says to Vivekananda, “I wish to live in a dilapidated temple, otherwise, if I wish, can I not immediately build here a seven-storey temple of gold. What can you do to help “Should I protect you or will you protect me?”
Jyeshtha Ashtami and Kheer Bhawani Fair/Yatra
Kheer Bhawani Temple is one of the more popular pilgrimages after Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir. Jyeshtha Ashtami is celebrated here.