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'Mela Khir Bhawani' brings Pandits back to the Valley

It was a dream come true for Shamboo Nath Bararoo, Kamla and hundreds of other Kashmiri Pandit migrants when they took part in the hawan organised on the occasion of the annual 'Mela Khir Bhawani' at Tulmulla temple, about 26 km from Srinagar today.

Kashmiri Pandits visited the temple for the first time after their migration from here ten years ago.

Sixty-year-old Bararoo said that after the death of his brother last year in Jammu, he never thought he would be able to come here and pray at Khir Bhawani temple again. ''It was a dream come true for me to take part in the "hawan," he said.

Similar feelings were expressed by Arvind Kaw, M L Chutu, K L Mahaldar and others who had come all the way from Jammu and Mumbai to participate in the mela.

Kamla, 60, recalling her happy days in Kashmir, said she used to visit Khir Bhawani alongwith her family almost every year before migrating to Jammu. She said it was her maiden visit to the temple, in fact to the Kashmir valley after she left in early 1990.

Tears clearly visible in her eyes, she said she was more than delighted to see Muslims receiving their Pandit brethren. She said she had no words to express herself for the help extended to devotees by Muslims of the area.

Kamla said she found the same Kashmir that she left ten years ago. After meeting Muslims here she found no change in any way in their attitude towards Pandits. She added: ''I pray to god for early peace in Kashmir.''

She said she was looking forward to come here again and living with Muslim neighbours again like in the past when happy and sad days were shared together.

A migrant who had hired a taxi from Jammu to here said this year the number of Kashmiri Pandits from Jammu will be less as most of them decided to give money they were expected to spend during this yatra for the welfare of family members of Kargil martyrs.

Adequate security arrangements were made at the temple for devotees though no militant outfit had given any threat.

The state government had also set up medical and other camps and made arrangements for special buses to take devotees to Khir Bhawani from different migrant camps.

UNI

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