Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Chief Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday welcomed the celebration of two distinct religious festivals being celebrated across the Kashmir Valley on the same day.
The Kashmiri Pandit community is celebrating the Kheer Bhawani festival, while the Muslim community is celebrating the annual Urs of Hazrat Mir Syed Ali Hamdani, calling it a symbol of communal harmony in Kashmir. He stressed the importance of unity for national progress.
During his interaction with reporters, Abdullah said, “It is a matter of delight that the mela of Kheer Bhawani and Urs of Hazrat Mir Syed Ali Hamdani are being celebrated today. There has always been brotherhood in the valley. We want to see this brotherhood across the country. If we stay united, we will progress.”
The Kheer Bhawani mela is an important religious festival for the Kashmiri Pandit community. It is organised at the Kheer Bhawani temple located in Tulmulla town of the Ganderbal district. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Ragnya Devi, a form of Goddess Durga, and is considered one of the holiest sites for Kashmiri Hindus.
Abdullah, while urging people to go to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra, said, “We should go to Mata Vaishno Devi in Katra and appeal to the people to visit there. There has been a decrease in the number of devotees to Mata Vaishno Devi.
Meanwhile, LG Manoj Sinha also paid obeisance at the temple and offered prayers for peace, prosperity, happiness, and the well-being of all citizens.
During his visit, LG Sinha interacted with devotees and extended his warm greetings, acknowledging the spiritual significance of the day for the Kashmiri Pandit community and others who gathered at the temple.
Thousands of devotees thronged the shrine to mark the annual celebration, which holds deep cultural and religious importance in Jammu and Kashmir.
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