Mela Kheer Bhawani to be low-key affair for 2nd consecutive year

Srinagar, Jun 17: Mela Kheer Bhawani, one of the most important religious festivals for the Kashmiri Pandit community, is going to be a low key affair for the second consecutive years due to covid-19 pandemic.
Reports said that due to the pandemic, barely any devotee has arrived at the Kheer Bhawani temple, nestled in the shade of mammoth Chinar trees in Tulmulla village of the Ganderbal.
However, reports said the holy rituals and aarti of the deity would be conducted as per the tradition by the priests in the temple.
With hardly any devotees for the ‘mela’ this year, the Tulmulla town wore a deserted look.
Normally, thousands of devotees, mostly Kashmiri Pandits, arrive at Mata Ragnya Devi temple to celebrate the annual festival.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference General Secretary Haji Ali Muhammad Sagar urged the divisional administration to make adequate arrangements for Kheer Bhawani festival at Ganderbal.
In a statement, he said that the divisional administration was duty bound to provide all facilities to the devotees on the occasion. A national conference leader visited the temple premises and interacted with the organizers. On the occasion the leader made an appeal to the administration to live-stream Puja/Aarti owing to Covid 19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, advisors to Lieutenant Governor, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar; Farooq Khan and Baseer Ahmad Khan extended their warm greetings to the people of Jammu and Kashmir especially the Kashmiri Pandit brethren on the auspicious occasion of Mela Kheer Bhawani.
In a joint message of greeting, the Advisors maintained that this festival is a shining example of communal harmony, brotherhood and mutual respect and further invigorates the cause of brotherhood and amity across J&K.
They added that this auspicious occasion renews resolve of the people of J&K towards upholding the value and high traditions of co-existence, brotherhood and communal harmony.
The Advisors also prayed for peace, progress and prosperity of entire Jammu and Kashmir.
Also, Director Health Services Kashmir, Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Rather visited Kheer Bhawani Temple to take stock of the arrangements of healthcare facilities, an official statement said.
The Director visited the site and took stock of all the arrangements made for the pilgrims, a spokesman of the DHSK said.
At the site, the Director said that all the arrangements have been made at the site.
The spokesmen said in view of Covid-19,thermal screening and other arrangements have been made available for pilgrims like emergency equipment and emergency medicines.
Masks, sanitizers have been made available in “good quantities” at site. The Director appealed to all the pilgrims to follow the guidelines issued by the government.
The DHSK also issued on spot directions with respect to implementation of Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) or guidelines.
The Director also directed the concerned Chief Medical Officer to ensure thermal scanning of all the pilgrims before entering into the temple.
Besides, displaying IEC/awareness for the general public, he further directed the district officers to put in place at least 5-bedded medical aid camp equipped with oxygen to mitigate any kind of eventuality.
The Director also directed CMO Ganderbal to augment the human resource at PHC Tulmulla for better health care services and keeping the holy festival into consideration. (GNS)