Jyeshtha Ashtami festival celebrated at Mata Kheer Bhawani temple in Kashmir, few pandits attend amid fear of attacks

New Delhi: The auspicious festival of Zyeshtha Atham, also known as Zyeshtha Ashtami is majorly celebrated by Kashmiri Pandits. The day also known as Jyeshtha Ashtami happens to be the eighth day of the bright half of Jyeshtha (May–June) month. In 19 long years, the least number of devotees visited Mata Kheer Bhawani temple this year.  

Most of the Kashmir Pandits boycotted the festival. After two years, Mela Kheer Bhawani commenced with the lesser ever number of devotees in the last 19 years. The annual religious festival at Tulmula Ganderbal temple known as "Mela Mata Khir Bhawani" has seen an impact spate of Target killings of Kashmiri Pandits and Nonlocals in the recent past. 

Back in 2019, the number was around 12 thousand devotees who paid obeisance however due to immense fear loaming following back-to-back killings of minorities in the past four weeks, the annual Mela was highly affected and the number at the temple was about 2-3 thousand including tourist. 

Many Kashmiri Pandits have boycotted the Mela citing the inability of the Government for failure of providing a sense of security. At Vesu Anantnag and Sheikh Pora Budgam, KPs castigated Government by saying that empty Government provided transport was returned back.  

Sanjay Koul ( PM package employee, resident of Vessu migrant camp ) said, "very less Kashmir pandits had arrived. All Kashmir Pandits have belief in Mata and hope her blessings will always be on us, we seek forgiveness from Mata that we couldn’t attend her temple this time, otherwise we have never missed this festival in the last 12 years we used to be there two days before, but this time because of administration all camp residents are not going kheer Bhawani it has many reasons, one big reason is the killings of Kashmir pandits so we are protesting and not going to temple and the second thing is when am not safe in my camp how am safe in Kheer Bhawani, may Mata keep his blessings on all."

BJP leader Nanaji Dembi, who is a Kashmiri pandit from Kupwara, agreed that the presence of devotees is less this time because of fear but hoped the brotherhood between Hindus and Muslims will give a befitting reply to the terror elements and he appealed to Muslims to come out to roads and condemn such acts by terrorists. His wife Rajni Dembi, associated with BJP, is the Sarpanch of Tregaam district in Kupwara, North Kashmir.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti made responsible BJP led Center government for this atmosphere she said, "recently Rahul Bhat and other belonging to minorities were targeted and killed, it’s obvious that the number of devotees in the temple will be less, I hope that things won’t remain same, time will change again and Pandits will again celebrate the Mela with full enthusiasm in coming times," she said.

Meanwhile, special prayers were offered at the sacred shrine for communal harmony and brotherhood amid fear and chaos. A sign of communal harmony is always revisited at this temple during the historical festival which provides an opportunity to local Muslims who wait eagerly to re-unite with the Pandit community who migrated from Kashmir in the early 1990s.