Introduction

The village of Ganderbal lies on the road between Srinagar and Sonamarg. Five kilometers from this village is the shrine of Kheer Bhawani in a little village called Tulmul. The word ‘tulmul’ loosely translates as ‘great value’. Legend has it that King Ravana of Lanka supplicated the goddess Ragnya Devi, a local version of the goddess Bhawani. She appeared before him and accepted an offering of ‘kheer’, rice pudding in milk from him and blessed him. She also gave him permission to install an image of her in Lanka. As the years went by, Ravana no longer remained the pious man that he once was and then committed the heinous cat of of abducting Sita, the wife of Rama. When Hanuman set the capital of Ravan on fire, at Bhawani’s command he brought back the image that Ravana had had installed. This image was then placed in Tulmul. The spring in the temple is considered to be an embodiment of the goddess. Tulmul is also the site of a major annual festival and ‘Jesht Ashtami’ which is held in May-June when the goddess according to local belief, changes the color of the spring waters. The shrine is held in considerable veneration and local people as well as visitors make it a point to pay their obeisance.

The name ‘Kheer Bhawani’ comes from the original offering of rice-pudding.

Special Attributes

Temple held in considerable veneration

Nuisance

None as such

Dressing restrictions

Clothing that do not retain water

Connectivity

Taxis and buses

Enjoyed by

Religious folk

Exposure

No

Avoidable Season

Open through the year

Facilities

Basic restaurants close by

Things Not Allowed

No shoes in the temple

Tip

The festival (Jesht Ashtami) is a chance to mingle with local people

Type of site

Temple