It's Zeth-e-Aethum tomorrow

Tomorrow is the eighth day of the bright fortnight of Jeshtha, briefly called Zeth-e-Aethum in Kashmiri. It is the auspicious day for KPs as it’s the birthday of Maa Raignya or Kheer-Bhawani of Tulmul in Kashmir, the most reputed temple of modern Kashmir and frequently visited by Kashmiri Pandits besides an essential part of the itinerary of almost all Kashmir Tourists. The KPs are deeply attached to Maa Raignya or more popularly called Kheer Bhawani of Tulmul, a low land dusky village about 20 Kilometers from Srinagar. The temple stands in the middle of a natural spring surrounded by a vast expanse called Deevi-Angun with beautifully laid age old flat rectangular stone slabs. Lots of old but fresh huge Chinar trees with generously extended foliage around the temple spring give the temple a celestial aura and serve as a canopy for the pilgrims to rest. The divine aroma is instantly felt when one enters the extensive complex.
The small temple built in white marble, a masterpiece construction shines like a jewel in the middle of a hexangular crystal clear spring with its water miraculously changing colours indicating the coming good and bad times for the people. The pink red colour is a forecast indication of a happy and prosperous time while the black is the most inauspicious colour forecasting some worst impending misfortune.
Before the displacement of Pandits from Kashmir in 1990 the day used to be a major festival when almost all of them young and old came from far and near to pay obeisance and the huge complex could hardly accommodate them. Extensive arrangements for the transport, security and maintenance of thousands of pilgrims were made by the Government and social agencies for the event. The main attraction was the evening AARTI when thousands of devotees waving lighted Jyotis in their hands sang the preferred hymns of the goddess and the whole atmosphere reverberated with Maa Raignya’s generous bounties to be pocketed by her devotees.
Maa Raignya is considered a guardian deity by all Kashmir Pandits and every Ashtami of the bright fortnight is sacred to Her so they observe a fast in Her honour on this day round the year and it was a routine with lots of them to visit Tulmul on Ashtami and stay there for the night in the lap of the divine mother and ask for blessings and forgiveness for all their sins. The whole complex is maintained and guarded efficiently nowadays by the CRPF security personnel.
One of the popular legends connected with the Goddess is worth a mention. It’s said during Ramayana period the Goddess called Shyama had her abode in Sri Lanka ruled by the demon king Ravana who was Her fervent devotee and performed regular ablutions to her.When Ravana got Maa Sita the royal consort of Shri Rama forcibly during exile from their forest home to his palace the Goddess was annoyed beyond measure and she commanded Hunuman to take her on her shoulders along with her numerous snakes to Sati-Desh the old name for Kashmir. The Goddess had an extensive survey of the valley with certain memorable landings at some places and settled finally in the marshy place of Tulmul, the present spot of the temple. Nobody knew about the presence of the deity for a long time till one day the Goddess appeared in the dream of a saintly Pandit of Srinagar and commanded him to find Her abode in the marshes of Tulmul. The Pandit took a small boat and ferried it across the marshes guided by a snake ahead of him until he reached the spot. Here the snake took a dip and disappeared. He took the clue and emptied here the earthen pitcher filled with milk got along by him. Thus started his regular visits at the spot and with passage of time the popularity of the place grew manifold as desired by the Goddess.
Ma Raginya is called Kheer Bhawani too because it’s said that Kheer prepared with rice, milk and sugar is Her preferred food and the devotees invariably prepare the dish on all Ashtamis, offer it to the Goddess and eat it as prashaad.
The visiting Pandits to the valley make it a point to pay obeisance to the Goddess. Once there they wish for the deliverance of their sins that has put the community to such telling circumstances that there seems no end to their miseries.
Let’s wish again that on the auspicious day of Jaishth Ashtami tomorrow the blessing of the Tulmul Goddess prove a boon for us all and thus end our misfortunes for all times to come.
Jai Maa Tripursundari, Ashtadashbuzi Durga !!!!!!

The vote of a Kashmiri

The elections in J&K were complete yesterday as in the rest of India. Kashmiri once again defied the call of the separatists and gave a clear signal to the world that he in the heart of his hearts believed in the strength of vote not the gun of a militant. The belief of a common Kashmiri in the Indian democratic set up has further established. It is again a clear rebuff to the separatist elements working overtime strengthening hate-India campaign. These people have been successful to a large extent in exploiting the sensitive religious sentiment of the people and getting in their fold a good number of people especially youth to support them.There is no limit to the suffering of the masses in Kashmir at the hands of the terror machinery sponsored by Pakistan and her allies. Thousands of innocent people have been killed so far in the clashes between the security forces and the highly motivated and armed foreign militants. The innocent people became the victims of the wrath of both security personnel and hordes of gunmen playing hide and seek with them.In the scenario the courageous vote of a Kashmiri to send once again his representative to the Indian Parliament is of great significance. As such it’s high time for the Indian diplomats and the media especially to read the writing on the wall and work sincerely and with responsibility strengthening the growing pro-India sentiment in the valley. A single statement or action of the people at the helm of affairs or the irresponsible media can make a lot of damage. A common Kashmiri is a seriously bruised soul and a very bad victim of circumstances created by the enemy forces for the last more than two decades. He needs a sentimental approach to heal his wounds. He has given enough signals of his integrity towards India and it’s now for the politicians both Kashmir based (mainstream) and those in Delhi how they respect their fresh mandate for India.

Remembering Sarwanand Kaul 'Premi'

Sarwanand Kaul 'Premi' was a well-known social activist, Kashmiri poet and a reputed scholar. He was of ripe age (64 years) and lived in village Soaf Shali, District Anantnag, Kashmir. It was end of April 1990, terror was on peak in Kashmir, KPs settled throughout the valley for tousands of years were leaving their homes in large numbers for safety with flood of tears in their eyes to escape the unruly gun-yielding youth, most of them outsiders, enough emboldened with almost failed security structure of the valley. Hundreds of prominent men and women had been killed in most inhuman conditions to scare away the rest. Still many prominent KPs didn't opt to leave their homes for their good reputation and unflinching confidence on the majority community. Premi was one such person with high moral values and reputation along with unshaken confidence on all those he had worked for all his life. Though he was sincerely advised by many of his neighbours and friends to leave along with family in view of the mounting pressure of the militant activities and killings of his community members but he was adamant on his stay till on April 29, 1990 late in the evening when three gun-yielding youth entered his house and ordered him and his family members to surrender all their valuables, cash and gold ornaments immediately. After collecting this all they asked Premi to accompany them for some important talks with their leaders. He still didn't suspect anything wrong and told them that he would come himself during day wherever they liked but they insisted upon his accompanying them instantly as was required. They told his wailing wife and children that they’re not doing any harm to him as he was returning immediately. At last when he was ready to leave his son Virender (Age 27), as destiny had ordained for him also, wished to accompany his father for his safe return at night. The gunmen readily accepted and the duo left their house in the dead of night with them. What followed will put even the worst of criminals to shame. The bodies of the father and son were found hanging in the morning by trees outside the village. Their eyes had been gouged out with sharp weapons and their bodies bore numerous burn marks of cigarette butts. Their limbs had been broken mercilessly and the bodies were hanged by neck to the trees. To make their death doubly sure they were also shot at with several gun shots.
And the worst cum worst was that the place between Premi’s eyebrows was peeled off its skin and pierced with some sharp weapon where he put his Tilak, the mark of a devout Hindu. This was done to a person who was most beloved of not only Pandits but of all the Muslims of the area for his liberal views and moreover in whose house was surprisingly found a rare manuscript of the Holy Quran, the highly revered religious book of Muslims quite reverently placed on a shelf in his Puja room.
Peace be on their souls!!!!!