The story of Goddess Kheer Bhawani

(Tullamulla of Kashmir)

Sham S. Misri

Located in Kashmir, some Twenty-one kilometers from Srinagar, set in a grove of ancient Chinars is the shrine of Khir Bhawani. The temple rises from the surrounding waters of a spring, the colors of which are supposed to change according to the moods of the Goddess, thus predicting the fortunes of the state! We offer rice desserts called Khir there. The clear blue green spring surrounding the temple is in the middle of a garden of Chinars.

Kheer Bhawani is one of the mysterious springs situated near village of Tullamula. Near the main spring, a mulberry tree also grew here. The whole place round Tullamula is swampy and for miles around there are rice fields. The main spring dedicated to Goddess Kheer Bhawani has an irregular heptagonal shape with its apex called Pad (feet) to the East. The northern and the southern sides are longer than the western side, which is called Shirr (Head). In the center of the holy spring where once stood a mulberry tree, there is one marble temple. The water of the spring changes its color from red, pink, and orange, green, blue and has often light green, red rosy and milky white shades. Any shade of black color is inauspicious for the inhabitants of the valley. Bubbles have been observed which form the mystic Chakra on the surface of the water. We Kashmiri Pandits have great veneration for the holy shrine.

There is a story regarding the holy spring. When Ravana gets killed at the hands of Rama, the Goddess Bhawani orders Hanuman to carry her to Satisar-Kashmir along with 360 Nags. Hanuman selects the site and installs the Goddess in the Northern part of the valley. She comes to be known as Kheer Bhawani or Ragnya Bhagwati. Her favourite offerings consist of rice cooked in milk and sugar, and all other vegetarian forms of diet.

The existence of the holy spring comes to light among the people when one pious Brahmin named Krishna Pandit of Habba Kadal in Srinagar gets a vision wherein he is informed by a Deva to offer Puja to Kheer Bhawani in the swamps of Tulamula.  To locate the Goddess and her holy abode, he is asked to hire a boat at Shadipora, where from a snake guides him to the destination. Krishna Pandit does the same and is extremely happy when the snake guides him through the swampy and marshy land, until he reaches the hollow trunk of a mulberry tree. The snake makes a dip and disappears from sight. The saint takes the clue and after performing Puja pours milk which he has brought for this purpose. It is thus that the holy spring is discovered and is known to Kashmiris. It is believed that the discovery of the holy spring has been made on the 7th day of the bright fortnight of the month of June-July. Kashmiri Hindus come here on every Ashtami - 8th day of the bright fortnight of each lunar month and majority of Kashmiri Pandits consider Kheer Bhawani as their protector Goddess.

Tullamula is a sort of floating garden. The natives say that if they dig a hole in the ground, they find fish coming from the tributary of the Sindh which drains the place. The village is surrounded by the tributaries of the Sindh which carry water from the Amar Nath and Gangabal glaciers.

A large variety of wild flowers grow in the vicinity and the most common being Mentha sylvestris (Vena) which is used in worship and the sale of which brings money to the peasant population.  

There are many willows, poplars,  mulberry, elm trees and chinar trees on the main island. Water and vegetation is abundant. In summer, the birds nestling on trees produce melodious music. The golden oriole, the thrush, the ringdove, the paradise flycatcher, the bulbul are conspicuous by their song and plumage. In winter the wild fowl, the shoveller, the mallard, the gadwall, the widgeon, the teal, the paddy bird, the coot and such other birds are found in the Anchar Lake and round about the swamps.

Mention of this place is made in the Ragnya Pradurbhava. During the early period of the Epic Age, King Ravana rules Lanka. In order to gain power and glory he worships goddess Parvati who manifests herself to him in all her nine aspects. For some time he remains sober-minded and worships the goddess with all devotion.

But, when Shri Rama King of Ajodhya invades Lanka the generals of his army Sugrev and Hanuman kill King Ravana’s brother Kumbakaruna and his son Megnad. Ravana’s wife Mandudhari begs him to make peace with Shri Rama. He is sparked with rage and tries to invoke the blessing of the goddess by offering her various kinds of sacrifices. Thereupon the goddess, wrathful at Ravana’s misdeeds, curses him and orders Hanuman to take her to Sati Sar (Kashmir) on her vehicle along with 360 Nags. Hanuman selects a spot in the northern side of the valley within the space surrounded by the villages of Borus, Ahatung, Ladwun, and Wokur. Here he installs the goddess with all her satellites. She is called Khirbhawani or Raji Ragnya, exclusively preferring milk, sugar, rice and all vegetarian forms of offerings.

Kalhana in his Rajatarangini  says :

“When king Jayapida (850-88A.D.) of Kashmir was seizing the land of Tullamula, he heard, while on the bank of the Candrabhaga, that a hundred Brahmans less one had sought death in the water of that stream.”......

The ancient Tirtha of Tullamula, having the large spring is sacred to goddess Maharagnya.  The water of this miraculous spring changes colors, ascribed to the manifestation of the goddess. The Tirtha attracts large numbers of pilgrims.

About two and a half miles to the east of Tulamula is the village of Dudrhom on the main branch of the River Sind.

Mention has been made in the Rajatarangini of king Jayapida confiscating the lands of the Brahmans of Tulamula. The Brahmins troubled by the misdeeds of the Raja went in a body to see him. They were detained by the courtiers. Thereupon, they raised a hue and cry and were called by the Raja. They attacked him vehemently and one of them cursed him with the result that there and then a golden rod from the royal canopy fell on the Raja, causing him a wound which proved incurable and brought about his death. Since then the Brahmans of Tullamula are held in high esteem and represent a well-to-do people.

It is said that Ravana’s father Pulasti Reshi lived in Kashmir.  A big dharmshala lies on the north of the spring. It was built during the reign of Maharaja Ranbir Singh. Later on, during recent times the road is black topped and is made fit for wheeled traffic.

It is said that this spring is surrounded by 360 springs. Most of these are covered with bushes and silted up.

Before the main spring came to be known the goddess was worshipped at Solur where under a Chinar tree a spring still exists. This spot is called Devot Wol Buin. One mile north-east of this island near Lodwan village is Ganesh Bal or Vodjen where Ganesh is worshipped. The other springs which are still known are: Ashta Rudhar to the south, Tsandar Nag to the south-east. Machi Nag, Naga Rad, Gokhin Nag are to the east.

Swami Vivekananda visited Khir Bhavani Devi and stayed there for seven days. He worshipped the Devi and made offerings to her with Khir. Every day he used to worship the Devi with 40 Kgs. of Khir as offering.