Kheer Bhawani is a temple
dedicated to the Goddess Kheer Bhavani (originally just Bhawani) constructed
over a sacred spring. The worship of Kheer Bhawani is universal among the Hindus of Kashmir.
The temple is situated at a distance of 14 miles east of Srinagar near the village of Tul Mul. The
term kheer refers to rice pudding that is offered in the spring to
propitiate the Goddess, which became part of the name of the temple. As is the
custom with Hindu deities, she has many names: Maharagya Devi, Ragnya Devi,
Rajni, Ragnya Bhagwati, and so on.
Temple description
It is the most important temple for the Kashmiri Hindus in Kashmir,
known as the Kashmiri Pandits. Around the temple is an area covered with smooth
and beautiful stones. In it are large, old-growth chinar trees beneath which
the pilgrims sit or sleep on mats of grass. While most of the colours do not
have any particular significance, the colour of the spring water changes
occasionally. When black or darkish, it is believed to be an indication of
inauspicious times for Kashmir. In 1886, Walter Lawrence, the-then British
settlement commissioner for land, during his visit to the spring, reported the
water of the spring to have a violet tinge.
History
Maharagya was pleased with the devotion of Ravana and appeared before
him and Ravana got an image of the Goddess installed in Sri Lanka. However, the
Goddess became displeased with the vicious and licentious life of Ravana and so
didn't want to stay in Sri Lanka. Therefore, she is believed to have instructed
Lord Hanuman to get the image from Sri Lanka and install it at the holy spot of
Tul Mull. Though Ragniya is a Rupa of Durga, this one is a Vaishnav Rupa in
Kashmir Ragniya is also known as Tripura, while in (Sri) Lanka, the Mother
Goddess was called Shayama. Sita too, is believed to have been an incarnation
of Ragniya. Ragniya Mahatmya has it that those who meditate on Panch Dashi
Mantra during Nav-reh, Mother Ragniya grants their wish.
It is said that the night during which Mother Goddess came from (Sri)
Lanka to Kashmir was named Ragniya Ratri. In Kashmir a number of shrines are
deciated to Mother Goddess at Tiker, Bhuvaneshvar, Manzgam (Noor-abad) Bheda,
Lo-qraer-pur, Mani-gam, Rai-than and Baed-pur, but the Shrine at Tul-Mul is the
most famous one and hence the focus of yatris. 360 springs (nagas) are said to
have gathered there. Ragniya is a Sattavie form of Mother Goddess, i.e. the
form of tranquility and bliss.
The mention of Kheer Bhawani is found in Kalhana's Rajtarangini. Kalhana
writes that the sacred spring of Tula Mula is situated in a marshy ground. The
name of the spring is Mata Ragini Kund (pond).
Maharagini is the form of Durga Bhagvati. The brahmins of Kashmir
worship this spring and pilgrims from every comer of the country visit to have
the darshan of the place.
In Rajtarangini, Tula Mula and the spring of Maharagya has been
considered very sacred and the brahmins of Tula Mula considered notable for
their spiritual prowess.
Thousands of years ago, many floods occurred in Kashmir and the sacred spring
of Tula Mula was inundated under its sway and the holy place could nowhere be
traced. At last, Kashmir's Yogi Govind Joo had a dream in which the Goddess
appeared to him and directed that she would swim in the form of a snake at the
proper place and that he should stick large poles to demarcate the holy spot in
the marsh land. Subsequently, when the water subsided there the holy spot was
discovered. This event happened during the Samvat 4041 (Hindu lunar date).
In the past, with incessant offering of milk and sugar candy in the
spring by pilgrims, a thick layer of offerings had accumulated at its base.
When it was cleared, the ruins of an old temple and shrine slabs engraved with
figures were discovered. Here many images were also found but nobody rebuilt
the temple till the Samvat 1969 (Hindu lunar date) when Maharaja Pratap Singh
who was the disciple of the Goddess, got a temple of marble made in the midst
of the spring which shines like a pearl in a shell. The marble temple was
completed in 1920s. Some people are of the opinion that there was a mulberry
tree near holy spot of Kheer Bhawani which, in local language, is called tul
mul. But tul mul is also derived from the Sanskrit word atulya mulya meaning
great value. It is believed that Ravana, after his worship of the Goddess,
offered her kheer (rice pudding), which she accepted and since then it is
called Kheer Bhawani.
Sacred spring
A unique septagonal spring dedicated to Goddess Kheir Bhawani flows from
west(sheer or head section) to the east (padh or feet). The holy spring is
known to change its colour with various hues of red, pink, orange, green, blue,
white, etc. A black shade of the spring water is believed to be inauspicious.
(Kheer
Bhawani Temple situated at Tullamulla, in the Ganderbal District, is an
important Shrine. The Temple is associated with the Hindu Goddes, Ragnya Devi.
An annual festival is held here on Jesht Ashtami (May-June) when Hindus visit
the place in large numbers. Pilgrims also throng on every Shukla Paksh Ashtami
round the year and perform Hawans to please the Mother.
The
historic temple of Kheer Bhawani was built by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1912 and
later renovated by Maharaja Hari Singh. Surronded by streams, the place abounds
in chinar trees in and around the compound complex within which is a mexagonal
spring wherein Diety of Goddess Ragya is decorated and housed in a small white
marble temple.
The
legend goes that Ravana worshipped Mother Ragnya who showered her blessings on
his kingdom. The Godess thus resided in Srilanka. Later on due to Ravanas
misdeeds the Godess cursed him and ordered Hanuman Ji to take her to the
‘‘Satisar’’ (Kashmir), a place cut off from the outside world by snow clad
mountains. The Mother on her vehicle along with the 360 Nagas was installed at
Tulmulla, exclusively preferring milk, sugar and all vegetarian forms of
offerings. The Mother is worshipped by the name of Maha Ragnaya.
The
abode of the Mata Maha Ragnaya is mystic spring. This mystic is only one and
one in four of the world, where numerous Nagraj and their Ashtkul Nag Devas
reside. Sh. Ganpati, Bhimraj and Kumar resides at the Dooor of Amrit Kund. In
the middle of Amrit Kund towards east resides Asthnag Devas namely Vaskinag,
Neel Nagraj, Taksheq, Nagraj, Takshek Nag Raj, Padbnagraj, Maha Padam Nagraj
etc. In the centre of the Amrit Kund Anant Nagraj resides which is surrounded
by one thousand crore nagas having two thousand eyes and two hundred tongues.
Mata Maha Ragnya is seated on this Anant Nagraj on the one thousand peteled
rose. The Temple in Amrit Kund is a Devine invitation to all the devotees to
see how Para-Prakriti functions. It is vivid that the colour of the spring
changes serving as oon oblique omen about what is going to happen in near
future. The Pinkk, Milky, Light Green colour of the spring suggests the
auspicious omen and the Black, Dark Red indicates the wrong and inauspicious
signals.
Tullamulla
Nag were the Mata Maha Ragnaya resides in the form of Jal-Rupi having the form
of water or serpent has allegorical meanings. The surrounding water of island
is the ocean of infinite life energy full of dormant potentialities which
spread unfold expand and transport into tangible reality, the Goddess under the
canopy is the precious stone that grants all desires.
As late
as 1844 people used the cross the marshes by walking our reeds growing in the
sum. The legend has it that the curiosity about the spring spread further when
the learned Brahman Sh. Govind Joo Gadoo had a vision of the Goddess who
manifested herself as a serpant, the Devote Brahmin carried a vessel of milk,
arranged a boat, rowed through the meshes of Tulmul and upon reaching the
sacred spot to which the serpent/spring Goddess had led him, slowly poured out
the milk.
Supreme
Mother Ragnaya is variely ‘‘Maha Ragnaya’’ the world ‘‘Ragnaya’’ means the
Divinity of establishing, preservation and protection of manifested world. She
is the most adorable Mother, who springs forth the entire Universe. She keeps
the cycle of life in the process through different tires of consciousness known
as ‘‘Chita-Agni-Kunda-Sabhuta’’ which refers to the consciousness aspect. She
accepts no trace of ignorance. She is the Vaishnavi Spirits always in the Tune
with her consort adored as ‘‘Thousand faces Bhuteshura.’’
As we
know the ‘‘Vedas’’ Tantras and Sutras are the rare source of knowledge of the
supreme reality which on the practical realization give true solace and eternal
joy. Among the Paths suggests by the Sutras for realization of the truth,
sufficient importance has been laid on the path of devotion. The sincere clear
and true devotion lies in the sense of motherhood, which is an undeniable fact.
Suppreme power therefore is approached and worshipped as mother. The mother is thus
the supreme wealth, supreme love, supreme reality, realization of this truth
supreme sublime and divine as mother is the final beatitude of life.
Kheer
Bhawani is eulogised as the Goddess of learning and knowledge on the mean done
level and the Goddess of wisdom and enlightment on the spiritual level. She
values education and grants blessings for various examinations to all her
Devotees. It is said that all the leading saints have undergone penance Sadhana
in the Kheer Bhhawani complex and got the Spiritual bliss at this place).
Website:
No comments:
Post a Comment