J&K Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary visits Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple in Ganderbal, prays for "peace and harmony"

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Wednesday visited Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple in Ganderbal during Navratri and prayed for peace, harmony and prosperity.

Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Wednesday visited Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple in Ganderbal during Navratri and prayed for peace, harmony and prosperity. Speaking during his visit, "I have come to seek the blessings of Mata Kheer Bhawani. Navratri is a major festival, and after arriving from Jammu yesterday, I thought of visiting the temple... I have prayed for my family, but also for peace and harmony in Jammu and Kashmir. The brotherhood that Jammu and Kashmir is known for across the country and the world, along with its hospitality, must remain alive for generations... People here, whether Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian, are blessed to have the Goddess among them. May she continue to bless us all, irrespective of our religion, caste or community, and keep Jammu and Kashmir prosperous..."

Situated in the village of Tulmulla in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal, Mata Kheer Bhawani temple shrine is the holiest shrine of Kashmiri Pandits. The shrine is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Mata Ragnya and is constructed over a sacred spring. As is the custom with Hindu deities, the goddess has many names including Ragnya or Rajna along with variations in honorifics such as Devi, Mata or Bhagavati.

The term ‘Kheer’ refers to a milk and rice pudding that is offered to propitiate the goddess. The worship of Kheer Bhawani is universal among the Kashmiri Pandits as most of them worship her as their protective patron deity or Kuldevi. (ANI)