KUPWARA, JUNE 3: Hundreds of devotees on Tuesday thronged the temple of Ragnya Devi, a revered goddess, to celebrate the annual auspicious festival of Mata Kheer Bhawani at Tikker Kupwara.
Annual festival was celebrated with religious fervor and great enthusiasm.
Devotees paid obeisance at the holy temple and participated in Pooja Archana, Havan and offered floral tributes to the idol of the Mata. Walking barefoot, the devotees carried rose petals, milk and offered tribute to the goddess.
Hundreds of devotees participated in the evening aarti. The religious sanctity of Mata Kheer Bhavani Temple, built close to a holy spring, has a special spiritual significance among Kashmir Pandit devotees across the world.
Annual festival presented the emotional scenes of harmonious coexistence, communal harmony, and cultural bonding between the Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims, as people from all walks of life, irrespective of their faith, had gathered at Tikker Kupwara, Kasmiri muslims welcomed the devotees.
The district administration Kupwara had made elaborate arrangements for the pilgrims.
Deputy Commissioner(DC) Kupwara, Ayushi Sudan along with SSP Kupwara, Gulam Jeelani visited several times to the holy temple along with district officers to take stock of arrangements for the pilgrims.
She extended her hearty greetings on the auspicious occasion of Mela Kheer Bhawani.
During her interaction with devotees, DC extended her best wishes to all the devotees.
Meanwhile, devotees thanked the District administration, especially DC Kupwara and SSP Kupwara for making elaborate arrangements.
Devotees are also paying obeisance at other religious places in Kupwara district like Sharda Mata Temple Teetwal, Badarkali Temple Handwara, Chandi Mata temple Chandigam Lolab, Gushi and Trehgam.