Kheer Bhawani Temple
Kheer Bhawani, Ksheer Bhawani or the Ragnya Devi temple is a Hindu temple situated at a distance of 25 kilometres (16 mi) north-east of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India, in the village of Tulmul in Ganderbal. It is dedicated to the Hindu goddess Kheer Bhavani 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. Kheer Bhawani is sometimes translated as 'Milk Goddess'. The worship of Kheer Bhawani is universal among the Hindus of Kashmir, most of them who worship her as their protective patron deity Kuladevi.
| Kheer Bhawani | |
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Khir, Ksheer, Kshir Bhawani, Ragnya Devi temple, Tulmul temple | |
The Goddess in an atmalinga form (see Linga) at Kheer Bhawani | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| Deity | Ragnya Devi |
| Festival | Mela Kheer Bhawani, Jyeshtha Ashtami |
| Location | |
| Location | Tulmul, Ganderbal |
| Country | India |
Shown within Jammu and Kashmir Kheer Bhawani Temple (India) | |
| Geographic coordinates | 34°13′16″N 74°43′48″E |
| Elevation | 1,592 m (5,223 ft) |
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| Hinduism |
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The sacred spring here has its own attached belief. An eponymously named mela is held annually here. It is one of the largest gatherings of Hindus in the region following the Amarnath pilgrimage. Maharaja Pratap Singh of Jammu and Kashmir and Maharaja Hari Singh contributed to building and renovating the temple.
There are other temples to Kheer Bhawani in the region, such as Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple at Tikker, Kupwara.