Kashmiri Pandits
Cultural Society (UK) in association with Vishwa Hindu Kendra, Southall organised the very first Kheerbhawani Puja Celebrations in London.
Twenty Four years ago the Kashmiri
Pandits (KPs) were forced to flee the homeland they once called their own and
are perhaps the only community that have been living as ‘migrants’ in their own
country ever since. Among various other traditions and rituals lost because of
the forced migration, the annual visit to the Tulmul Kheerbhawani shrine in
Kashmir has remained simply a reminiscence of childhood memories for all the displaced
KPs.
The Kashmiri Pandits Cultural
Society (UK), a group of
vibrant and dedicated Kashmiri Pandits in the UK have attempted to recreate the
memories of the Tulmul spring and Mata Kheerbhawani puja right here in the
heart of London. On 28th June 2014 anyone who attended the day’s
proceedings at the Vishwa Hindu Kendra, Southall were transported very
magically to Kashmir to the Tulmul Springs and shrine of Mata Kheerbhawani. Nearly
400 Kashmiri Pandits and other Hindus participated in the much revered
Kheerbhawani puja with people also coming all the way from Holland, India and
other parts of the UK – Bristol, Birmingham, Oxford, Hull, Cambridge etc.
The occasion was graced by a number of
dignitaries:
MP Virendra Sharma of the Ealing and Southall Constituency. Mr. Sharma currently chairs the Indo-British All Party
Parliamentary Group (APPG) and is Vice-Chair of the APPG for British Hindus.
Mr. Ranjit Dheer, Councillor & Deputy Leader of London
Borough of Ealing.
Mr. Sanjay Jagatia, Director/Secretary General of Hindu Council
UK.
Mr. Madhava Turumella, Vice
President Hindu Forum, UK and Director of Council of Dharmic Faiths, UK.
Ma Ragnya Devi is the presiding deity of the
KPs. One of the most sacred pilgrimages for KPs is the visit to the
Kheerbhawani temple in Tulmul particularly on the auspicious occasion of Jyestha Ashtami.
The day started with an
audio-visual presentations showcasing how the puja was celebrated in Kashmir. A slide show on socio-cultural and
religious heritage & traditions of Kashmir was also shared with the
spellbound audience. “The celebration of the Tulmul Kheer Bhawani Festival
evoked fond childhood memories”, said Dr. Vivek Kaul from Oxford.
This was complemented by an exhibition of
unique Kashmiri objects & artefacts on display. The dignitaries and other
guests showed keen interest in this unique exhibition.
The
programme of the day included Mata’s havan performed with ‘Shri Maha Ragnya Sahasranam’. The havan lasted for three hours, culminating with a poornahuti, followed by prasad to all the devotees. This was
followed by singing of bhajans that
comprised a mix of Kashmiri and Hindi bhajans.
“What a hallowed day! Ma Bhavani came to visit us all the way from Tulmul and
blessed us,” said a mesmerised Mridula Kaul, Greenwich. Vikas Labroo from
Sutton said he felt “spiritually uplifted and elevated throughout the day.”
Anupama Handoo fondly recalled the entire
journey to making this dream come true, “To celebrate the kheerbhawani mela in
the UK came about initially as a casual chat among friends. But the
momentum of this vision brought together KP professionals from all walks of
life who put in a lot of time and effort to realise the dream. From
planning to publicity to preparation and finally the execution on the day- it
was teamwork all the way.”
An eight-point petition for the rehabilitation
of Kashmiri Pandits was put forth for signatures on the day. All the
dignitaries led by MP Virendra Sharma signed the petition for wholeheartedly
supporting the demands of KPs for their rehabilitation and reversal of the
damage done to the ethos and morale of the community by continued ignorance of
various Indian governments so far.
“I congratulate the Kashmiri Hindu community
for this auspicious celebration. Let this be the beginning of a movement and
not a one off event for your community. I along with my colleagues will extend
our support to you”, said MP Sharma. He also pledged his support to further
lobby the cause of the KPs in the Parliament and work with the community
leaders to influence international pressure for necessary action by Indian
government for the betterment of the community.
Speaking on
the occasion,
Mr. Sudarshan Bhatia, President of the Vishwa Hindu Kendra,
Southall said, “Live and let live has been the philosophy of Hindus. It is not
a religious issue, the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits is a humanitarian
issue and they must be rehabilitated with dignity.”
The KPCS (UK) volunteers have been working
dedicatedly to not only bring the community together but also showcase Kashmiriyat for local communities in the
UK. Says Lakshmi Kaul, KPCS (UK) Executive Member & Community Worker, “We
are grateful to MP Virendra ji, the Hindu Community in London and the
management of Vishwa Hindu Kendra, Southall for their whole hearted support to
our cause and efforts. We dream of our homeland and in our small ways are
trying to recreate it in our hearts where we reside now. It will be another
dream come true if we could have a dedicated Cultural & Religious resource
centre here in the UK so that our children remain connected to their roots.”
About Kashmiri Pandits
Cultural Society (KPCS), UK: After our exodus from the Kashmir valley in 1989-90, we Kashmiri
Pandits have been scattered all over the globe; a community known for its
tolerance and hardwork. There is a small group of vibrant expats in the UK who
have come together to form a socio-cultural group Kashmiri Pandits Cultural
Society (KPCS), UK. We get together for religious, social, cultural community
events like Mahashivratri, Navreh (Kashmiri New Year), Holi, Diwali etc. We
also morally support one other as one big family. The aim of the group to
spread awareness of Kashmiri Hindu culture, traditions, food and language among
the local community. Occasionally, we also raise money for noble causes
pertaining to not only the Kashmiri Pandits but also the wider community (local
and in India).
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/kashmirrevisited
