Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple, Tulmulla

Tulmulla (Tulamula) village, Ganderbal district, about 25 km north-east of Srinagar · Goddess Ragnya (Rajna) Devi, worshipped as Kheer Bhawani, a form of Durga

A temple built over a sacred spring that is said to change colour, where Kashmiri Pandits gather every Jyeshtha Ashtami.

Kheer Bhawani is the best-known temple of Kashmiri Pandits. It stands at Tulmulla in Ganderbal district, about 25 km from Srinagar, over a seven-sided spring with the goddess Ragnya Devi at its centre. The name comes from kheer, the milk-and-rice pudding that devotees offer into the spring. The yearly mela on Jyeshtha Ashtami is the largest Hindu gathering in Kashmir after the Amarnath Yatra.

Timings

Temple open: No timings are published by an official body. The temple is usually open from morning to evening; check with the local authorities before travel.
Mela day: Devotees arrive from early morning on Jyeshtha Ashtami and the temple stays crowded through the day.

Daily rituals

Morning – Puja and kheer offering: Devotees offer kheer, milk, flowers and aromatic leaves to the goddess.

Darshan types and costs

General darshan – Free. Security checks at entry. Long queues on the mela day.

Sevas and costs at Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple, Tulmulla

Hawan on Ashtami – Check on the spot

When: Shukla Paksha Ashtami each month, and the annual mela

A fire ritual (hawan) is performed on the shukla ashtami in the hawan-shala; hawans on this day are common (J&K Tourism).

How to book: Ask a priest at the temple.

Persons allowed: Family

We found no published price.

How to book darshan

Darshan is walk-in and free. We did not find an official booking system. For the annual mela, the district administration and the Relief and Rehabilitation department publish arrangements, including special state transport buses (more than 50 were deployed in 2023).

For the mela day, follow notices by the Ganderbal district administration and the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner.
On other days go directly to Tulmulla. Security checks apply at the entrance.

Prasadam and offerings

Kheer prasad – Check on the spot. Kheer and milk are offered into the spring.

Kheer, milk, flowers, aromatic leaves: The traditional offerings. Many are sold near the entrance, including by local Muslim families.

Dress code

Modest, traditional clothes. Many Pandit families wear traditional Kashmiri attire on the mela day.

Temple etiquette

Fast on the mela day if it is your custom; many devotees do.
Keep to the queues and follow police instructions on the mela day.
Remove footwear before entering the spring complex.

Why it matters

Devotees believe the goddess shows her mood in the colour of the spring: red, pink, orange, green, blue and white are said to be good, and black is thought to warn of danger. Kashmiri sources say the water was reported black around 1990 and again in 2014, years of the Pandit exodus and the floods.

For Kashmiri Pandits, Kheer Bhawani is a homecoming. Thousands come every year from Jammu and across India, as the 2026 reports describe it. Local Muslims sell milk, flowers and other offerings at the mela, which Greater Kashmir calls a sign of shared life in the valley.

Besides Tulmulla, the Jyeshtha Ashtami mela is observed at the shrines of Tikker (Kupwara), Logripora Aishmuqam (Anantnag), and Manzgam and Devsar (Kulgam), according to All India Radio.

Legends

Hanuman brings the goddess

In one account, the goddess Ragnya was worshipped by Ravana in Lanka. When Ravana abducted Sita, she left Lanka. Following Rama's wish, Hanuman carried her to Kashmir, where she settled at the spring of Tulmulla.

The dream of Krishna Pandit

Greater Kashmir tells that floods once covered the spring. The yogi Krishna Pandit Taploo of Bohri Kadal in Srinagar dreamed that the goddess showed him where it lay. A snake in the form of Shiva is said to have drawn the seven-sided outline of the wall around the spring.

Rugnath Gadroo's dream

The Jammu and Kashmir tourism department tells that the temple moved to its present site after the goddess appeared in the dream of a local pandit, Rugnath Gadroo.

History

Old: A holy spring in marshy land

Kalhana's Rajatarangini describes a holy spring in marshy land, and the Ain-i-Akbari names the spring at Tulmul (Greater Kashmir).

19th century: Dogra patronage

Maharaja Ranbir Singh built a dharamshala. Maharaja Pratap Singh built the present spring wall, pond and temple in the 1910s, and set a Shiva image beside the goddess. Maharaja Hari Singh renovated it further.

1990: Exodus

After 1990 the mela was held under heavy security, with Army and CRPF presence (Greater Kashmir).

2006 to 2008: Pilgrim housing

Flats for devotees and toilets were built, and the hawan-shala was expanded in 2008 (Greater Kashmir).

22 June 2026: Mela

Thousands attended on Jyeshtha Ashtami. The Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited the shrine and reviewed arrangements.

Architecture

The temple stands in the middle of a heptagonal (seven-sided) spring, with the goddess at its centre, enclosed by a railed wall, as described by Greater Kashmir.

The complex is shaded by old chinar trees. Pilgrims rest on grass mats under the chinars. A hawan-shala (fire-ritual hall) and a pond are part of the complex.

What to see

The sacred spring: Look at the colour of the water; devotees read it as a sign.
The chinar grove: Old chinar trees around the complex.
Kheer offerings: Devotees pour kheer, milk and flowers into the spring.
The hawan-shala: The platform for fire rituals, expanded in 2008.

How to cover the temple

The usual route is to cross the temple compound to the spring, offer kheer and milk, make a puja or hawan, and rest under the chinars. Mela day is a full day.

Security and queue: Clear the security check at Tulmulla and join the queue.
Offer kheer: Devotees offer kheer, milk, flowers and aromatic leaves to the goddess at the spring. Look at the colour of the water.
Hawan-shala: Join or request a hawan on the fire platform, common on Ashtami.
Chinar grove: Sit under the old chinar trees before returning.

Customs and traditions

Offering kheer to the spring

Kheer, milk and rice pudding poured into the sacred spring.

The temple is named from this offering. The goddess is believed to show her mood in the colour of the water.

Buy the milk and flowers near the entrance. Many sellers are local Muslim families (Greater Kashmir).

Fasting and hawan on Jyeshtha Ashtami

Devotees fast and join hawans on the eighth day of the bright fortnight of Jyeshtha.

The annual mela day honours Ragnya Devi.

Attend the mela on the day; follow the district's arrangements.

For elders and differently-abled visitors

Access: Moderate. The temple is on level ground in a village, but the mela day on Jyeshtha Ashtami is very crowded and involves long waits and walking. Go on an ordinary day with elders.

No climb. Some walking from the vehicle point on mela day.
On the mela day the district sets up help desks and facilitation centres, with healthcare and drinking water (ETV Bharat, June 2026).

Waiting time

Short on ordinary days; not published.

Mela day, 22 June 2026: thousands of devotees through the day. In 2023 more than 1.87 lakh were reported.

Best time to visit

May to October is pleasant. The mela falls in June, with larger crowds and security restrictions.

Festivals

Mela Kheer Bhawani (Jyeshtha Ashtami) (The eighth day of the bright half of Jyeshtha (May to June); 14 June 2024; 22 June 2026)

The main festival. Devotees fast, offer kheer and join hawans. In 2023 more than 1.87 lakh devotees attended and over 50 state transport buses were deployed (Greater Kashmir).

Navratri (Chaitra and Ashwin)

Fairs and yagnas are held (J&K Tourism).

How to reach Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple, Tulmulla

By air: Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport, Srinagar.
By rail: Srinagar railway station; confirm the current train timetable.
By road: Tulmulla is about 25 km from Srinagar by road through Ganderbal (Greater Kashmir). Taxis and buses run from Srinagar; on the mela day special buses and traffic regulation are announced.

Road safety

A short drive of about 25 km from Srinagar through Ganderbal. The road is simple, but the mela day brings traffic regulation and heavy security. Check the latest local advisories before travelling.

Village roads through Tulmulla to the temple gate; pilgrim vehicles are regulated on mela day and you may have to walk part of the way.

Full road-safety guide

Where to stay

Stay in Srinagar, or in Ganderbal and Sonamarg. The Dogra-era dharamshala and flats for devotees at the complex are for pilgrims; ask at the complex.

Hotels and houseboats in Srinagar – Varies. Book directly. J&K Tourism (JKTDC) phones listed for help: 0194-2502274.

Suggested plan

Half day

Drive from Srinagar through Ganderbal to Tulmulla.
Clear the security check and offer kheer.
Sit under the chinars and watch the colour of the spring.
Return to Srinagar by afternoon.

Tips

For the mela, start from Srinagar before dawn and expect long queues and traffic stops.
Carry water and a light jacket; mornings are cool even in June.
Carry photo ID in case of security checks.

Frequently asked questions

Why is it called Kheer Bhawani?

Because devotees offer kheer, a milk and rice pudding, into the spring.

What does a black spring mean?

Devotees believe black water warns of misfortune. This is a belief, not a documented measurement.

Temples nearby

Shri Amarnathji Holy Cave – Lidder–Sindh valleys, Pahalgam tehsil, Anantnag district, Jammu & Kashmir (about 3,888 m) (about 89 km by road)
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine (Holy Cave), Trikuta Hills – Trikuta hills above Katra, Reasi district, Jammu & Kashmir (about 243 km by road)
Raghunath Temple, Jammu – Raghunath Bazaar, Jammu city, Jammu district (about 256 km by road)

More Devi (Durga & Shakti) temples

Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (Kanaka Durga Temple) – Indrakeeladri hill, Vijayawada, NTR district
Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple – Madurai, Madurai district
Sri Chamundeshwari Temple – Chamundi Hills, Mysuru, Mysuru district
Gangotri Temple (Shri Ganga Mata Mandir) – Gangotri, Uttarkashi district, on the Bhagirathi river (approx. 99–100 km from Uttarkashi)
Yamunotri Temple (Shri Yamuna Mata Mandir) – Yamunotri, Uttarkashi district, below the Bandarpunch massif, approx. 6 km above Janki Chatti
Maa Kamakhya Temple – Nilachal Hill, Guwahati, Kamrup Metropolitan district, Assam

All Devi (Durga & Shakti) temples

No official website: We could not find a website of the temple's own management. The J&K Tourism page is a tourism portal, and the Dharmarth Trust site does not list this temple.

Sources

Last checked: 2026-10. Timings and fees change – confirm with the temple before you travel.