The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Friday, July 13, 2001, Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

M A I N N E W S

SECULAR VALLEY
SPECIAL STORY
Where Muslims look after Hindu shrine
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Tulamulla (Srinagar), July 12
Eleven years of militancy in Kashmir may have done its bit in shattering the secular character of the Valley, but it has still not succeeded in uprooting the same completely. Some areas of the Valley have survived the fundamental onslaught to prove an all-time relevance of tolerance and mutual coexistence — the two basic characters of a 700-year-old Kashmiri heritage.

Ghulam Rasool, Sunnamal Bhat, Farooq Amal and Farooq Ahmad who have been serving at the Mata Ksheer Bhawani shrine in Srinagar despite threats from militants. — Photo Amin War

The famous Hindu shrine of Mata Ksheer Bhawani, located in the township of Tulamulla, about 15 km from Srinagar, is a living example of how the Hindu-Muslim unity has sustained itself despite fatal pressures from militants. The most striking feature about this Hindu place of worship is a heavy Muslim presence all over its premises. In a Valley where the diktat of Hindu-Muslim divide flows from the barrel of the gun, the fact that this Hindu shrine is actually “kept” by Muslims is heartening.

Of the total working strength at the Bhawani shrine, 85 per cent is Muslim. Most Kashmiri Pandits, who looked after the shrine until the eruption of militancy, fled from the Valley after 1990. Ever since, Muslims have been taking care of all practical works at the shrine, which is said to have been installed by Hanumanji during Lord Rama’s times. About 25 Muslims are currently offering services to goddess Ksheer Bhawani, who accepts milk, sugar and other vegetarian items as offerings.

At the very entrance, this correspondent was greeted by five Muslims, who were busy distributing the essential “puja samagri” to the devotees visiting the shrine. The eldest in the lot is Sunnamal Bhat, who has been working as a watchman at this temple for over 50 years now. Sunnamal had two more helpers who are no more. Sharing his views about the temple, Sunnamal said: “All Pandits fled, but I never had the heart to leave. I get peace at the feet of Mata. If I serve her I will get salvation.” Sunnamal was threatened thrice by militants to leave the place, but he did not budge.

Ghulam Rasool sells flowers for worship. At 40 years of age he does not mind going to Srinagar daily to fetch lotus and tulsi flowers for the temple. He told The Tribune of how once on his way to Srinagar in 1995, he was faced by three Al Jehad terrorists, who warned him to stop offering services at the Mata Ksheer Bhawani shrine. “They said I should have no business in a Hindu shrine, but I knew Mata will save and sustain me. Look, I am still alive. I will serve her until I die,” said Rasool.

Farooq Amhad Kullu is just 19 years of age. He took to working in the temple about four years ago when his father could no longer work due to ill health. Farooq’s big stall, adorned with framed photographs of the goddess, is perched right at the entrance to the main temple. He goes to Srinagar twice a week to select the best pictures. “Many Kashmiri Pandits from Delhi and Jammu visit the temple. They pat me on the shoulder when I present Mata’s framed picture to them. This is the greatest reward I get,” said Farooq.

In 1990, when most Pandits taking care of the temple left, there was a shortage of employees who fetch “puja samagri”. It was then that Farooq Amal (39) and Ghulam Mohammad (35) came to the rescue. Both of them have makeshift stalls near the temple, where one can get all “hawan” and “puja samagris — from diyas, dhoop, agarbatti to dried coconut, milk and prasad. Talking to The Tribune about his association with the temple, Ghulam Mohammad said, “There are 11 other Muslim employees with me. We take turns at selling the puja samagri.”

Apart from these Muslim devotees, the shrine, which is being looked after by the Dharamarth Trust, has about 10 other Muslims recruited as safai karamcharis. A Dharamarth Trust official informed The Tribune that these Muslims worked with amazing devotion and dedication. “They can never think of working anywhere else. If not secularism, what else is this?” asked the official. Presently, the shrine is being managed by CRPF personnel, who have a battalion here.

According to legend, a Kashmiri Pandit, Pt Gobind Gadroo, got a vision in which an angel told him that he should engage a boat to Shadipora, from where a serpent would guide him to the holy spring of the goddess. The Pandit did as told. The serpent disappeared when Pandit Gadroo reached the spring. From this spring, the Pandit got a shloka describing goddess Ksheer Bhawani. The holy spring still flows along the temple compound in Talamulla.