Gory Speculations Galore As Kheer Bhawani Spring Turns Red - #Srinagar

* Gory Speculations Galore As Kheer Bhawani Spring Turns Red -#Srinagar *

Sep 11: There is a strong local traditional belief among #Kashmiri People that the change of water from blue to black or red in the spring of Kheer Bhawani temple does not augur well for Kashmir. They believe that whenever any horrifying and unfortunate event has to happen, the colour of the spring water turns black or red.

Dedicated to the goddess Bhawani also known as Maharagya Devi.
The mention of Kheer Bhawani is also found in Kalhana's Rajtarangini. He writes that the sacred spring of Tulmulla is situated in a marshy ground. Kalhana mentions the name of the spring as Mata Ragini Kund.

As per Hindu mythology, the spring is said to exhibit changes in the colour of its waters from time to time, which are ascribed to different manifestations of the goddess. The spring is known to change its colour with various hues of red, pink, orange, green, blue and white, which has been noted by Abul Fazal in Aien-e-Akbari and also by Swami Vivekananda.

Turning of the colour into shades of black or red is supposed to signal approaching horrific times. In 1886, Walter Lawrence, the-then British settlement commissioner for land, during his visit to the spring, reported the water of the spring to have a violet tinge. Kashmiris claim to have observed a darkish or murky tinge to the water just before the assassination of Indira Gandhi and the eruption of militancy in the Valley in 1989. Some people say that before the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley, the colour of the spring had turned completely black in 1990.
It has been reported that of late the water in the Kheer Bhawani spring has again turned red. This change of colour in the water, according to locals, has taken place during the past few days and has happened after a very long time. The locals believe that the change of colour of the spring is the premonition about something bad going to happen in Kashmir.

However, the traditional Kashmiri belief especially among the Kashmiri Pandits about the colour of the spring water seems to be stronger than the scientific explanation. Even the 52 year old Pujari (priest) of the temple says that it is for the first time he has seen red colour of water. According to him, the water did sometimes go murky or dark but never changed red in recent past. He says the colour of the spring started turning red from the very next day of Janam Ashtami.

According to the priest, the water of the spring was got tested and it was revealed that no outside stuff had been put into it, but it had naturally turned red.

The news about the change in the colour of Kheer Bhawani spring water has started fuelling various speculations among the locals and especially among the Kashmiri Pandit community. “We may have to keep our fingers crossed and pray for the wellbeing of all, as the change of water colour at Kheer Bhawani is not a good omen,”