I have never witnessed how they do it but have often wondered how they do it. How do they drain all the water from the spring? What do they find? Cleaning the spring is supposed to be a very privileged service. As my mother saw the photographs, she recalled how as a kid she witnessed naag pazun of Vichar Nag. ‘There was gold,’ she claims.
Cleaning of Kheer Bhawani Spring. July 2010.
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Update: A note on cleaning of the spring and origins of the spring from ‘Archaeological Remains In Kashmir by Pandit Anand Koul, 1935’ [book link] :
This place of pilgrimage was not visited by the Hindus during the Muhammadan rule of the country, and had been altogether forgotten by the people until about 350 years ago, when a man, named Krishna Pandit Tapilu (whose descendants are still living at Bhori Kadal in Srinagar, and whose profession is fortune-telling by looking into a book called Brihad Katha), discovered it, and since then the people have again commenced visiting it.
The worshipers offer milk, rice and sugar to the goddess, throwing them into the spring. The upper layer of the sediment formed by these things was removed only once within living memory in 1867 A.D. by a man named Diwan Narsingh Dyal. A virulent epidemic of cholera followed, and its appearance was superstitiously attributed to the wrath of the goddess having been aroused by this disturbance of the spring. Since then nobody would dare touch the spring for fear of again incurring the displeasure of the goddess. The result was that the spring had got nearly full of sediment, and the water was slowly disappearing, which caused much anxiety to the Hindus. The late Pandit Vidh Lal Dhar, the chief rais of Kashmir, boldly decided to clean the spring, and he had the enormous amount of sediments, that had been deposited in it for ages past, cleared out. The digging unearthed an ancient temple in the centre, built of large slabs of sculptured white stones, some of them nine feet long and three feet broad, and several most beautiful stone images of Hindu deities, which are marvels to the artists of the present time.
The whole shrine was repaired with money raised by pubic subscription. The late Maharaja Pratap Singh erected a pretty little marble temple on the old site in the centre of the spring.
William Carpenter Junior(1818-1899), London born water colorist son of a portrait painter Margaret Sarah Carpenter, came to India in 1850 to draw people and scenery. In 1854, he came to Kashmir, staying for a good enjoyable year till 1855, producing some of his best works. William Carpenter Junior returned to England in 1857 and exhibited his new Indian paintings at the Royal Academy where they stayed on display for the next eight years. Many of these paintings were also reproduced in The Illustrated London News as special supplementary lithographs.
Following are two Kashmir drawings by William Carpenter Junior published in Illustrated London News, June 1858
Caption: A Hindoo fair in Cashmere
[Update 2, Augm 2018: I finally managed to acquire the original image. The accompanying image makes it clear that the above image is of Jwala Ji shrine, Khrew. It is now obvious that the water body depicted is the spring at the bottom of the hill. ]
The caption for the drawing does not mention the location of the fair but without doubt this fair was held at the Khir Bhawani Spring located at Tulmul village in Ganderbal district of Kashmir.
This drawing presents the scene of Pandit pilgrims performing the ritual of purification bath in the ice cold waters of the stream that surrounds the holy island. The stream is called Syen’dh in Kashmiri (and originates in Gangbal-Harmukh ) and is not to be confused with Sindhu (Indus) River. In older days, the pilgrims mostly used to reach the island spot in boats, doongas and wade through swamps and marshy lands. The perspective of the drawing reveals that William Carpenter was looking at the island from across the stream. In the background of the drawing, one can see the camp tents of the pilgrims pitched on the central island under the shade of chinar trees. The fair is still held annually in the month of June with the pilgrims camping out at the wonderful location for days.
Caption: Hindoo Festival, Cashmere – from a photograph by W.J Carpenter, Jun
In this drawing we can see Pandit men and woman sitting, surrounded by chinar trees, around the sacred spring (not visible but its end corner marked by flags and staffs*). The scared spring (naag) is believed to be the manifestation of an ancient goddess, who manifested herself as a serpent (naag) at this location to a Pandit. According to the local legend, one Pandit Govind Joo Gadru had a vision of the serpent goddess who revealed the spot to him in dream. The Brahmin then arranged a boat and rowed through the marshy lands of Tulmul carrying a vessel of milk. Upon discovering the spot revealed by the goddess, he pored out the milk. Soon afterward, Kashmiri Pandit, one Krishna Taplu, had the vision of the same serpent a goddess who led him to the same holy spot. As time passed, the spot, marked in the marshes by flags and staffs, slowly became popular among the Kashmiri Pandits. The goddess became known as Rajni (Empress), Maharajini(The Great Empress), Tripurasundari (the same deity at Hari Parbat), Bhuvaneshwari and most famously as Khir Bhawani. The last name because it became the religious practice for the people to pour into the spring a dessert called Khir made of rice, sugar and milk.
A temple was much later built on the island under the Dogra rule of Ranbir Singh(1830 -1885) and his son Pratap Singh (r. 1885-1924). Also, a goddess idol and a Shiva linga ( both believed to have been found in the waters of the spring) together were installed in a high chamber built inside the spring. A Shiv Linga and an idol of Goddess together cannot be found in any other hindu holy place. The work on temple was completed in the time of Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1920s.
Earlier in 1888 , British Land Settlement Commissioner to Kashmir, Walter Lawrence wrote about this place:
Khir Bhawani is their favourite goddess, and perhaps the most sacred place in Kashmir is the Khir Bhawani; spring of Khir Bhawani at the mouth of the Sind valley. There are other springs sacred to this goddess, whose cult is said to have been introduced from Ceylon. At each there is the same curious superstition that the water of the springs changes colour. When I saw the great spring of Khir Bhawani at Tula Mula, the water had a violet tinge, but when famine or cholera is imminent the water assumes a black hue. The peculiarity of Khir Bhawani, the milk goddess, is that the Hindus must abstain from meat on the days when they visit her. and their offerings are sugar, milk-rice, and flowers. At Sharka Devi on Hari Parbat and at Jawala Mukhi in Krihu the livers and hearts of sheep are offered. There is hardly a river, spring, or hill-side in Kashmir that is not holy’ to the Hindus,and it would require endless space if I were to attempt to give a list of places famous and dear to all Hindus. Generally speaking, and excluding the Tula Mula spring, which is badly situated in a swamp, it may be said that the Hindu in choosing his holy places had an eye for scenery, since most of the sacred Asthans and Tiraths are surrounded by lovely objects.
Interestingly, just around the start of the 20th century, Maharaja Pratab Singh, weary of curious European visitors who insisted on walking on the island with their shoes on and who fished in the sacred river waters surrounding the island, issued government decrees putting a check on their movement to this shrine.
Today, there is no historical account to inform us whether William Carpenter Junior had his shoes on or off while he visited the spring of Khir Bhawani and worked on those beautiful drawings.
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Found these old images (albeit no mention of Khir Bhawani there) at the great resource columbia.edu
Rest of the photographs were taken by me in June 2008.
Photograph 1: A Hindu pilgrim, silently reciting some scripture, standing on one leg (with a little support) in water of the stream surrounding the island. I came back two hours later and he was still there.
Photograph 2: The view of the holy spring, flags, chinar trees and recently tiled ground of the island.
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*Flags and Staffs: Walter Lawrence, in the aftermath of great flood of 1893 in Kashmir, recorded a curious practice prevalent among Kashmiri people. He wrote, ‘Marvellous tales were told of the efficacy of the flags of saints which had been set up to arrest the floods, and the people believe that the rice-fields of Tulamula and the bridge of Sumbal were saved by the presence of these flags, which were taken from the shrines as a last resort.’
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For more about Kheer Bhawani, you can read the book ‘A Goddess is Born: The Emergence of Khir Bhavani in Kashmir’ By Dr. Madhu Bazaz
The natural spring of Kheer Bhawani is situated at a distance of 14 miles east of Srinagar Tula Mula in Ganderbal.
Music:
1. A Kashmiri bhajan/aart in praise of resident deity of the spring – Maharagini.
2. Shantakaram Bhujagashayanam, Sanskrit hymns in praise of Vishnu.
Recorded live at the location.
3. Gauri Stutih, Sanskrit hymns in praise of holy Goddess.
Hymns, in praise of resident deity of the spring – Maharagini,quoted at the beginning and at the end are from a Sanskrit scripture called Mahatmya Shri Shri Maharajni Pradurbhava,Shri Maharajni Stutih
All photographs used in the video presentation taken by me in 2008.
Acknowledgment:
A Goddess is Born: The Emergence of Khir Bhavani in Kashmir By Dr. Madhu Bazaz (Google book link)
It’s a diligent work on the origins of Kheer Bhawani and and evolution of her following.
Presently, there are plans to modify/ beautify the central marble structure inside the spring. The basic design (above in the image) has been finalized. The project has been sponsored by Capt. Kapil Raina and family.
The first marble structure inside the spring was built by the Dogra ruler Maharaja Pratap Singh and it was completed in 1920s. Before this marble structure was created there was only a mulberry tree.
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November, 2008
Update:
Dr. Karan Singh, who is the Trustee of the Dharmarth Trust – that looks after the affairs of this shrine and many other Pandit shrines of Kashmir – has refused this proposal. Because of the antiquity of the present design, he thought Pandit community won’t be happy with the New look.
Dr. Karan Singh was appointed the Sole Trustee of the Dharmarth Trust in January 1959.
Old Photograph of central deities at Tulamulla (Kheer Bhawani). Probably taken in the late 1930s.
This photograph adores one of the sides of the structure inside the spring.
Photograph taken at the location in June, 2008
The Spring that Changes Colors
During my visit the waters of the spring was milky white.
In 1886 Walter Lawrence, the British Settlement Commissioner for land, noted during his visit to the spring that its color was having a violet tinge.
(Made an entry of it at the wiki along with the entry about the proposed new look of the central temple)
It has been (let me fetch a calculator) eighteen years since I left the place.
I am going to the adobe of Khir Bhawani, situated at village Tula Mulla. According to a famous local religious belief, the Goddess used to drink blood in Lanka of Ravana, but in Kashmir, she developed a sweet tooth, hence the Khir in the name. A writer once linked the revival of Khir Bhawani cult in the late 19th century to the rise of Queen Victoria led British influence in the region. But, this is not the post about that.
This is about the trip.
I am going with fourteen of my family members and relatives. My parents are surprised and delighted that I am going to a temple.
I have been to Tula Mulla earlier, I must have been seven, but I still have some vivid memories of that trip and some not so vivid memories of that place.
The reason:
When I returned home after that trip, the same day, I managed to baldy burn the index finger of my right hand.
The cause: I draped a polythene bag around a twig taken from a broom, and lit it up for the pure joy of watching little droplets of fire. I picked up this trick from some kids after having watched them do it at Tula Mulla. Or may be I got the idea from watching all the aartis and all the diyas.
The happening:
A little droplet of fire fell on my finger. Hot molten plastic melted onto my figure, glued onto its skin, burning it all the while. Afraid. I removed the plastic.Pain. Running water, tap, put toothpaste on it, Colgate, and still it burned. A few days later as the wound started ballooning up, Burnol was applied. In a few days the wound punctuated as burn wounds often do. Watery for days. And then the wound started to heal itself. It stopped being a bother. In a few months, the wound completely healed leaving an oval smooth skinned small scare on my index finger.
The affect: The scare is still there. There are days when I check up on it to make sure that it is still there.
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In this drawing we can see Pandit men and woman sitting, surrounded by chinar trees, around the sacred spring (not visible but its end corner marked by flags and staffs*). The scared spring (naag) is believed to be the manifestation of an ancient goddess, who manifested herself as a serpent (naag) at this location to a Pandit. According to the local legend, one Pandit Govind Joo Gadru had a vision of the serpent goddess who revealed the spot to him in dream. The Brahmin then arranged a boat and rowed through the marshy lands of Tulmul carrying a vessel of milk. Upon discovering the spot revealed by the goddess, he pored out the milk. Soon afterward, Kashmiri Pandit, one Krishna Taplu, had the vision of the same serpent a goddess who led him to the same holy spot. As time passed, the spot, marked in the marshes by flags and staffs, slowly became popular among the Kashmiri Pandits. The goddess became known as Rajni (Empress), Maharajini(The Great Empress), Tripurasundari (the same deity at Hari Parbat), Bhuvaneshwari and most famously as Khir Bhawani. The last name because it became the religious practice for the people to pour into the spring a dessert called Khir made of rice, sugar and milk. 
