Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended wishes to the Kashmiri Pandit community on the occasion of Jyeshtha Ashtami.
What is Jyeshtha Ashtami?
- Jyeshtha or Jyēṣṭha is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India’s national civil calendar, Jyestha is the third month of the year.
- Jyeshtha Ashtami is an auspicious day which is the eighth day of the bright half of Jyeshtha (May–June) month.
- Every year, the date varies depending upon the Hindu calendar.
- According to belief, the Goddess changes the colour of the spring’s waters.
How is it celebrated?
- Devotees flock the Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple or Tulmula Mandir in Kashmir in huge numbers.
- On this auspicious day, a grand feast and fest is held every year at Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple in Kashmir (especially by Kashmiri Pandit community), also known as Tulmula. It is celebrated with full gusto and vigour, as it marks the pradurbhava of the Goddess Ragnya (Kheer Bhavani or Ragnya Bhavani Mata).
- There are separate shran or snan kunds for ladies and gents, wherein people take a bath or sprinkle the water over their face, hands and feet before paying homage to the residing Ragnya Bhawani Mata. It is considered to be auspicious, and many believe that by doing so the goddess takes away all their worries.
- Ritually no specific procedure is prescribed for the Puja at Kheer Bhavani. The Bhringish Samhita simply says that the Devi, whose mantra is of fifteen syllables, accepts offerings of milk, sugar candy and ghee only.
Interestingly, another festival is held at the shrine on Asharha Ashtami with equal devotional fervour. It is believed that the sacred spring of the shrine miraculously changes its colour having been discovered on the Saptami of that month.
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