Kashmir Police Chief Directs Foolproof Arrangements At Kheer Bhawani Temple

A day ahead of the Kheer Bhawani Mela in Central Kashmir, inspector general of police (IGP) Kashmir, IPS VK Birdi, on Sunday reviewed security arrangements at the temple in Ganderbal and directed officers to ensure foolproof security arrangements and timely facilitation of all necessary services at the temple and adjoining areas.

Surrounded by Chinar trees, the Kheer Bhawani Temple houses the Hindu goddess Ragnya Devi at Tulmulla village, about 27-km away from Srinagar, and welcomes the biggest Hindu festival to be celebrated in the Kashmir valley second only to the Amarnath yatra.

The mela will be celebrated on Monday as thousands of Kashmiri Pandits are expected to converge at the temple premises. IPS VK Birdi, accompanied by other officers, visited the temple at Tulmulla and took a comprehensive review of the security arrangements being put in place for the smooth and peaceful conduct of Mata Kheer Bhawani Mela-2026.

During the visit, Birdi held a detailed assessment of the security grid and arrangements within and around the temple premises. He reviewed various aspects including access control, deployment of security personnel, crowd management measures, traffic regulation, and availability of designated parking facilities for the convenience of devotees visiting the shrine.

The IGP Kashmir emphasised the need for maintaining the highest standards of vigilance, coordination, and preparedness to ensure a safe and hassle-free experience for all devotees.

While many devotees have left Jammu for the mela, hundreds of pilgrims have already converged in Ganderbal.

Deputy commissioner (DC) Ganderbal, Jatin Kishore, along with police officers on Saturday accorded a warm welcome to the first batch of devotees who arrived in the district to participate in the annual mela.

The devotees were received at the transit accommodation centre established at the Central University of Kashmir, where the district administration has made arrangements to ensure a comfortable stay for the pilgrims.

“The administration has ensured availability of essential services, including accommodation, sanitation, drinking water, uninterrupted power supply, healthcare facilities, transportation assistance and security arrangements. Help desks have also been established to assist devotees and provide timely information,” a government spokesperson said.