Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, June 22

Thousands of Kashmiri Pandits attending the annual Kheer Bhawani festival in Kashmir on Monday expressed hope of one day returning permanently to the Valley, saying the gathering remains a powerful reminder of their cultural roots and shared history with local Muslims.

The festival at the Mata Ragnya Devi shrine in Tulmulla drew devotees from across the country, including families displaced from Kashmir during the insurgency of the early 1990s.

Many participants said the annual pilgrimage was more than a religious observance, describing it as an emotional reunion with their homeland.

“We live in Jammu, but our hearts remain in Kashmir,” said Neeraj Santoshi, who travelled from Delhi to attend the festival.

Devotees said they continued to cherish memories of living alongside Muslim neighbours and hoped future generations would experience the same atmosphere of coexistence.

Local Muslim residents assisted visitors throughout the day by offering food, water and accommodation, reinforcing what many participants described as Kashmir’s long tradition of communal harmony.

“Kashmiri Pandit brothers are our own people,” said Javed Dar, a volunteer from Tulmulla.

Several elderly pilgrims said the annual gathering strengthened their desire to return to their ancestral homes.

“My address may have changed, but Kashmir is still my home,” said one devotee, Sarla Kaul.

Community members said meaningful rehabilitation and lasting peace were essential for any large-scale return, while expressing optimism that relations between communities continued to improve.