Handwara, Jun 23 (KNS): A large number of devotees, including members of the Kashmiri Pandit community, visited the Mata Bhadrakali Temple in Handwara on Tuesday as part of the annual Mela Kheer Bhawani 2026 celebrations, officials said.
The pilgrimage passed off peacefully with the administration making elaborate arrangements for the comfort of the devotees, they added.
Several Kashmiri Pandit families, now residing in various states including Jammu, Delhi and Maharashtra, participated in the festivities at the ancient shrine.
Devotees appreciated the security and civic arrangements put in place by the district administration for the annual fair.
The congregation offered prayers for peace, prosperity and communal harmony in the Union Territory, participants said.
Some members of the community expressed a desire to return and settle in Kashmir, describing the Valley as an inseparable part of their cultural identity, they added. (KNS)