Kheer Bhawani

Kheer Bhawani is a Durga Ji temple situated at a distance of 25 kilometres north-east of Srinagar, in the village of Tulmul in Ganderbal. The term kheer refers to a milk and rice pudding that is offered to the goddess. The worship of Kheer Bhawani is universal among the Hindus of Kashmir, most of them who worship her as their protective patron deity Kuladevi.

The sacred spring here has its own attached belief. Maharaja Pratap Singh of Jammu and Kashmir and Maharaja Hari Singh contributed to building and renovating the temple. 

A septagonal spring at the temple is situated around the goddess. The holy spring is known to change its colour with various hues of red, pink, orange, green, blue, and white. A black shade of the spring water is believed to be inauspicious. 

The Kheer Bhawani mela or festival sees the annual congregation of Kashmiri Hindus, and other pilgrims and tourists. The mela is during Jyeshtha Ashtami,

The mention of Kheer Bhawani is found in Kalhana's Rajtarangini. Kalhana writes that the sacred spring of Tula Mula is situated in a marshy ground. It is also mentioned in the Bhrigu Samhita.