The Spring of Kheer Bhawani
Devotees say the water of this sacred spring changes colour, and that dark shades come before hard times.
What was reported
At Tulmul, near Srinagar, the temple of Kheer Bhawani stands in a small, many-sided spring. Kashmiri Pandits have worshipped there for centuries, offering milk and kheer, and the largest gathering comes on Jyeshtha Ashtami each summer.
The spring is believed to change colour. Shades of white, pink, green or blue are taken as good signs, and devotees say the water turned dark before troubled times in the valley. The colour seen on the festival day is watched closely each year.
Explanations offered
No scientific study of the colour changes has been published. Springs can change shade with dissolved minerals, algae, sediment stirred up by water flow, and the light, and the many offerings of milk and kheer may play a part. Devotees treat the colours as a matter of faith.
- When
- Described for centuries
- Where
- Tulmul, Ganderbal, Jammu and Kashmir, India
- Witnesses
- Devotees and temple priests
- Status
- Not studied
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.