Houston, Jun 15 (PTI) Amid Vedic chants and ringing temple bells, more than 150 Kashmiri Hindu families from across Texas gathered at Houston’s Hindu Worship Society temple to observe Jyeshtha Ashtami and honour Goddess Ragnya Devi during the annual Kheer Bhawani festival.
Devotees participated in a traditional “hawan” and offered kheer milk, flowers and oil lamps as part of age-old rituals at the temple. Goddess Kheer Bhawani, an incarnation of Mata Durga, is venerated as the Kuldevi (family deity) of the Kashmiri Pandit community.
Surendar Kaul, who has called Houston home for over 35 years, described the festival’s deep spiritual meaning to the younger generation. “These rituals are fragments of our soul, reminders of a homeland lost to violence and fear. Each gathering is an act of remembrance — and of hope.” The celebration took on added emotional weight this year, following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of innocent Hindu pilgrims. The tragedy has reopened old wounds for a community still grappling with the trauma of displacement from Kashmir in the 1990s.
“This Ashtami gathering is not just tradition — it is our collective yearning,” said Amit Raina, president of the Texas Kashmiri Biradari. “Through our festivals, we keep alive the spirit and culture of Kashmir, teaching our children who they are. Yet, the longing to return home remains an ache we carry every day.” Children, born far from the valley, took part in devotional singing and performances that reflected a powerful connection to their heritage. “I have never been to Kashmir,” said one teenager, “but it feels like a part of me lives there”.
The gathering also included a moment of silence for the victims of the recent Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, standing in solidarity with families mourning far and wide.
The evening concluded with a traditional Kashmiri vegetarian meal, featuring kehwa, sheer chai and roth — flavours that brought a taste of the homeland to those who still dream of returning. PTI COR SHK RC
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