It is Aashad Chaturdshi today. We, Kashmiri Pandits used to celebrate this day as the birthday of Jwalla Bhagwati. A village called Khruve nearly 20 km or more from Srinagar city & almost five km from the National Highway, is famous for the abode of Jawalla Mata. There is a beautiful freshwater spring that has an oozing point well covered by a small cuboid stone cave-like structure, open on the right side. There is a Trishul carved in the middle of the front wall, water flows from beneath with a Shivling immersed along with several idols of God & Goddesses, all lying within the spring water, which flows out of this spring into another bigger square-shaped spring.
Up to 1996, a big Shivlingam was there in the middle of the upper left corner of this spring as well, where water from the smaller spring flows into the bigger one. From here water moves into another adjacent spring which had a temple at the front edge. Once it was dismantled for construction, it became a bone of contention between the two communities. Muslims claimed that it belongs to them & wanted to construct a mosque there. The case went to court and the dispute continued till KP got displaced. Besides these springs of Mata Jawalla Bhagwati in the village of Khurve, situated at the foothills of a hillock, known to geologists as a silent/dead volcano, there is a temple on the hillock, where Goddess Jawalla Ji has taken an abode in the form of a sheilla with Ganesh Ji's shiella adjacent to Her temple some steps down towards the right.
Jwalla Ji is Ishtha Devi of a number of KPs in the valley. Her birthday is celebrated on Haar Chudish/Ashaad Chuturdeshi every year. Local Hindus with the support of Armed forces perform hawan/yagya on this day. Taher & Chut is offered to Devi & people share Naveedh. People offering prayers here, don't forget to visit at least two more places of religious importance. Wuyan Nag at village Wuyan & Balaji Bagwati at Balahama. Balaji Bhagwati has selected her abode in four big brun trees fused together. It is such a calm & peaceful place, that the visitor can't help but to stay unless he or she doesn't spend hours under these conifer trees.
