One of the most sacred Hindu shrines in Kashmir, Kheer Bhawani is dedicated to the goddess Bhawani (a form of Durga) and sits beside a spring about 23 km northeast of Srinagar in the village of Tulmul. The spring is held to be miraculous — its water changes colour, supposedly from white to grey or black before some calamity strikes the valley, and back to white when peace returns. Offerings of kheer (rice pudding with milk and sugar) are made to the goddess at the spring, giving the temple its name.
The temple was a major focus of the Kashmiri Pandit community — Hindus who lived in the valley for centuries before the mass exodus following the violence of the 1990s. Many Kashmiri Pandits who fled to other parts of India return specifically for the Jyeshtha Ashtami festival in May or June, making it a significant event for the diaspora community. The temple complex, which includes a main shrine, subsidiary shrines, and the sacred spring pool, is set in a peaceful grove of chinar trees. The drive from Srinagar through the villages of the valley floor is itself pleasant. Non-Hindus are generally welcomed.