Admin Allows 8th Muharram Procession for Third Year Running

SRINAGAR: For the third consecutive year, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday allowed the traditional 8th Muharram procession to be carried out in Srinagar, with thousands of mourners marching peacefully from Guru Bazar to Dalgate under tight security and intense heat.

Senior officials including Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, IGP Kashmir V K Birdhi, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr Akshay Labroo, and SSP Srinagar Dr Sundeep Chakarvourti joined the procession at Lal Chowk, where they served water to mourners in a symbolic gesture of solidarity and service.

The procession began at 5:00 AM, following the traditional route via Budshah Kadal and Maulana Azad Road, and concluded at Dalgate. The route had remained banned for over three decades since the late 1980s due to security concerns, before being reinstated in 2023—a move widely welcomed by the community.

Officials said that comprehensive arrangements were in place, including traffic diversions, medical stations, and the deployment of water sprinklers to aid devotees. Hundreds of community volunteers were also stationed along the route for crowd control and emergency assistance.

Divisional Commissioner Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, addressing the media, urged mourners to uphold the sanctity of the procession and maintain religious decorum. “We request all participants to focus on the true spiritual essence of the event,” he said, confirming all necessary logistical and security measures had been arranged in advance.

IGP Kashmir V K Birdhi said the administration was in dialogue with organisers regarding upcoming 10th Muharram processions. “All efforts are being made to facilitate religious events while ensuring public safety,” he said.

Participants and community leaders praised the administration for its consistent support. “It is deeply reassuring to witness the procession allowed for a third year in a row,” said Syed Murtaza Rizvi, a mourner from Srinagar. “The presence of officials offering water shows respect for our traditions.”

Mourners chanted elegies and beat their chests in remembrance of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), whose martyrdom is commemorated during Muharram. The 8th day of Muharram is considered one of the most significant mourning days in Kashmir, leading up to Ashura on the 10th day. (KNO)