Srinagar, Jun 24: Thousands of Shia mourners on Wednesday participated in the traditional 8th Muharram procession through the heart of Srinagar amid elaborate security arrangements, marking the fourth consecutive year that the Jammu and Kashmir administration has allowed the historic Guru Bazar-Dalgate route.
The procession began early in the morning from Guru Bazar and passed through Jahangir Chowk and Maulana Azad Road towards Dalgate. At the time of filing this report, the procession was still underway, with mourners carrying religious banners and reciting marsiyas (elegies) and nohas (dirges) in remembrance of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.
Dressed predominantly in black, devotees paid tribute to the sacrifice of Imam Hussain and his companions at Karbala.
Authorities enforced extensive security measures, deploying police, central armed police forces and traffic police in a multi-layer security grid. Drone surveillance was also used, while traffic along the procession route remained suspended to ensure its smooth and peaceful conduct.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar, Sundeep Chakravarthy, said elaborate arrangements had been made from the starting point to the end of the procession.
“Our only aim is to ensure that the procession is conducted peacefully and in a dignified manner. For that, we require the cooperation and support of the public with the police and civil administration,” he said.
Officials from the civil administration, police and volunteers distributed drinking water and extended assistance to participants at several locations.
The traditional Guru Bazar-Dalgate procession had remained suspended for more than three decades after the onset of militancy in the early 1990s before being revived in 2023. Authorities have also announced comprehensive arrangements for the 10th Muharram procession scheduled later this week. (Agencies)
