Suhail Dar
The Anantnag town in south Kashmir has geared up for the decades-old annual Eid Milad procession attended by thousands of devotees from across south Kashmir.
Eyewitnesses told The Kashmiriyat that various markets and streets in south Kashmir have been decorated by the residents for the annual festivity that commemorates the birth anniversary of the final Prophet of Islam, Muhammad ﷺ.
They said that shoppers have decorated their shops and the mosques, Khanqahs in the town are wearing a festive look to commemorate Eid e Milad. People have hoisted Islamic flags atop their houses in the entire district, Locals said.
“The largest procession is taken out in our town and people make all sorts of arrangements from food to refreshments for the devotees who attend participate in the procession. We make sure that nobody is hungry by the end of the day. It is a holy day for the entire muslim Ummah,” Feroz Ahmed, a trader from Reshi Bazar, Anantnag said.
He said that from decades the procession is being taken out in the town. “The business picks up tremendously during these days in the entire town as people from all over the south Kashmir region throng the Anantnag market to make purchases for the annual commemoration,” he said.
Eid e Milad is commemorated on the 12th day of Rab i ul Awal every year. (Islamic Lunar calendar).
The organizers of the march said that the procession will follow its traditional route starting from the Khanqah of Baba Hyder Reshi and march through the Kadipora route via Mattan Chowk and then proceed towards KP road and march back into the town via Bakshiabad route and then through Cheeni Chowk, Malaknag and Shirpora and culimnate at Jamia masjid Anantnag.
“Several scholars from Anantnag including two from Srinagar will participate in the rally,” they said.
Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements have been made for the procession. Security will be availed to the procession attended by at least 30,000 people in the town, officials said.
They said that traffic advisory has been issued to avoid any traffic mess in the town. “People should follow the traffic instructions issued for tomorrow,” the official told The Kashmiriyat.