Mehran Bhat
Though the admin had granted permission from 6 A.M, devotees started reaching Guru Bazar as early as 4 A.M. Police and paramilitary troopers were deployed across all streets in Srinagar. Throughout the way from Guru Bazar to Dalgate where the procession ended, Sunni Muslims had installed stalls for the Shia devotees who recited Nouhas (mourning poetry) and marched the streets of Srinagar.
In the midst of the emotional atmosphere, the 8th Muharram procession was finally permitted to follow its traditional route after 34 years. The streets were adorned with black banners and the alleys of the capital city reverberated with elegies being recited for Imam Hussain, the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson. Photo: Mehran Bhat
Kashmiri Muslims, historically, used to march in a big procession from Lal Chowk to Dalgate, however, in 1990, when militancy erupted, the practice was outlawed as the processions lead to anti-Indian protests. Photo: Mehran Bhat
A large group of young Shia mourners was observing the 8th Muharram procession on its traditional route for the first time in last three decades. Photo: Mehran Bhat
Thousands of people from various areas of the Kashmir valley joined the procession. Around 6 am, in the morning, the 8th Muharram procession left Guru Bazar in Srinagar and concluded at 11 am in Dalgate area of Srinagar. Photo: Mehran Bhat