Srinagar: For the third year in a row, authorities on Wednesday allowed the traditional 8th Muharram mourning procession to pass through the heart of Srinagar, drawing thousands of Shia mourners along a route that had remained out of bounds for more than three decades after the onset of militancy in Kashmir.
The procession began at Guru Bazaar and moved through Jehangir Chowk, Budshah Chowk, and Moulana Azad Road before heading towards Dal Gate, where it was to culminate in a mourning majlis. Officials said the event passed off under elaborate security, traffic and medical arrangements, with volunteers assisting mourners and regulating the movement of the procession.
Men, women and children joined the procession in large numbers, many of them travelling from different parts of the Valley to take part in the annual observance. Mourners recited elegies and nohas in memory of Imam Hussain and the martyrs of Karbala, while groups of devotees performed traditional matam (mourning) along the route.
The 8th Muharram procession from Guru Bazaar was among the major Shia mourning processions barred from Srinagar’s traditional routes after 1989, when militancy and the separatist campaign turned violent in Kashmir. Authorities had feared that large religious gatherings in the city centre could be used for political mobilisation and trigger law-and-order problems.
Before the ban, Srinagar’s Shia residents would take out large processions from Aabi Guzar in Kothibagh and Guru Bazaar in Shaheed Gunj police stations areas, culminating in Hussaini majalis at Zadibal and Dal Gate to mark the 10th and 8th days of Muharram mourning, respectively.
While the main tazia processions through the city’s traditional routes were not permitted for decades, Zuljinah and tazia processions, as well as sham-e-garibaan gatherings, continued to be allowed in predominantly Shia localities of Srinagar, including Zadibal, and in towns such as Magam and Budgam, where tens of thousands of mourners participated over the years.
The traditional 8th Muharram route was reopened in 2024 after more than three decades. The permission has since been renewed annually, with the administration maintaining a close watch on arrangements and public order.
This year’s procession also came against the backdrop of police action during previous Muharram observances over the display of Hezbollah flags, portraits of its late leader Syed Hassan Nasrallah, and pro-Palestine symbols. Last year, police registered cases after alleging that some participants had violated conditions imposed for the procession and engaged in acts capable of disturbing public order and communal harmony.
Officials had then said legal proceedings were initiated under relevant provisions after identifying those allegedly involved. Shia leaders and community representatives had questioned the police action, saying expressions of solidarity with Palestine and Gaza should not be treated as threats to public order.
On Wednesday, however, Hezbollah flags and portraits of its leaders were not visible in the procession. The Iranian national flag and portraits of Iran’s leaders, including Syed Ali Khamenei, as well as figures killed in recent US-Israel strikes and earlier Israeli military actions, were prominently displayed and carried by some mourners.
Police and paramilitary personnel were deployed at several points along the route and in adjoining areas. Officials said the arrangements were aimed at ensuring that the procession remained peaceful and that traffic diversions and emergency services functioned smoothly.
By late afternoon, the procession was moving towards Dal Gate, where mourners were expected to gather for the concluding majlis. Authorities said they were satisfied with the conduct of the procession and the coordination between security personnel, civil administration and community volunteers.
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