Ram Navami celebrated in Kashmir, Shobha Yatra taken out in Srinagar

MASROOR AHMAD

SRINAGAR: Ram Navami was celebrated with religious fervour across the Kashmir Valley on Wednesday .
Kashmiri Pandits took out Shobha Yatra in Srinagar on the auspicious occasion as the festival was celebrated with religious fervour and all temples in the city were decorated with colourful lights.
The Yatra, with a group of children dressed in traditional attire, was taken out from Kathleshwar temple in Tankipora area in Srinagar and passed through the roads of Habbakadal, Ganpathyar, Barbar Shah, Regal Chowk, LalChowk, Hari Singh High Street and Jahangir Chowk amid tight security arrangements.
Chanting “Hare Rama Hare Rama” slogans a good number of Kashmiri Pandits were accompanying the Yatra that passed off peacefully.
Like every year, this year too, the main ShobhaYatra started from the Zaindar Mohalla in the old city and culminated at Tankipora with a large number of majority community was also participating.
“We have been taking out this Yatra and ‘Jhanki’ every year for the past more than 18 years. Earlier, it was stopped due to turmoil in the Valley,” said devotees.
He said that despite being a minority, the Kashmiri Pandit community takes out the procession with great enthusiasm through the city centre and we are enjoying every moment as majority community is supportive and helpful in every manner.
The devotees expressed gratitude to both Kashmiri Muslims and Kashmir Pandits for their support in carrying out the procession.
Large number of the majority community members were also seen greeting them by the roadside at various points of the Srinagar City.
Security forces were deployed at various points in strength as a precautionary measure, an official said. President of the Hindu Welfare Society said that with the ShobaYatra, the Navratras followed by Ram Navami, the birthday of Lord Rama, concludes.
He said special prayers for peace and prosperity of the country and Jammu and Kashmir were conducted during all these days.