Srinagar, June 24: Amid tight security arrangements, thousands of Shia mourners including men and women on Wednesday participated in the traditional 8th Muharram procession in Srinagar, marking the fourth consecutive year that the traditional route has been permitted by the administration.

The procession commenced in the early morning from Guru Bazar and proceeded through Jahangir Chowk and Maulana Azad Road towards Dalgate.
The Shia mourners carrying religious banners continued to move along the designated route while reciting marsiyas (elegies) and nohas (dirges) in remembrance of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.
Dressed predominantly in black, devotees paid tributes to the sacrifice of Imam Hussain and his companions at Karbala.
“We had waited for years to see this procession return to its traditional route. Participating in it is not only a matter of faith but also an emotional connection with our history and heritage,” said a mourner from Srinagar.
Another participant said the large turnout reflected the community’s devotion and attachment to the legacy of Karbala.
“This procession carries a powerful message of sacrifice, truth and resistance against oppression. We are grateful that we can observe it peacefully on its historic route,” he said.
Another participant, Mubashir Hassan said the atmosphere reflected both grief and unity.
“You can see people from every corner of Kashmir here. The arrangements by volunteers and authorities have helped everything move smoothly,” he said.
As the procession advanced through the city centre, residents watched from roadside spaces, while volunteers remained busy attending to mourners and managing the service stalls set up along the route.
Authorities had put in place extensive security measures for the procession.
Police, assisted by central armed police forces and the traffic police, deployed a multi-layer security grid, including drone surveillance, to ensure the peaceful conduct of the procession. Traffic movement along the route was suspended to facilitate the smooth passage of mourners.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar, Sundeep Chakravarthy, said police have meticulously planned arrangements from the starting point to the end point 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 and police, along with volunteers, were seen distributing water and providing assistance to participants at several locations.
The traditional Guru Bazar–Dalgate procession had remained suspended for over three decades following the onset of militancy in the early 1990s before being revived in 2023.