Srinagar, 24 June (H.S.): Amid elaborate security arrangements, thousands of Shia mourners on Wednesday participated in the traditional 8th Muharram procession passing through the heart of Srinagar, marking the fourth consecutive year that the historic route has been permitted by the Jammu and Kashmir administration.

The procession commenced early in the morning from Guru Bazar and proceeded through Jahangir Chowk and Maulana Azad Road towards Dalgate.

As the procession was still underway at the time of filing this report, 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.

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. Authorities have also announced comprehensive arrangements for the 10th Muharram procession scheduled later this week.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar