Srinagar to see Muharram procession after over three decades

After over three decades, the Shia community has been granted permission to hold a procession on the eighth day of Muharram in Srinagar. As per a ToI report, the procession will be allowed to move on the traditional routes from 6am to 8am on Thursday, district administration said.

The decision came following a request by Shia leaders to organize the Muharram procession through the customary path of Guru Bazaar-Budshah Bridge-MA Road-Dalgate-Zadibal.

In a meeting with J&KLG Manoj Sinha on Tuesday, Shia leaders had appealed for the lifting of the longstanding ban on the traditional Muharram procession. Taking cognizance of their plea, the administration decided to grant the necessary approvals.


To ensure minimal inconvenience to the public, the administration imposed a time restriction on the procession. The designated timing aims to avoid any disruptions during busy hours, considering that MA Road and Dalgate areas witness substantial footfall throughout the day.

This marks a momentous occasion for the Shia community as they will undertake the Muharram procession along the major routes after a hiatus of 34 years. In 1989, the procession was banned by the then government on the eighth and tenth days of Muharram.

Another encouraging development is that Srinagar's INOX Cinema recently witnessed Hollywood's first full house in decades. However, Hollywood films have historically struggled to draw a huge audience, thus the full house attendance of a Hollywood film was a welcome surprise for both cinema owners and local viewers. Throughout the film, the audience was seen applauding, clapping, and gasping as the drama unfolded on the big screen.

The success of Hollywood films at the Srinagar INOX theater has provided optimism to theater owners and distributors who have been working hard to broaden their offers and cater to the diverse interests of Kashmiri moviegoers. This victory has paved the way for more Hollywood films to be screened in the country.