Ram Navami was celebrated by the minority Hindu population of the valley today. At the revered Kheerbhawani Temple, Ram Navami was celebrated with full religious fervour. The temple was highly decorated with flowers and lights.
Since early morning, thousands of devotees thronged the temples of Kheerbhawani and Shankaracharya and paid obeisance.
At Kheerbhawani, among the devotees, the Deputy Commissioner of Ganderbal, Shyambir, also visited the temple and paid obeisance there. He also wished everyone a very happy and prosperous Ram Navami and prayed for peace, prosperity and the development of J&K.
The Deputy Commissioner also inspected the arrangements being put in place by various departments for the devotees and expressed satisfaction with the arrangements being put in place.
The district administration had made elaborate arrangements for the devotees with regard to water and power supply, medical facilities, security arrangements, Bhandara service, arrangements for sanitation and cleanliness and other related arrangements to ensure visiting devotees may not face any inconvenience.
In Srinagar, devotees thronged the famous Shankaracharya mandir and paid obeisance. A Shobha Yatra was also carried out by the devotees in the heart of the city.
Amidst tight security, the Shobha Yatra started from Zaindar Mohalla in the old city and culminated at Tankipora after passing through Habbakadal, Barbarshah, Lal Chowk, Hari Singh High Street and Jehangir Chowk.
Pawan Chetanyadas, the organiser of the Shobha Yatra, said, “We have been taking out this yatra and ‘Jhanki’ every year for the past 16 years. Earlier, it was stopped due to turmoil in the valley.”
He expressed gratitude to both Kashmiri Muslims and Kashmir Pandits for their support in carrying out the procession.
“We pray for the peace and prosperity of all people in Kashmir. We want everyone to live in harmony, as bloodshed will yield nothing,” he added.