Srinagar, Sep 04 (KNO): Srinagar on Friday came alive with faith, colours and festive fervour as Kashmiri Pandits celebrated Janmashtami, marking the birth of Lord Krishna, with prayers, devotional singing, a traditional Shobha Yatra and cultural festivities across the city.
The celebrations began with devotees offering prayers at temples, observing fasts and participating in bhajan-kirtans and other religious rituals. Temples were decorated with flowers, lights and colourful displays, while devotees gathered to mark the occasion with traditional fervour.
According to details obtained by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the main attraction of the celebrations was the traditional Shobha Yatra taken out by the Kashmiri Pandit community through the streets of Srinagar.
The procession started from the historic Ganpatyar Temple in Tankipora, Habba Kadal, and passed through several localities, including Kralkhud, Barbarshah and Regal Chowk, before reaching Lal Chowk, the commercial heart of the city.
The streets echoed with devotional chants, bhajans and the beats of drums as devotees moved through the city carrying idols and religious flags.
At Lal Chowk, the celebrations took on a colourful cultural character, with Kashmiri Pandit devotees singing, dancing and joining in devotional performances around the iconic Ghanta Ghar.
Children dressed in traditional Kashmiri attire, some carrying small idols of Lord Krishna and dressed as Radha and Krishna, added to the festive atmosphere and drew attention from locals and visitors.
The procession also brought together people from different communities, with members of the local Muslim community welcoming the participants and extending greetings, reflecting the spirit of Kashmiriyat and communal harmony.
The celebrations were also accompanied by the distribution of prasad and traditional festive food among devotees and participants, adding a community and family feel to the occasion. For many members of the Kashmiri Pandit community, the Shobha Yatra carries both religious and emotional significance.
Meanwhile, tight security arrangements were put in place along the procession route to ensure the peaceful conduct of the celebrations—(KNO)