Srinagar: Walking with the support of a wooden stick and moving slowly through the sea of people, 80-year-old Ghulam Nabi finally found a place in the front rows of devotees gathered at the revered Hazratbal Shrine on Friday.
Each step was slow but determined. For Nabi, age was no barrier as devotion pulled him towards the shrine on the last Friday of Ramdan— Jumat-ul-Vida.
“I have been coming here for decades for Jumat-ul-Vida prayers. Even if my legs grow weak, my faith brings me here,” he said.
Nabi was among an ocean of devotees who thronged Hazratbal to offer congregational prayers on Jumat-ul-Vida, one of the most spiritually significant days for Muslims.
From the early hours of the morning, streams of devotees from different districts of Kashmir could be seen heading towards the shrine.
Many walked long distances while others arrived in buses and private vehicles, filling the roads leading to Hazratbal with people eager to offer prayers and supplications.
The lawns, courtyards and adjoining roads around the shrine turned into a vast congregation as worshippers raised their hands in prayer seeking peace, prosperity and wellbeing for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials said that to facilitate the massive gathering, authorities had put in place elaborate arrangements across Srinagar.
They said special bus services from Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) and Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL) with a fleet of modern air-conditioned Tata Ultra EV electric buses were arranged from several parts of the city to ferry devotees to Hazratbal and back, while the traffic department implemented diversions and parking plans to manage the large influx of vehicles.
Officials from the shrine management told KNO that over 1.5 lakh devotees gathered at Hazratbal, situated along the beautiful banks of Dal Lake.
Several devotees complained of heavy traffic congestion on roads leading to the shrine due to the massive rush of people. Some said vehicles remained stuck for long periods, forcing many to walk to their destinations.
One of the devotee Nazir Ahmad told KNO, he had to walk towards Lal Bazar as the roads remained packed with vehicles after the prayers. Others also flagged similar concerns, stating that despite traffic diversions and special arrangements, managing the large influx of devotees proved challenging at several points around the shrine.
Security was also significantly enhanced across Srinagar and other parts of the Valley for the peaceful observance of Jumat-ul-Vida.
Personnel from the Jammu and Kashmir Police and other security agencies were deployed in large numbers around Hazratbal and other major religious places to ensure smooth conduct of prayers and maintain law and order.
Among the worshippers at Hazratbal was veteran political leader Dr Farooq Abdullah, president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference.
After offering prayers, Abdullah said he prayed for lasting peace and stability in Jammu and Kashmir and hoped that conflicts across the world would soon come to an end.
While Hazratbal witnessed massive participation, congregational prayers were not allowed at the historic Jama Masjid Srinagar in the old city.
According to the managing body, Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid, a statement issued to KNO said authorities locked the mosque gates from all sides and placed Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest, preventing him from delivering the Friday sermon and leading the prayers.
The Auqaf said that for the seventh consecutive year, devotees were not allowed to offer Jumat-ul-Vida prayers at the Valley’s central congregational mosque.
