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 moments before joining thousands of worshippers in prayer while speaking with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
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.
It is important to mention that Jumat-ul-Vida, observed on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramdan, holds special spiritual significance for Muslims across the world. On this day, large congregational prayers are offered in mosques and shrines as believers seek forgiveness, mercy and blessings before the conclusion of Ramzan—(KNO)
