Early Times Report
Srinagar, Aug 12: The birthday of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu, “ Janamashtami” was on Wednesday celebrated in the Kashmir valley, where festivity was missing for the second successive year.
This year Jhanki procession and other festivity was missing due to COVID-19 pandemic though puja was held last night in temples, where only small number of devotees participated after maintaining social distance other Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), a Pujara told UNI at Hanuman Mandir at Hari Singh High Street (HSHS) near here. However, last year Jhanki procession and other programmes could not be held due to restrictions imposed by the authorities after August 5, when centre abrogated Article 370 and 35 A besides divided the state into two Union Territories (UTs), he said.
A UNI correspondent who visited a number of temples in the old city, down town and civil lines saw only few people, besides pujaras present. However, all of them said puja was held last night though the number of devotees, including security force personnel, was very less due to COVID-19 restrictions. We will also organize similar puja this evening, they said.
They said no big congregation was organized this time too because of lock down in view of the coronaviurs threat.
They said in the past, including during militancy after 1996 we were taking out jhanki processions from old city and after marching through different areas, including historic Lal Chowk, and other civil line areas and culminate in a temple at Zaindar Mohalla in the city.
Reports of celebrating of Janamashtami were also received from other parts of the Kashmir valley, where small functions were organized since last evening.
Lt Governor of Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, his advisors and Chief secretary have greeted people on the occasion.
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