Thousands gather at Hazratbal shrine for ‘Shab-e-Meraj’ prayers

Thousands of devotees gathered at the Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar city on Monday night to engage in prayers to celebrate ‘Meraj-e-Alam (Night of the Prophet’s ascension to Heaven)’.

Devotees from different parts of the Valley braved extreme winter cold and gathered at the holiest Muslim shrine in the Valley, the Hazratbal Shrine, which houses the holy relic (A hair of the Prophet’s beard).

All modes of transport including buses, taxis, private cars and even load carriers were used by people, who came to Srinagar from Anantnag, Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama, Budgam, Srinagar, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Kupwara and Baramulla districts. The devotees engaged in prayers for pardon and penance while chanting ‘Doruud (Praises of the Prophet)’.

Weeping and wailing men, women and children had ‘Deedar (glimpse of the Holy relic)’ which was displayed by its custodian at the pre-dawn ‘Nimaz’ on Tuesday. Scores of pavement sellers displaying sweetmeat, hosiery, footwear, food items and other essentials of life gathered to sell their merchandise to the devotees as today’s is one of the largest gatherings that takes place during the Islamic calendar in the Valley.

Authorities had made adequate arrangements of security, healthcare and traffic control to ensure that the devotees do not suffer inconvenience. Despite the influx of the strait-jacketed Ahle Hadis School of Islamic thought and practice in Kashmir during the last 30 years when terrorism remained central to political and religious discourse, the eclectic, tolerant traditional Islamic school of thought still remains strongly embedded in the Valley.