SRINAGAR —Pandit community on Monday thronged temples across Srinagar to pay their obeisance to lord Krishna on the occasion of Janmashtami.

Large number of children dressed in colorful attire, similar to that of Krishna and Radha were part of the procession.

A special Shoba yatra was also taken  to mark the occasion in Jammu and Kashmir.

[[{“type”:”media”,”fid”:”35656″,”view_mode”:”wysiwyg”,”instance_fields”:”override”}]]

Janmashtami procession organized by local Pandit community, passed through the historic Lal Chowk with passersby waving at them as goodwill gesture. Earlier the procession began from Ganesha temple in Ganpatyar amidst religious hymns and chants, passed through Jahangir Chowk, Budshah Chowk, Lal Chowk and Maulana Azad Road on Monday morning.

Special Langars (Community Kitchens) were also organized by the Pandit community at different temples of the city.

A Pandit participant in the march at Lal Chowk said the procession is an open invitation to their migrant brethren to return to their homeland. 

[[{“type”:”media”,”fid”:”35672″,”view_mode”:”wysiwyg”,”instance_fields”:”override”}]]

Praising the Muslim majority for their support Arun Kumar, a participant said the procession passed through major thoroughfares of the city peacefully and this was testament to the fact that Pandits live here with dignity and respect. He blasted the vested interests for provoking Muslim majority here against minority community and said they were maligning entire community for petty benefits.

He said Kashmir is not a religious but a political issue.