Srinagar, Feb 24: Thousands of devotees thronged Hazratbal shrine on the Friday following Shab-e-Meraj to have a glimpse of the holy relic of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
The biggest congregation was held at the revered shrine Dargah Hazratbal in Srinagar where thousands of devotees have been participating in prayers for the past few days. After congregational Friday prayers, they had a glimpse of the holy relic.
Congregations were also held at Jenab Sahab Soura, Asar-e-Sharif Shahri Kalashpora, Lal Bazar, Khanqah-e-Maula, Ziarat Hazrat Dastgeer Sahab (RA), Syed Yaqoob Sahab (RA) Sonwar, Khawaja Naqshband Sahab (RA) and Ziarat Makhdoom Sahib (RA). Special prayers were also held at Masjids and shrines in Anantnag, mainly at Jamia Masjid Reshi Sahab, Khiram Sirhama, Kaba Marg, Dooru and Seer Hamdan.
“This Friday is very special as the holy relic is shown in the context of Shab-e-Meraj. It is a holy day and we sought forgiveness and prayed for peace and prosperity,” said Imtiyaz Ahmad, a local from Srinagar outskirts.
Imam-e-Khateeb Dargah Hazratbal Shrine, Dr Kamaal Farooqi said that thousands of devotees spent intervening night of Saturday and Sunday in congregational prayers and other religious activities. He said on Friday following, they listened to sermons and participated in Natt and Dorood Khwani.
Officials said that the Srinagar administration had put special arrangements in place for the Shab-e-Meraj. They said PDD, SMC, Health Services and Transport officials were asked to ensure smooth celebration of the night.
“We carried special sanitation drives across all major religious places across Kashmir, especially Hazratbal,” said SMC’s chief sanitation officer. Meanwhile, Traffic Police in Srinagar had put in place a detailed traffic plan and made special parking facilities across Hazratbal shrine.
A senior official from Traffic police said that transporters and local commuters were advised to follow the advisory strictly to ensure smooth traffic movement.