IMRAN SHAH
Kishtwar,DD, festival of Ram Navami, marking the birth of Lord Rama, was celebrated with great enthusiasm, devotion, and religious fervor across District Kishtwar. Thousands of devotees gathered at prominent temples including Shree Raghu Nath Temple and Shree Gori Shanker Mandir Sarkoot to offer prayers and participate in various religious ceremonies.
The main highlights of the celebrations included the Havan and Purna Ahuti rituals, along with the Akhand Ram Naam Paath organized under the guidance of Mahant Ram Sharan Dass Ji Maharaj, chief priest of Shree Gori Shanker Mandir. A large number of devotees participated in these sacred rituals.
Speaking on the occasion, Mahant Ram Sharan Dass Ji emphasized the purpose of organizing these events—praying for world peace, universal brotherhood, and inner harmony. He appealed to the public to embrace the values of love, acceptance, and tolerance as taught by Lord Rama.
Bhandara and Prasad were distributed at various temples including Gori Shanker Mandir Sarkoot and Raghu Nath Temple, spreading joy and community spirit among devotees.
Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Rajesh Kumar Shavan extended greetings to the people and urged them to follow the ideals of Lord Rama. He called upon everyone to work for a better society free from evils by adopting the principles of truth, righteousness, and compassion.
A grand Shobha Yatra (religious procession) featuring a beautifully decorated Jhanki of Lord Rama was taken out by Shree Sanatan Dharm Sabha Kishtwar, led by its President Arvind Parihar. The procession began at Shree Gori Shanker Mandir and culminated at Shree Raghu Nath Temple, with thousands of devotees participating enthusiastically.
In view of the large gathering, the civil and police administration had made elaborate security and traffic arrangements. Facilities such as drinking water, sanitation, and first aid were also ensured by the district administration.
The religious procession was personally led and monitored by SSP Kishtwar Javed Iqbal Mir Other officials present included ASP Pawan Sharma , SP Operations Nisar Ahmed Khoja , SDPO Marwah Vijay Bhagat , Tehsildar Nirbhay Sharma , EO Municipality Mumtaz Mirza and SHO Firdous Ahmed.
The celebrations concluded with spiritual discourses at Raghu Nath Temple, where speakers highlighted Lord Rama’s teachings and urged people to draw inspiration from his life for the betterment of mankind.
During Navratras and Ram Navami, devotees also performed traditional rituals such as fasting, chanting mantras, reading the Ramayana, and conducting Kanya Pujan—offering poori, halwa, and kala chana to young girls, symbolizing reverence to the feminine divine.DD
