India: Pandits celebrate Janmashtami Festival in Kashmir

Mubashir Hassan

Indian Hindu participating in the Hindu religious procession, commemorating the Janmashtami festival on September 7, 2022 in Srinagar, Indian administered Kashmir, India. Janmashtami, a Hindu festival, is marked by fasting, communal singing, prayers, and the sharing of special dishes. It's a time of spiritual reflection and communal celebration for Hindu devotees. Around 200,000 Kashmiri Pandits fled the Kashmir Valley in the early 1990s due to an insurgency against Indian rule. Most resettled in Jammu, a Hindu-majority city. Police say militants are attacking Pandits who returned as part of various rehabilitation schemes launched by the government.