Archive · 18 Sep 2026
Defying threats, Kashmiri Pandits revive Ganesh Visarjan tradition in Srinagar
Kashmiri Pandits held a Ganesh festival procession in Srinagar.
They carried a statue of Lord Ganesha from a temple in Sonwar to the Jhelum River.
There, they immersed the statue as part of Ganesh Visarjan.
The gathering happened even though terrorist groups had reportedly issued threats.
Many people said the event brought back an old tradition from nearly 35 years ago.
Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims had taken part in that earlier tradition.
Some families returned from different parts of the country, bringing children who had never seen the celebration in Kashmir before.
Participants said the event helped them feel connected to their homeland and culture.
Kashmiri Pandits held a large Ganesh Visarjan procession in Srinagar despite reported threats from terrorist groups.
The procession began at the Shiva Temple in Sonwar and ended with immersion of the Ganesh idol in the Jhelum River.
Participants described the event as a historic revival of a tradition largely absent from the Valley for decades.
The celebration recalled a Ganesh Visarjan held nearly 35 years ago with participation from Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims.
Local Muslims, police and administrators supported the gathering, while Pandits who traveled from across the country attended with their children.
- Who
- Members of the Kashmiri Pandit community, joined by local Muslims and supported by police and administrators, took part.
- What
- A Ganesh Visarjan procession and idol immersion were held in Srinagar.
- When
- The article does not specify a calendar date; it says the tradition had last been seen in this form nearly 35 years ago.
- Where
- The procession traveled from the Shiva Temple in Sonwar through Srinagar to the Jhelum River.
- Why
- Participants sought to revive a Kashmiri Pandit cultural tradition and maintain cultural resilience despite reported threats.
- Event
- Ganesh Visarjan procession and idol immersion
- Starting point
- Shiva Temple, Sonwar
- Destination
- Banks of the Jhelum River
- Reported threats
- More than half a dozen threats from terrorist groups over three months
- Historical context
- A similar celebration took place nearly 35 years ago
- Participants
- Kashmiri Pandits, local Muslims, police and administrators
- Significance
- Described by participants as a revival of a tradition largely absent from the Valley for decades