Muharram marks the beginning of the Islamic New Year, but it is a period of mourning where Muslim Shia community commemorates the martyrdom of Hazrat Hussain, the son of Hazrat Ali and grandson of Prophet Muhammad.Around 14 centuries ago, on the day of Ashura, Imam Hussain was brutally killed in the battle of Karbala. But in Kashmir, major mourning processions have been banned by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir since the 1990s when there was a rise in insurgency in the state.Smaller processions are permitted in some Shia-pockets of the state, including in the districts of Baramulla, Kulgam, Leh and Kargil. However, in the state capital of Srinagar, processions are not allowed along the traditional route–that begins at Abi Guzar, passes through Maisuma, and ends at Zadibal–and the occasion is often marred by clashes between the mourners and the police. Show Less >>