Anantnag, April 3, 2026- Dr. Darakhshan Andrabi on Thursday participated in the centuries-old Zool Festival on the eve of the Annual Urs at the revered Hazrat Sakhi Zain-ud-Din Wali Shrine, joining thousands of devotees in the spiritually significant gathering.
Dr. Andrabi inaugurated the Urs-e-Pak celebrations of Zainshah Padshah (RA), marking the formal commencement of the annual religious observance. Expressing her sentiments on the occasion, she said she felt honoured to be part of the sacred event and extended greetings to the devotees.
The Zool Festival, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a centuries-old tradition deeply embedded in Kashmir’s Sufi culture. Celebrated with great devotion, the festival sees the illumination of shrines, homes, and pathways with oil lamps, symbolising spiritual awakening, hope, and the triumph of light over darkness.
Thousands of devotees from across Jammu and Kashmir thronged Aishmuqam to participate in the rituals and offer prayers at the shrine. The Urs commemorates the life and teachings of Hazrat Sakhi Zain-ud-Din Wali (RA), popularly known as Zainshah Padshah (RA), whose message of peace, unity, and humility continues to resonate across generations.
The event also reflected the region’s rich tradition of communal harmony, with people from different backgrounds coming together in large numbers. Authorities made elaborate arrangements to ensure smooth conduct of the festival, including security and public facilities for the visiting devotees.
The Zool Festival and Urs celebrations continue to be a major spiritual and cultural attraction, contributing significantly to religious tourism in South Kashmir.
