Waqf Board resumes ‘Shab-Khawani’ prayers across Kashmir shrines after decades of stop

Srinagar, Sept 27: Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board Tuesday ordered resumption of “Shab-Khwani” (nightlong prayers) at all shrines across the Union Territory and directed the authorities to put in place all necessary arrangements.
Shab Khwani’ has been a tradition of centuries across shrines in Kashmir and is mostly held on the intervening night of Thursdays and Fridays.
According to the order issued by the board in this regard reads, “The general public is hereby informed that Shab-Khawani is being restored at all shrines of Jammu and Kashmir Wakf Board, and shall be preferably observed on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday. However, it can also be observed on any other night of the week depending upon the local custom and past practice. Executive Officers/ Administrators and the staff posted at shrines are hereby directed to put in place all necessary arrangements,” further reads the order.
The special prayers were discontinued due to the turmoil and deteriorating law and order situation since the 1990s.
Talking to Rising Kashmir, Executive Magistrate, J&K Waqf Board, Srinagar, Ishtiyaq Mohi-ud-din, said an order has been issued wherein Shab-Khawani’ at all the shrines has been restored and subsequent orders have been issued to put all the necessary arrangements in place.
To a question, if Shab-Khawani was banned in J&K, he said there was no formal order regarding the ban, but it was discontinued due to the turmoil and deteriorating law and order situation a few decades back.
“Shab-e-Khwani was held at some major shrines, but largely it was not in practice. So today we have ordered its restoration fully,” he said.
A week ago, in conversation with Rising Kashmir, Waqf chairperson, Dr Darakhshan Andrabi had said that she wanted to restore the full glory of the shrines of Kashmir.