‘Herath’ celebrated by displaced Kashmiri Pandits as Muslims recall shared traditions

Displaced Kashmiri Pandits on Sunday (February 15, 2026) celebrated Herath with fervour, as Muslims in Kashmir recalled fading memories of brotherhood and shared Hindu-Muslim practices that the 36-year-old conflict subsumed in its wake.

Herath is a local lexicon for Maha Shivratri, where, unlike in the rest of the country, Pandits prepare mutton and fish dishes. For ages, the festival cultivated a bond between Muslims and Hindus, many of whom migrated to different parts of the country after militancy broke out in Kashmir in the 1990s.

“I remember on Herath, our Pandit neighbours would give us dried walnuts instead of soaked ones and on Nowruz we would return the gesture with nadru [lotus stem]. Such exchanges were more than tradition, they were quiet symbols of shared culture and coexistence beyond religious lines,” Masroor Ansari, a well known Shia cleric and political leader, said.

The practice of sharing walnuts with Muslim neighbours on ‘Herath’ is rare to see in today’s Kashmir. However, the older generation cherish the practice that saw rare bonding between two faiths. Many took to social media platforms to share stories from the past.

“Herath Mubarak! Yesterday was Pooza. Today is Salam. Tomorrow ‘Vatuk Doen’ will be distributed. All Pandits, request do the needful. Since last year I have started sharing it [soaked walnuts] with non Kashmiris to showcase the distinctiveness of the Kashmiri Pandits in a nutshell, literally,” former J&K Minister and economist Haseeb Drabu wrote on social media platform X.

There are many who are rejoicing and reliving the fast fading practice in Kashmir. “I had a Kashmiri Pandit Herath feast after 32 years today. Grateful to Mohit Bhan for the wonderful hospitality and the delicious meal. It had me recalling my friend Lalit Kumar Raina, Dimple to us, who used to invite me to this festival 35 years ago,” said Javed Dar, a well known photojournalist.

Meanwhile, Pandits who did not leave Kashmir thronged temples in Srinagar, including Hanuman Temple, Sharika Devi Temple, and Shankaracharya Temple, to offer special prayers on the occasion.

Top J&K leaders, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti, and Kashmir chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, were among others who greeted the community on the occasion.

“May this sacred festival bring peace, prosperity, and strengthen the bonds of harmony and brotherhood across J&K,” Mr. Abdullah said.

The Mirwaiz said such occasions remind “us of the shared values of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and brotherhood, which have long been an integral part of Kashmir’s religious and cultural ethos”.

Inam Un Nabi, spokesperson of the Awami Ittehad Party, visited Kashmiri Pandit colonies in north Kashmir on the occasion. “Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims are each other’s heart and soul, bound by shared culture, language and history. ‘Herath’ reflects Kashmir’s tradition of coexistence and mutual respect, which has endured despite hardships,” Mr. Nabi said.