JAMMU, Mar 20: Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department will host Kashmir Travel Mart in April this year to highlight the tourism potential of the region.

“J&K Tourism is set to host the Kashmir Travel Mart-2026 on 14-15 April, bringing together around 250 stakeholders from over 20 states across the country,” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted on his official X handle.

He said the event will highlight the region’s immense tourism potential through craft safaris, curated destination tours, and B2B engagements, offering stakeholders a rich and immersive experience of Kashmir’s culture, heritage, and warm hospitality.

“A significant initiative aimed at strengthening tourism linkages and further

positioning Kashmir as a premier global travel destination,” he said.

Doda, March 19, 2026:

Senior Superintendent of Police Doda, Sh. Sandeep Mehta (JKPS), has extended his warm greetings and best wishes to the people of District Doda, families of the Police Martyrs and all the serving/ retired police officials, on the auspicious occasions of Chaitra Navratri and the forthcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.

On the sacred festival of Chaitra Navratri, SSP Doda prayed for happiness, prosperity, and strength for all, expressing hope that the festival brings renewed positivity and spiritual upliftment in the lives of the people.

On the joyous occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, he conveyed his heartfelt wishes for peace, harmony, and togetherness, hoping that the festival strengthens the bonds of brotherhood and compassion among all communities.

SSP Doda emphasized the importance of maintaining communal harmony and urged citizens to celebrate these festivals with unity, mutual respect, and a spirit of togetherness. He also appealed to the public to uphold law and order and cooperate with the administration to ensure peaceful celebrations across the district.

He concluded by wishing good health, prosperity, and happiness to all residents of Doda.

Mughal Road, which was temporarily closed earlier in the day due to fresh snowfall, has now been reopened for light motor vehicles (LMVs), officials said on Wednesday.

According to SSP Traffic Rural, Farooq Qaiser, the restoration of traffic is subject to fair weather conditions at Pir Ki Gali.

Vehicular movement will be strictly regulated between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM as per the existing advisory, he said.

Commuters have been advised to drive cautiously and strictly adhere to traffic guidelines while travelling on the route. (KNC)

Kashmiri Pandits have renewed their resolve to celebrate Navreh, the first day of the New Year according to the Kashmiri Hindu calendar, in the Valley from next year, terming it a symbolic step towards reconnecting with their ancestral homeland, community members said.

Navreh, which is celebrated by Kashmiri Pandits on the first day of the month of Chaitra, is traditionally dedicated to Goddess Sharika and marks the beginning of a new year in the Saptarshi calendar. The festival, which will be celebrated on March 19 this year, holds immense religious and cultural significance for the community.

“The Navreh Mahotsav is a poignant homecoming movement. The festival would be observed not only in Jammu, but in several cities across the country and abroad, reflecting widespread participation of the community,” Kashi Nath Pandita, scholar and convenor of the Navreh Mahotsav Aayojan Samiti-2026, told reporters here.

Pandita, who was awarded the Padma Shri in 2017 for his contributions in the fields of literature and education, said, “The members of the displaced community have collectively reaffirmed their resolve to return and celebrate Navreh in their ancestral birthplace in Kashmir next year.” “Navreh marks the beginning of the new year and carries deep astronomical and cultural significance. The festival traditionally begins with early morning rituals, including ‘pooja’ and ‘darshan’ of the Navreh Thali, symbolising prosperity, knowledge and continuity of life,” he said.

The second day of the celebrations, March 20, will be observed as Shaurya Divas to commemorate the valour and leadership of the 8th-century Karkota monarch of the Kashmir region, Samrat Lalitaditya.

“The concluding Mahotsav will be held at the Abhinav Theatre here, featuring cultural performances, intellectual discourses and tributes to historical icons,” Panditia said.

Co-convenor of Navreh Mahotsav Aayojan Samiti-2026, Brij Lal Bhat, said the festival symbolises the community’s aspiration to reconnect with its roots.

Bhat, a recipient of the Padma Shri award this year in the Unsung Heroes category, also called for incorporating the contributions of Acharya Shreya Bhat and Samrat Lalitaditya into the academic curriculum of the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education.

The chairman of the Sanjeevani Sharda Kendra (SSK) and chief spokesperson of the Navreh Mahotsav Aayojan Samiti, M K Bharat, said that according to the Hindu calendar, Amavasya and Chaitra Shukla Pratipada fall on the same day this year, resulting in the confluence of Tyag Divas and Sankalp Divas and reducing the three-day festival to two days.

Bharat also invited all sections of society to participate in the celebrations, describing the festival as a vibrant expression of cultural resurgence, bridging the past with the future.

The Navreh Mahotsav has been organised annually since 2021, and this year marks its sixth edition, Bharat said.

Celebrating the festival in exile for decades after migrating from the Valley in the early 1990s, Kashmiri Pandits have been observing the festival in Jammu and elsewhere while simultaneously expressing a desire to return to the Valley. (Agencies)