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Fresh snowfall in upper reaches, rain in plain areas

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 2/21/2020 3:09:30 PM

SRINAGAR, Feb 20: Fresh light snowfall occurred in upper reaches of Kashmir today, while rains occurred in plain areas.
The downpour led to fall in day temperature and cold weather conditions again emerged after days of sunshine.
Reports said upper reaches of Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Yousmarg experienced a light snowfall today.
It rained in Srinagar and other plain areas. The meteorological department has forecast that it will rain through the day across Jammu and Kashmir plains while the higher reaches will have snowfall.
The night temperature recorded for Srinagar was 3.6 degrees Celsius, while as it was minus four degrees in Gulmarg.
Many prayer functions and congregations were being held across the Valley on the occasion of Shivratri.
The biggest congregation is being seen at the Shankracharya temple, located on a hillock in Srinagar, where devotees would perform a day long special prayers.
The temples in other parts of the Valley were also holding similar gatherings and prayers.
While many are celebrating Shivratri in Kashmir, some have gone to Jammu to celebrate with families there.
"It is also a time for family get together for us in Jammu. My brothers, who are doing jobs in other parts of the country, also come to Jammu and we celebrate together with our parents," says Rajesh Raina, who is a government teacher and is living in the migrant colony in Sheikhpura in Badgam district.
Meanwhile, the government has made special arrangements for the Kashmiri Pandit community celebrating Shivratri in Kashmir.
Special stalls have been set up at the migrant colonies and temples for selling fisheries, lotus stems, vegetables, walnut and floriculture items.
Besides, local fishermen have installed their vending shops at Habba Kadal and Ganpatyar localities in Srinagar, where a small number of Kashmir Pandits are residing.
The government has asked the concerned departments to launch an intense market checking to curb black-marketing of essential commodities like mutton, vegetable, fruit flowers, bakeries, etc. during the festival.
Maha Shivratri is a three-day festival for the minority Kashmiri Pandit community, which started from Wednesday. Apart from two days of special prayers, the community celebrates the third day as the feasting day in which apart from relatives, the majority Muslim community members also take part.