Socio-psychological Dynamics of Pilgrimage Tourism in Turbulent Times: A Case Study of Hazratbal Shrine

Kashmir is widely known as Pir-i-Wair ‘the valley of saint’s from the times immemorial. There are innumerable pre-eminent shrines and temples associated with different faiths and Hazratbal being the repository of the sacred hair of Prophet Muhammad PBUH has emerged a leading pilgrimage centre in Kashmir. In times of personal and public troubles the shrine has not only been the source for religious rituals but also serves the socio-psychological needs. Given the long drawn conflict of two and a half decades all avenues of leisure and outing have been inaccessible to the inhabitants thus the shrines alone remain accessible to the common man irrespective of faith, thereby, meeting the needs of their socio-religious worldview. As a consequence the shrines have been frequented by the people in the turbulent times to experience a socio-spiritual and psychological relief that has helped them to live up the personal and public troubles. Among the many functions that are performed by the shrine, the leisure and recreational functions stands out eminent. A cycle of fairs are held at the shrine that are considered red letter days in the times of dull lives of Kashmiri people and serve as a break from troubled times and offer an opportunities of leisure and entertainment. In times of life crisis and life cycle events a visit to the shrine is considered a Baraka with a strong belief that the radiation of sacredness of the shrine would help in healing the crisis. Notwithstanding an increasing consumption of media, pilgrimage to shrines remains the most important leisure activity in Kashmir. To sum up in this paper the central argument would be to contextualize the social reality of pilgrimage by closely examining the efficacy and relationship of pilgrimage with the personal/public troubles, besides analysing how the pilgrimage sites help in the sustained integration of society at macro and micro level during the troubled times. Thus through the qualitative and quantitative approach there will be an attempt to develop a sociological knowledge of the contemporary relationship amongst the variables such as personal/impersonal troubles and the pilgrimage to the shrine at Hazratbal.