The Hindu In Frames on the annual Zool festival in South Kashmir by Imran Nisar

The Zool festival of Aishmuqam shrine of Baba Zain-ud-Din Wali is a procession of faith and light. Also known as the illumination or torch festival, the Zool is a centuries-old tradition held at the shrine in Anantnag district of southern Kashmir.

At this shrine, located on a hillock overlooking the road to Pahalgam, the famous tourist destination in Kashmir, the annual fire procession symbolises the victory of light over darkness while commemorating the 15th-century Sufi saint Baba Zain-ud-Din Wali, a primary disciple of the renowned mystic Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Wali, also known as Nund Rishi.

This year, the festival was celebrated on April 2.

According to local legend, the saint meditated in a cave at Aishmuqam that was once infested with snakes or, in some versions, terrorised by a demon. His spiritual power eventually cleared the cave, and local people celebrated this “victory of good over evil” by lighting torches.

The procession involves thousands of devotees carrying wooden torches, locally called mashals or phrov, crafted from special wood gathered from nearby forests. Before the festival, local people refrain from eating or selling meat for three days as a form of spiritual purification.

As the sun sets, a glowing river of fire snakes up the 100-step staircase leading to the hilltop shrine. Participants chant religious hymns and seek blessings, creating a spectacle visible for miles across Anantnag.

The event also marks the Shab-e-Doum (the second night of prayers) and serves as a traditional herald of spring and signals farmers to begin sowing paddy after the harsh Himalayan winter.

The Aishmuqam fire procession remains a powerful symbol of Rishi-Sufi culture, drawing people from various faiths to celebrate communal harmony and the enduring legacy of Sakhi (the Generous) Zain-ud-Din Wali.

Photo:
Imran Nissar

Ready for ritual: Kashmiri Muslims sit with bundles of wood to be lit in the evening outside the shrine during the annual torch festival at Aishmuqam, 75 km south of Srinagar.

Photo:
Imran Nissar

Valley view: A look from atop the shrine shows a part of Aishmuqam locality with its mustard fields.

Photo:
Imran Nissar

Uphill task: The devout carry torches to be lit outside the cave shrine of Sufi saint Baba Zain-ud-Din Wali.

Photo:
Imran Nissar

Devoted gathering: People start to gather at the shrine, located on a hilltop overlooking Kashmir’s popular tourist spot Pahalgam, to offer prayers.

Photo:
Imran Nissar

The spark is lit: A man lights a torch outside the cave shrine of the 15th-century saint

Photo:
Imran Nissar

Burning bright: As the sun sets, people light their torches and hold it up outside the cave shrine.

Photo:
Imran Nissar

Festive spirit: Women participants at the centuries-old Zool festival in Kashmir.

Photo:
Imran Nissar

Rise of the flames: People hold up burning wooden torches during the annual festival symbolising victory over evil.

Photo:
Imran Nissar

Warding of darkness: A youth rests a lit torch in a raised pole position outside the shrine.

Photo:
Imran Nissar

Sacred site: An illuminated view of the hilltop shrine of Sakhi Zain-ud-din Wali.