Darbar Move is Back
News Kashmir Analysis
Darbar Move has been restored once again. In a historic development, the
Jammu and Kashmir government on 16 October, 2025, Thursday issued orders for the closure of the Darbar Move offices in the summer capital Srinagar on October 31, hours after chief minister Omar Abdullah announced restoration of the tradition.
The lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha-led administration had scrapped the Darbar Move tradition in 2021.
While marking one year of his government in Jammu and Kashmir, Omar told reporters, “Today, I have personally signed the official file, and I hope that the order will be issued soon. We are restoring the old tradition of the Darbar Move.””We promised people that we would restore the Darbar Move. The Cabinet has taken a decision regarding its restoration and sent it to the Lieutenant Governor. The L-G has signed and returned the file,” he said earlier in the day.
The practise of Darbar move has been unique to the Jammu and Kashmir region and had long heritage.
As a matter of fact, Darbar move is the Dogra imperial tradition in which huge official paraphernalia is put on wheels to shift the seat of Jammu and Kashmir government to Srinagar during summers and to Jammu During winters.Yes, it is the Darbar move time now again.
In the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state , At least Forty one government departments also in the erstwhile State including those under the direct charge of the Chief Minister and forty five departments used to move to Srinagar in full and in camp respectively for Summer Season. In winter season the Darbar move moved to Jammu, the winter capital of the state.
It is worth mentioning here that the L-G lead admission in year 2021 had scrapped Darbar Move.
As a matter of fact, the Darbar Move tradition has rich history.
The tradition was started during the rule of Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1872.The tradition continued after 1952 as a bridge for administrative, linguistic and cultural interaction between the diverse regions of Jammu and Kashmir.
It’s going to be very much intresting to see how common people take revival of Darbar Move in both regions. Jammu and Kashmir regions overall would welcome the move as it means cultural exchange and much more regional interactions.