India has implemented a curfew across Kashmir during the Islamic Eid al-Adha holiday. Two protesters have died in clashes.
Image: picture-alliance/Pacific Press/F. Khan
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India on Tuesday implemented a curfew across the restive Kashmir region, marring the Eid al-Adha Islamic holiday.
Muslim-majority Kashmir has been in the throes of the biggest street protests in six years, triggered when a top separatist leader was killed by security forces in July.
Normally hundreds of thousands of people would be out in the streets celebrating Islam's most important holiday, when families get together and sheep and goats are slaughtered.
Some rock-throwing protesters braved the curfewImage: picture-alliance/Pacific Press/U. Asif
Instead, shops were shuttered and the streets in the region's cities, including the main city, Srinagar, were largely empty as people stayed home or in their neighborhoods.
Authorities prevented prayers at the main mosques and Eid grounds, although some people held prayers in small neighborhood mosques.
Mobile telephone services were also partially blocked and internet service shut down.
Pulse: Kashmiri youth violence
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Clashes broke out as some protesters braved the security clampdown, leaving two people dead and several dozen injured.
Authorities in late August lifted a curfew imposed in most parts of Kashmir following a 52-day security lockdown, but schools, shops and many banks remain closed.
At least 79 civilians have been killed and thousands wounded during the latest round of protests.
Two policemen and hundreds of others have been injured in clashes.
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, which have fought two wars over the region. India accuses Pakistan of arming rebels fighting for independence or union with Pakistan.
Poets call it one of the most beautiful places on earth. Analysts consider it to be one of the most dangerous areas in the world. But what is Kashmir in reality?
Image: M.Davari
Multicultural
Kashmir has been well-known for its cultural and linguistic diversity. The Kashmir Valley has a Muslim majority. Hindus are predominant in Jammu while Ladakh is primarily Buddhist. But interminable violence has damaged the very fabric of society.
Image: picture-alliance/Arcaid
Saffron
Kashmir is also famous for its saffron. India is the third largest exporter of saffron following Iran and Spain.
Image: imago/Xinhua
'Switzerland of the East'
Kashmir boasts some of the world's most beautiful flowering meadows and snow-capped peaks. Many people call it "The Switzerland of the East." Almost 1.1 million tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2014.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Snow-white Kashmir
Kashmir wears pure white in winter. Many areas are perfect for winter sports but lack infrastructure. Islamist violence remains the biggest challenge.
Image: UNI
Rivers
The Himalayan part of Kashmir is the source of fresh water for more than 20 rivers, among which the Indus, Neelum and Ravi are the biggest. All these rivers flow from India into Pakistan.
Image: UNI
Wood
Kashmir is also famous for its wood, the Kashmir willow. Experts believe that it is the best wood for making a cricket bat. Kashmiri wood is also used for building boats.
Image: picture alliance/NurPhoto/Y. Nazir
Sufism
Sufism, the mystical dimension of Islam, reached Kashmir in the 16th century. Sufi tradition is associated with religious harmony. Many of the saints held dear by Kashmiris were Sufi monks. Sufi singers such as Abida Parveen are popular to this day.
Image: AP
Kashmir on the silver screen
Kashmir used to be the most popular location of the Indian film industry during the 1980s. It was a golden era for Kashmir. However, the valley has been witnessing violence on an almost daily basis ever since. Nowadays, only one or two films are shot on location in Kashmir every year.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Fighting in the clouds
The Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan has been going on 1948, and experts see little hope of a solution in the foreseeable future. Both countries spend lots of resources on their half of the divided territory, with their respective armies squared off on what some view as the highest battlefield in the world, the Siachen glacier (5,753m).
