Jammu and Kashmir has reinstated the 150-year-old Darbar Move — the biannual tradition of shifting the capital between Srinagar and Jammu. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced the change today as he marked one year in office.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that they had promised to restore the Darbar Move, and that the Cabinet had approved its restoration. He added that it had also received a nod from the Lt. Governor and that he had signed the order that day.
The announcement came hours before the J&K General Administration Department issued a formal order. According to it, all government offices, including the Chief Minister’s Office, will now start functioning from Jammu, the winter capital.
The Darbar Move was first introduced by Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1872. The royal practice involved shifting the capital to Jammu during the winter and returning to Srinagar in summer, ensuring administrative access for both regions.
The tradition was scrapped in 2021 by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who cited cost-cutting measures that were expected to save around ₹200 crore annually. The move followed the Central government’s 2019 decisions, including the abrogation of Article 370, which enabled such administrative changes.
Ending the practice had a major economic impact, particularly on Jammu. Local traders said the suspension of the Darbar Move had severely affected their businesses, prompting consistent demands for its revival.
In 2022, the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industries launched a campaign seeking the restoration of the Darbar Move. The group even observed a complete strike against the Lieutenant Governor’s administration to press their demand.
A trade leader said that ending the tradition had badly affected the economy of Jammu and that the restoration of the Darbar Move was a welcome step.
Both political groups and trader associations have long described the Darbar Move as more than just an administrative exercise. They say it symbolizes coexistence and communal harmony in Jammu and Kashmir.
Jammu remains a stronghold of the BJP. Although many residents initially supported the Centre’s August 5, 2019, decisions, several later felt that the region faced adverse consequences in the years that followed.