Darbar Move: Jammu and Kashmir government resumes work from the winter capital Jammu

2 November 2026

The Civil Secretariat and other offices of the Jammu and Kashmir government reopened in the winter capital, Jammu, under the biannual Darbar Move. The offices had closed in the summer capital Srinagar two days earlier. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah received a guard of honour at the Civil Secretariat, the building that holds the offices of the Chief Minister, the ministers and the chief secretary. The Darbar Move was introduced by the Dogra rulers in 1872 so that the administration could avoid the harsh Kashmir winter. The Lieutenant Governor-led administration discontinued it in 2021, citing e-office. The Darbar Move was brought back in October 2025 by the Omar Abdullah-led government.