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| | Amarnath yatra continues, 40,000 have darshan | | 6 pilgrims die enroute cave shrine | |
SRINAGAR, June 27: Over 40,000 yatris at darshan at the holy cave of Amarnath as the pilgrimage continues amid changing weather conditions. Six pilgrims have died enroute to the cave shrine.
On the third day of yatra today, the weather conditions improved. Yesterday rains lashed at several places on the route and the cave area experienced light snowfall.
This morning 13510 yatries from Baltal and 7213 yatries from Pahalgam left for the holy cave. One more batch of 3573 yatries left the Jammu base camp today to pay obeisance at Six pilgrims including two women died since the yatra began on June 25. Reports said
Chander Kanta, 63, a resident of Haryana, died at Domail along the shorter Baltal Cave route in Ganderbal district. Another woman pilgrim, Geeta, 55, a resident of Bengaluru breathed her last at the Baltal base camp, Baltal.
Rajbeer Saini, 40, of Haryana and Ramchand Jogmal Thavni, 73, of Maharashtra died on at Sangam and lower camp holy cave, respectively. An Amarnath pilgrim drowned while taking a bath in a river in Kathua district, police said. Kuldeep, who was on pilgrimage along with his family members to the Amarnath cave shrine, went to take bath in the river in Gagwal area and drowned. His body has been fished out and handed over to his family members.
Earlier, a 27-year-old yatri from Punjab had died of heart at Baltal. Meanwhile, seven Amarnath pilgrims were injured when two vehicles carrying them collided near Rayaldund Chawri in Anantnag last night. They have been hospitalised, police said.
Meanwhile, governor N N Vohra, who is also chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), reviewed the first two days of Yatra movement at a high level meeting held at Raj Bhavan here today. Navin K. Choudhary, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), SASB and Preet Pal Singh, Additional CEO, SASB, and other concerned officers were present in the meeting, an official spokesman said.
Consequent to extensive discussions in the meeting, the governor asked Choudhary to forthwith proceed to the Baltal Base Camp, and from there to the Nunwan Base Camp, to particularly ensure that all those crossing the control gates were duly registered pilgrims and to also check the entire arrangements and facilities set up for the Yatris. Keeping in view the continuing adverse weather conditions the Governor directed the CEO to ensure that the camp directors and their officers continuously monitored the Yatra movement.
The CEO reported that the movement of Yatris had to be stopped on several occasions, for varying periods, in view of the heavy rains. However, the pilgrimage has moved satisfactorily, along both the routes and over 31,000 Yatris had paid their obeisance at the holy cave shrine of Amarnathji during the first two days of this year’s Yatra.
It was decided that the Check Points/Control Gates at all the Camps shall be further strengthened to ensure against the Yatris venturing on the tracks at any time after the pre-fixed movement schedules to prevent undue risk or injury. Side by side, a very close watch is being kept on the emerging weather pattern to see that movements are stopped or restricted in the event of heavy rains. “In this context, it was noted that there was a light snow fall at the Shrine yesterday. The governor directed all the Agencies involved in the overall management and conduct of the pilgrimage to ensure very close coordination in the interest of the safety and security of the Yatris, particularly in regard to the forward movement of the yatris to the base camps and onwards to the holy shrine,” the official spokesman said.
The holy mace of Lord Shiva (Chhari Mubarak)' will be taken to south Kashmir's Pahalgam next week on a month-long journey of special prayers, marking the ritualistic start of the Amarnath pilgrimage.
The first of a series of special prayers will be held on July 3 at Mattan temple in Anantnag district.
"Chhari Mubarak will leave for Pahalgam from Dashnami Akhara, Srinagar. 'Bhoomi Pujan' and 'Dhwajarohan' (flag hoisting) ceremonies will be performed at the resting place of Chhari Mubarak in Pahalgam. After performing the rituals, Chhari Mubarak will return to Dashnami Akhara the same day," Mahant Deependra Giri, the custodian of the holy mace, said in a statement.
Prayers will also be offered at Shankaracharya temple and Sharika Bhawani temple on July 19 and 20, Giri said.
On July 23, 'Charri Pujan' will be performed at Dashnami Akhara on the occasion of 'Nag Panchami'.
The 'holy mace' will begin its journey from Srinagar to the Amarnath cave shrine on July 28 and on its way special rituals and prayers will be performed at Sureshwar temple in Srinagar, Shiv temples in Pampore and Bijbehara, 'Martand-Tirth' in Mattan and Ganesh temple across river Lidder at Ganeshbal, he said.
The 'puja' will be performed at Pahalgam on July 29.
The Mahant will carry the holy mace to Amarnathji on August 2, 'Shravan-Purnima' to have the 'Darshan'. On that day prayers would be offered whole day with traditional rituals.
"On August 4, after the 'puja' and 'visarjan' (culminating) ceremonies at the bank of river Lidder in Pahalgam, 'Chhari Mubarak' will return to Srinagar," Giri added. |
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