52-day long Amarnath Yatra concludes

Baltal, Aug 19: Nearly 5 lakh yatris paid obeisance at the Amarnath Cave shrine in south Kashmir this year as the 52-day annual yatra concluded on Monday.

The yatra to the 3880-metre high cave shrine commenced on June 29 from the twin routes - the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag and the 14-km shorter Baltal route in Ganderbal and concluded on the occasion of ‘Shravan Purnima’ coinciding with ‘Raksha Bandhan’.

The yatra concluded after the silver mace of lord Shiva led by Mahant Swami Deependra Giri reached the Amarnath Cave shrine where traditional prayers were held on the occasion of Shravan Purnima, amid Vedic hymns.

Officials said nearly 5 lakh people paid obeisance at the Amarnath cave shrine.

Last year a total of over 4.50 lakh yatris visited the shrine.

The number of yatris was huge in the first month, however, the numbers gradually decreased with every passing day.

Special worship of the sacred mace of lord Shiva, popularly known as Chhari Mubarak, was performed at the Amarnath Cave shrine on Monday.

Mahant Deependra Giri, the custodial of Chhari Mubarak, led the Chhari Mubarak and reached the Amarnath Cave shrine for the final Pooja, marking the formal end of this year’s yatra.

He expressed satisfaction over the improved arrangements made by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) headed by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and the J&K administration for the yatris.

Mahant Deependra Giri said that with the increased facilities, including the widening of the track to the Amarnath Cave shrine, the influx of yatris had increased.

He said that with the Chhari Mubarak, special prayers for the peace and prosperity of mankind were held at the Amarnath Cave shrine.

Prayers were also offered for peace and prosperity of the country, including J&K, considered to be the abode of lord Shiva and goddess Parvati.

The better management and facilities this year made the yatra more comfortable and smooth for the yatris.

Many yatris said that they were satisfied with the arrangements and management made during the Amarnath Yatra.

The government had appointed two IAS officers as Nodal Officers for the smooth conduct of yatra this year for better coordination.

Secretary Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary and Secretary Public Works (R&B) Department, Bhupinder Kumar were appointed Nodal Officers for the smooth conduct of the yatra for Baltal and Pahalgam routes.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha was personally monitoring the yatra and Chief Executive Officer SASB, Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of Ganderbal and Anantnag were regularly updating the LG.

Elaborate arrangements were made by the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) and the J&K administration for a smooth and peaceful annual Amarnath Yatra.

The civil and Police administration worked day and night to ensure a hassle-free and incident-free yatra. Security personnel drawn from the Army, the CRPF, the ITBP, the SSB, the BSF and the J&K Police were deployed this year.

Adequate security arrangements had been put in place to ensure the smooth conduct of the Amarnath Yatra.

CRPF, contingents of the Army, BSF, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and Sashastra Seema Bal besides J&K Police, State and National Disaster Response Forces were also deployed for the yatra.

This year’s yatra was notable for its high-security arrangements.

The route from Jammu to the base camps at Baltal and Nunwan (Pahalgam) was closely monitored, with the ubiquitous presence of police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).

The transit camps were equipped with advanced security technology, ensuring the safety of the pilgrims. The local community also played a significant role in the peaceful conduct of the Yatra, underscoring the spirit of communal harmony.

Meanwhile, the service providers, locals and stakeholders have expressed happiness over the smooth and successful conduct of the Amarnath Yatra.