From Grief to Grace: 13 million plus J&K people welcome Amarnath Yatris, nation needs to see it
Jammu, Jul 3: This year’s Amarnath Yatra has commenced with several new features that enhance security and facilities for pilgrims. All this has been prompted, to a great extent, by the security considerations after the gruesome Pahalgam attack in which 25 tourists and a local Kashmiri were killed. That was on April 22, but that cast a shadow over the yatra on that day itself.
That is there. It cannot be overlooked. The point, however, is that this year’s most unique feature is that the yatra was not welcomed only by the stakeholders in Kashmir, but 13 million plus people of J&K. The people of the Valley, from Anantnag to Kupwara, accorded a resounding welcome to the pilgrims. They had sent a message after the Pahalgam killings, and this time they reinforced it, much above their economic considerations, as not all of them are associated with the tourism and hospitality sector. They have tried to undo all the fears that had cropped up with Pahalgam.
This indeed is a journey of faith of Himalayan magnitude in the real-time Himalayas. It is also respected in the mutual faith of the pilgrims and locals in each other.
Extraordinary security arrangements were needed. Pilgrims wanted a visible sign of their security. They trust the uniformed men for their security. It is directly related to the way mass killings took place in Baisaran, Pahalgam, more than two months ago, though the fact remains that Syed Adil Shah, a Kashmiri pony ride operator, sacrificed his life in his bid to save the tourists.
The April 22, 2025, and Pahalgam changed the whole perception about the yatra. Its original shape and ethos were revisited to pander to the concerns of the nation. There were genuine worries about the security situation in Kashmir. Pahalgam killings tore apart Kashmir’s rediscovered image of a peaceful tourist destination, a thought process that turned into a reality in the past few years. This paid dividends – the tourism boom was one of its manifestations.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the face of the yatra as Chairman of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, while reflecting on the 2025 edition of the pilgrimage, remarked: “This year’s yatra is also a statement against terrorism.” He qualified his statement by referring to the Pahalgam killings.
In his article in The Indian Express on July 2, 20025, LG Sinha brought out the hurt of J&K and the rest of the nation to fore in the words: “The soul of J&K was wounded in Pahalgam, with the killing of innocent civilians by Pakistani terrorists after identifying their faith. The nation was in shock. Jammu and Kashmir decided to lead the national outrage. Massive protests followed against terrorism. Women stepped out of their homes, ensuring their voices were not lost. The outpouring of emotions, though sudden, was in sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s zero-tolerance policy against terrorism after 2019, and the outcome it delivered for the people, significantly transforming lives and snatching them out of the hands of terror.”
He has captured the mood and spirit of the yatra when he told the devotees of Lord Shiva: “Your pilgrimage will spiritually heal Jammu and Kashmir, wounded by the April 22 terror attack.”
Kashmir is the land of Sufis and saints. It offers a perfect setting for spiritualism. It is for this reason that Lord Shiva chose this land to narrate the tale of immortality. Kashmir breathes spiritualism from temples to mosques, churches to gurdwaras. That is the real and underlying meaning of the land; it’s welcome to yatris.
