How Amarnath Yatra enriches cultural fabric

Srinagar, July 2: Traditionally the Amarnath Yatra has been mobilising devotees from all the corners of the country as well as from around the world.

An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that this annual spiritual journey of believers of Hindu faith to the Amarnath cave shrine besides having religious and historical importance also testifies to the flourishing cultural ecosystem of the country which fosters the relations between people of diverse cultures.

The confluence of people of different regions, languages, and cultures during the yatra enriches the social fabric through mutual interaction and exchange of values, ideas, and thoughts.

Apart from social impact, this two-month journey of Amarnath Yatra has been pivotal in leveraging the economic growth and prosperity of the region and generates income for lakhs of service providers including transporters, ponywallas, pithuwallas, dandiwallas, traders, shopkeepers, hoteliers, artisans, vendors, and many other unorganised workers.

Underlining the religious and economic importance of the yatra, the J&K administration has orchestrated well-knitted and efficient facilities at each station or camp where yatris stay put during their journey to the Amarnath cave shrine.

The administration consistently upgraded the facilities over the years to ensure comfortable experience and convenience for yatris by manifesting qualitative accommodation, health facilities, deputation of expert medical staff, glitch-less telecommunication service, langar facilities, sanitation services besides trained NDRF and SDRF staff to extend assistance to weak, elderly, and female yatris while trekking the mountainous terrain.

Starting from the registration, the administration has created an online facility for advance registration while also establishing registration counters at base camps for those yatris who had not previously registered.

The yatris are being provided RFID cards to keep track of them for their security and safety besides proper management of the influx of yatris from place to place.

To monitor all the logistics, weather conditions, and activities along both axes of the Amarnath cave shrine, a surveillance system has been set up at ICCC, HMT where over fifty officials from all departments have been deputed for round-the-clock duty for real-time assistance to the yatris and staff on the ground.

Besides, a Hunting Line number 01942740003 has been created at ICCC for help during the exigency of any disaster.

In addition to this, two more landlines 0194-2496240 and 0194-2496247 are also functional at the centre.

The accommodation capacity of various transit camps and base camps have also been upgraded to host more visitors thereby raising the cumulative capacity of all camps given expectations of an influx of huge numbers of yatris who would pay obeisance at the Amarnath cave shrine as the previous year's successful yatra created an overwhelming sentiment across the country and abroad.

Augmentation of accommodation also led to the upgradation of allied infrastructure including toilet complexes, bathing stations, roads, and treks.

Like every other important convenience, sanitation plays a vital role in ensuring cleanliness for maintaining a healthy environment at all places of yatra.

In five districts which lie along the yatra axis including Anantnag, Ganderbal, Srinagar, Bandipora, and Kulgam, this year more sanitation workers have been detailed with the responsibility of regular cleanliness and sanitation.

Similarly, services of thousands of Poniwalas, Palkiwalas, Pithuwalas, and others have been procured by the Labour Department and Animal Husbandry Department for the smooth conduct of Amarnath Yatra.

To ensure quality health facilities, health officers and officials including specialists, medical officers and paramedics have been deployed by the government besides establishing a network of health infrastructure through base hospitals, MACs, EACs, oxygen booths, clinical beds, and critical ambulances.

An elderly female yatri while comparing the services offered at the camps to the services offered in the private sector expressed her appreciation for the administration and said that optimum facilities were given to yatris by all departments and agencies.

Amarnath Yatra is one of the largest religious yatras in the country, whose success does not just lie with the government only, but the cooperation and support of the local population have been imperative on multiple fronts.

The importance of yatra has been recognised by everyone, particularly by the locals who have been welcoming yatris traditionally and this year again the people of J&K have expressed their overwhelming support for the yatra.

Welcoming the Amarnath Yatris, the Greater Aishmuqam Sufi Society (GASS) Friday termed it as an opportunity to celebrate the syncretic bonhomie rooted deep in the traditions.