Valley all set for Amarnath yatra

M Aamir Khan

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 29

The Kashmir valley is all set for the annual pilgrimage from July 2 to Lord Shiva’s cave shrine, nestled in the Himalayas at an altitude of 13,000 feet.

Both Baltal and Nunwan base camps are buzzing with numerous activities, from where devotees will embark on a journey to the cave shrine, to have a ‘darshan’ of the ice stalagmite, depicting the Shiva Lingam.

The Nunwan camp at the tourist resort Pahalgam in the Anantnag district usually attracts sadhus, who later take the traditional Chandanwari route. The sadhus who believe that Lord Shiva treaded the same path, maintain that every spot of this route has a religious significance.

The main appeal of the route is the Sheshnag lake, around 14 km from Chandanwari located at an altitude of 11,730 feet. The water of the lake, considered the abode of Sheshnag (King of Nagas), is ice cold but that does not deter the devotees from taking a holy dip.

“The devotees first purify themselves by taking a bath at Sheshnag and only then proceed to the holy cave. Despite freezing temperatures, devotees take a dip in this sacred lake,” said Hindu Welfare Society, Kashmir, president, Chunni Lal.

On the other hand, the steeper Baltal route in the Ganderbal district, which is 14 km away from the cave shrine, is preferred especially by those pilgrims who wish to return to the base camp in a day.

While the government has put in place adequate arrangements for the pilgrims, local residents of Anantang and Ganderbal, especially those associated with the tourism sector, too usually remain upbeat ahead of the yatra.

Organisers of community meals (langarwallahs) have also arrived as they can be seen at Chandanwari, busy packing their goods as local labourers later carry the stuff to various spots along the route to the cave shrine. The local ironsmiths, too, have started firming horseshoes to ponies that would be used for carrying essentials as wells as pilgrims, mostly elderly, to the cave.

Even as over 3.52 lakh pilgrims had performed the yatra last year, the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) has put up signs at the yatra camps advising pilgrims against the use of polythene or any other non-biodegradable materials. The shrine board has, in consultation with the State Pollution Control Board, also finalised an action plan for the collection and disposal of the waste generated during the course of the pilgrimage.

Any person seeking information or assistance can call 0194-2501679 or 0194-2501531 or e-mail at [email protected].