Prayers for peace at Baltal base camp

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Baltal (Sonamarg), June 25

The Kashmir valley is all set to welcome pilgrims heading for the Amarnath shrine from June 28, when the annual yatra will officially begin.

Amid the preparations at the Baltal base camp in the Sonamarg area of Ganderbal, everyone — organisers of community kitchens, local “tentwalas”, security personnel and government officials — fervently hopes that peace prevails in the Valley. They hope that no untoward incident mars the yatra this year. 

Last year, 2.60 lakh pilgrims offered prayers at the shrine despite a terror attack on a bus that left eight devotees dead. 

This year, the online advance registration has already crossed the 2 lakh mark.

Though devotees have a choice between the Baltal base camp in Ganderbal and Nunwan base camp in the Pahlgam area of south Kashmir to accomplish the journey, the steeper 14-km Baltal route is preferred, especially by pilgrims who wish to return to the base camp within a day.

About 60 per cent of the total pilgrims reach the cave via the Baltal route, an official making preparations at Baltal told The Tribune.

Nazir Ahmad from the nearby Rezin village, who is busy with his men erecting tents and a makeshift kitchen, has been allotted space for six tents this season. He says that he is in this business for the last 11 years.

“I have made a lot of investment and bought new tents this year. We are waiting for the pilgrims with open arms,” he says, adding that he prays to the Allah to ensure peace in Kashmir.

“There are apprehensions in everybody’s mind but I am optimistic that everything will be fine this year,” said a security official deployed at the base camp.

Same sentiments were expressed by Rajesh Sharma, a volunteer at the Amarnath Sewa Mandal, one of the nine community kitchens that have been given permission to set up their kitchens in the Baltal base camp area. 

“We are running a bit behind the schedule. But if Lord Shiva wishes, peace will prevail in Kashmir so that his devotees can reach him peacefully. And we are here to serve them from dawn to dusk,” said Rajesh, whose companions are unloading ration, utensils etc from a truck that has just arrived from Amritsar.