‘Chhari Mubarak’ pooja held at Shankaracharya temple

Tribune News Service
Srinagar, July 20

‘Chhari Mubarak’ pooja was held at the Shankaracharya temple here on Monday on the occasion of ‘Haryali Amavasya’ as part of the traditional practice related to the annual Amarnath yatra.

“Chhari Mubarak (holy mace of Lord Shiva) was taken to the Shankaracharya temple for prayers on the occasion of Haryali Amavasya (Shravan Amavasya). The sound of the conch shell reverberated and charged the whole atmosphere. The pooja was performed with chanting of Vedic hymns. Only a selected number of sadhus participated in the prayers due to the Covid-19 pandemic following all the protocols set by the state administration. The pooja lasted for about 90 minutes,” said Mahant Deependra Giri, custodian of the holy mace.

He said the sadhus prayed for an early end of the coronavirus pandemic. “Collective prayers were offered for the early end of the pandemic so that people across the globe can start living their normal and natural life at the earliest. Collective prayers were also offered for peace and prosperity of Jammu & Kashmir,” the mahant said.

‘Chhari Mubarak’ will be taken to the Sharika Bhawani temple, Hari Parvat, tomorrow for pooja.

The holy mace is taken to several Valley-based temples before the commencement of its journey to the cave shrine. The Amarnath yatra concludes once the mace reaches the cave shrine of Lord Shiva nestled in the south Kashmir Himalayas.