L-G pays obeisance at Amarnath cave shrine

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 5

Jammu and Kashmir Lt-Governor Girish Chandra Murmu and his family today visited the holy Amarnath cave, located at a height of over 13,000 ft above the sea level, in south Kashmir and paid his obeisance at the shrine.

Accompanied by senior officers of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), Murmu, who is the chairman of the shrine board, performed special puja at the shrine and wished for peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

This time, the prayers were held at the shrine for the first time. This year’s 42-day-long yatra was scheduled to begin on June 23, but the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic cast its shadow over the pilgrimage which is likely to be curtailed from July 21 to August 3.

Speaking on the occasion, the Lt-Governor wished for an early end of the pandemic and hoped that the people would soon get relief from it.

He said the shrine board had decided to conduct the yatra via the Baltal route only. He expressed happiness over the decision of the shrine board to broadcast the live telecast of Amarnath aarti, twice a day starting from today till August 3. The UT administration has made it mandatory for all pilgrims (entering J&K to undertake this year’s yatra) to undergo Covid screening. They would be quarantined till they reported negative.

Srinagar: “Bhoomi-Pujan”, “Navgrah-Pujan”, “Chhari-Pujan” and “Dhawajarohan” ceremonies were performed at Pahalgam in south Kashmir today on the occasion of “Ashad-Purnima”.

The religious ceremonies were held after the Chhari-Mubarak (holy mace of Lord Shiva) was carried to Pahalgam that serves as the base for the traditional Amarnath Yatra route. The custodian of the holy mace Mahant Deependra Giri said today’s ceremonies were part of important rituals prior to the main course of the annual pilgrimage.

“The sound of a conch shell reverberated the whole atmosphere. Keeping in view the pandemic, only selected number of sadhus accompanied the Holy Mace from the Dashnami Akhara, Srinagar, to Pahalgam,” he said.