Amarnath Yatra all set to begin today
The pilgrimage will commence with ‘pratham darshan’
After a break of two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the annual Amarnath yatra will officially begin on Thursday with ‘pratham darshan’ and ‘pooja’ rituals at the 3,888-metre-high caveshrine in Kashmir Himalayas, coinciding with Ashaad Chaturthi, an auspicious day in Hindu calendar, “to invoke the blessings of Lord Shiva for the smooth and safe conduct of the pilgrimage”.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, who is also the chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) is likely to join the first group of devotees to pay obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum.
At dawn on Wednesday, he flagged off the first batch of 4,890 pilgrims, as they set off to Amarnath from the Jammu base camp. On the occasion, Sinha prayed for peace, prosperity and a safe spiritual journey for the pilgrims, an official handout said.
The convoy of 176 cars and buses carrying the pilgrims reached the base camps down the hills in Kashmir Valley’s Anantnag and Ganderbal districts in the evening under heavy security escort and accompanying emergency vehicles.
They will, after being joined by several thousand more devotees including sadhus who were already putting up at the camp cities of Nunwan and Baltal, begin the arduous journey through rugged mountains at first light on
Thursday to have the darshan of fully formed natural Shivling or ice lingam of Lord Shiva inside the revered place of Hindu worship, the official sources here said.
Several pilgrims while speaking to reporters at Nunwan said that they are quite happy with the kind of arrangements that have been made jointly by the J&K government, the SASB and various NGOS towards making the yatra comfortable for them. They said that they are eager to embark on the 'journey of faith’.