STATE TIMES NEWS
Srinagar: The ‘Chhari-Pujan’ of Lord Shiva’s holy mace was performed on Monday at the Shri Amareshwar Temple in the Mahadev Gir Dashnami Akhara here on the occasion of Nag Panchami, officials said.
Amid chants of Vedic hymns, Mahant Deependra Giri — the mace’s custodian — led a group of sadhus in performing the puja, they said.
Giri now will carry the mace to the Amarnath cave shrine for a puja and darshan on the morning of Shravan Purnima on August 31, the officials added.
The yatra will have night halts in Pahalgam on August 26-27, Chandanwari on August 28, Sheshnag on August 29 and Panchtarni on August 30, Giri said.
More than 4.43 lakh pilgrims have performed the Amarnath Yatra since the pilgrimage began on July 1. While the yatra has been uneventful so far, 48 pilgrims died of natural causes or accidents during the arduous journey.
The annual pilgrimage will culminate on August 31.