𝟗𝟏𝟓 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞
STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR/JAMMU: The Chhari Mubarak the holy mace of Lord Shiva will be taken to the historic Shankaracharya Temple atop a hillock here on August 16 for rituals connected with the ongoing annual Amaranth Yatra.
As there are two Shravan’ months this year, an astronomical event taking place after 19 years, Amaranth Yatra has a greater significance, custodian of the holy mace Mahant Deependra Giri told PTI in an interview here.
Giri also provided details about the programme of Chhari Mubarak.
‘Bhoomi-Pujan’ ‘Navgrah Pujan’ and ‘Dhawajarohan’ rituals connected to the beginning of the Chhari Mubarak were performed at Pahalgam, on the occasion of Ashad Purnima’ on July 3, Giri said.
The holy mace will now be taken to the historic Shankaracharya Temple here on August 16, he said.
Rituals will be performed at the revered temple atop Zabarwan hills in Dalgate area of the city. Prayers will then be held at the Sharika Bhawani Temple on the slopes of Hari Parbat in the interiors of the city here, a day later, Giri said.
The rituals for Chhari Sthapana’ will be performed at Shri Amareshwar Temple Dashnami Akhara on August 19, he said.
After performing ‘Chhari Pujan’ at Dashnami Akhara, Srinagar on the occasion of Nag Panchami’ on August 21, Giri will carry the holy mace to the Amarnath cave shrine to perform pujan’ and have darshan’ early morning on Shravan Purnima’ on August 31.
The holy mace yatra will have night halts at Pahalgam on August 26 and August 27, at Chandanwari on August 28, at Sheshnag on August 29 and at Panchtarni on August 30, Giri said. Meanwhile, after a one-day break, a fresh batch of 915 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here for Kashmir this morning to undertake the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, officials said.
The pilgrims left in a convoy of 33 vehicles between 3:30 am and 3:45 am amid tight security, they said.
While 675 pilgrims, including 97 women, 25 sadhus and three sadhvis, are headed to the Pahalgam base camp in Anantnag district, 240 devotees are on their way to the Baltal base camp in Ganderbal district, they said.
So far, over 4.31 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath since the commencement of the annual 62-day yatra from the twin tracks — the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route and the shorter 14-km Baltal route — on July 1, according to the officials.
The yatra will conclude on August 31, coinciding with the festival of Raksha Bandhan.