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| Land transfer issue still brining, pligrimage ends at 5.50 lakh mark | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Aug 16
While Jammu and Kashmir still continues to burn in many directions caught up in different flames, the two-month long Shri Amarnath yatra which saw unprecedented and heightened controversies, ended today registering highest number of pilgrim influx so far.
This year’s yatra will go down in the history as such pilgrimage to Shri Amarnath cave shrine which saw attempts from different quarters to break its secular character and centuries old cultural tradition. Nearly three down people have been killed both in Kashmir Valley and in Jammu. While Valley protested against the allotment of 800 kanals of land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board the government had to kneel down and cancel the order. This triggered unending protests in Jammu which are still continuing and there is no hope in sight of an early resolution of the issue.
Reports from the holy cave said that amid chanting of Mantras, the two-month long Shri Amarnathji Yatra in the Himalayan Cave Shrine in the South Kashmir concluded today.
The Holy Mace led by Mahant Deependra Giri, offered the Pujas in the serene and spiritual ambience of the Holy Cave. Mr B B Vyas, Principal Secretary to Governor and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), joined the pilgrims at the sanctum sanctorum in the Pujas, marking the culmination of the Yatra on Sravna Puranmashi, which is also observed as Raksha Bandhan all over the country.
With the conclusion of the Yatra, the Shrine Board functionaries have been asked to immediately take up the cleaning of the tracks and various camping sites on both the routes, from Pahalgam and Baltal. The Shrine Board has been undertaking the cleansing operation with the support of various Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) for the past several years, as part of its commitment to preserve the environment and ecology of the area.
A record number of nearly 5.50 lakh pilgrims offered prayers at the holy cave this year - the highest so far.
Earlier in 2004, over four lakh pilgrims offered prayers at the cave shrine.
A total of 68 persons died, mostly of natural causes, during the pilgrimage this year. The deceased included a BSF jawan and a policeman who were part of deployment along the yatra route, a porter and a shopkeeper.
The heavy rush of pilgrims this year prompted the authorities to start the yatra on June 17, a day ahead of its schedule and a record number of three lakh pilgrims visited the cave in the first couple of days. |
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