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| Vaishno Devi yagna for protection against disasters | | |
Saturday, September 23rd, Jammu - A nine-day-long yagna or chanting of religious mantras began Saturday at the Vaishno Devi cave shrine in the Himalayan foothills in prayer for the world’s protection against natural disasters.
The prayers, marking the beginning of the auspicious period of Navratri, is being conducted by Hindu priests at the shrine, about 55 km from Jammu.
‘This yagna will have its effect,’ said Dwarka Nath Shastri, a priest engaged in the religious ritual.
‘It is essentially to ensure safety for all time against disasters - such as earthquakes, floods and hurricanes. It is not for one particular region or country,’ Shastri said.
The backdrop of the yagna, however, is related to last year’s devastating earthquake that killed nearly 80,000 people in the two parts of Jammu and Kashmir on either side of the Line of Control. The recent floods in the state, particularly in Kashmir Valley, have also caused huge losses.
The initial estimates of the flood-related losses in the valley are around of Rs.5.64 billion, said Finance Minister Tariq Hameed Qarra. A central team, after assessing the losses across the state, placed the figure for the three regions - Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir Valley - at Rs.6.59 billion.
According to Tariq, the losses are higher than the central estimate. The religious leaders, however, believe that the yagna will help the state as well as the rest of the world.
More than six million Hindu pilgrims visit the shrine every year.
‘We hope the yagna will achieve its desired result. The goddess has been very kind to all of us,’ Shastri said.
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt. Gen (Retd.) S.K. Sinha, also chairman of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, was present at the shrine Saturday morning when the prayers began.
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