Chhari Mubarak leaves for Chandanwari from Pahalgam on way to holy cave

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 4:  The ‘Chhari Mubarak’, holy Silver Mace of Lord Shiva today left Pahalgam base camp for Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on traditional yatra route to holy Amarnath cave shrine on the occasion of ” Dwadashi”.
After pujan and other rituals, the devotees, led by Mahant Deependra Giri, the custodian of holy mace left this afternoon for Chandanwari for a night halt there.
The ‘Chhari’ had reached here from Srinagar after having Pujan at several places on way on August 2 evening.
Mahant Giri, said before the eruption of militancy in early 90s the ‘Chhari Mubarak’ was taken in a procession from Dashnami Akhara shortly after sunset for a night halt at Durga Nag temple in Srinagar.
Now the ‘Chhari Mubarak’ is leaving in the morning to reach Pahalgam on same day in a vehicle with halts at some places on way.
Now ‘Chhari Mubarak’ was being taken from Srinagar to here though with some pujan at several places on the way on the same day.
After night halt at Chandanwari, the ‘Chhari’ will leave for Sheshnag at 0700 hrs for a night halt there tomorrow on ” tryodashi”, he said .
On “Chaturdashi” on August 6, ‘Chhari’ will leave from Sheshnag from 0700 hrs for a night halt at Panchtarni.
Mahant Giri said the ‘Chhari Mubarak’ will be taken inside the cave on August 7 for final puja on the concluding day of the 40-day-long pilgrimage this year.
He said on “Sharavan Purnima” coinciding with Raksha Bandhan on August 7 ‘Chhari Mubarak’ will proceed for holy cave for Pujan at 0700 hrs from Panchtarni.
Traditional rituals will be performed & prayers offered the whole day at holy cave.
However, before dusk, ‘Chhari Mubarak’ will leave for night halt at Panchtarani, he said, adding from there Chhari will leave for night halt at Pahalgam at 0700 hrs on August 8.
On August 9 ‘Dvitiya Pujan’ & ‘Visarjan’ ceremonies will be performed at 0915 hrs on the bank of river Lidder at Pahalgam. Thereafter, traditional ‘Kari-Pakouri’ Bhandara shall be organised for Sadhus. With this last ritual, annual pilgrimage of Swami Amarnath Ji will culminate and ‘Chhari Mubarak’ will return to its Abode Amreshwar temple Desknami Akahtar at Srinagar.
Meanwhile on the 37 th day of 40 day long annual pilgrimage of Swami Amarnath situated at an altitude of 3880 metres in Lidder Valley in South Kashmir district of Anantnag 825 pilgrims drawn from various parts of country paid obeisance at holy cave today. With this the total number of pilgrims visiting the cave shrine since the first day of darshan which started on June 29 has touched 2,58,414, an official spokesman said.
He said about 400 pilgrims also left for holy cave from twin base camps of Nunwan Pahalgam in South Kashmir district of Anantnag and Baltal, Sonamarg in Central Kashmir district of Ganderbal.
Out of them 225 pilgrims left via shortest 14 km long Domel track from Baltal base camp while 167 yatris left via 46 km long traditional Chandanwari-Sheshnag track for holy cave early this morning, he added.
The spokesman said the pilgrims having night halt at Sheshnag and Panchtarni also left for their onwards sojourn early this morning.
Meanwhile penultimate batch of 132 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Jammu Yatri Niwas for holy cave early this morning under tight security measures in five vehicles. These yatris will leave from their respective base camps for cave shrine early tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow will be the last batch of pilgrims for holy cave and no pilgrim will be a allowed to leave for darshan from Jammu on August 6, the spokesman added.

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