Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 1: Holy Mace of Lord Shiva reached Panjtarni this evening, the last halting station on Pahalgam-Amarnath ji shrine route and would reach the cave shrine tomorrow morning when annual pilgrimage of this year, which lasted 39 days, would conclude.
Today, about 1400 pilgrims performed darshan of holy Ice Lingam of Lord Shiva in Amarnath ji shrine at a height of 38,500 feet from the sea level in South Kashmir Himalayas. With this, a total of 6.19 lakh yatris have paid obeisance to Lord Shiva in Amarnath ji shrine till penultimate day of the annual yatra.
The pilgrimage would conclude tomorrow when Holy Mace (Chhari Mubarak) would reach the cave shrine and Sadhus and other pilgrims led by Mahant Depender Giri, custodian of the Mace, would perform darshan on the occasion of Sharavan Purnima coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.
The Chhari Mubarak, which had left base camp of Pahalgam on July 30 and had night halt at Chandanwari. It had night halt at Sheshnag yesterday and reached Panjtarni this evening. After night halt at Panjtarni, it would reach Amarnath shrine tomorrow.
A number of Sadhus and pilgrims were accompanying Holy Mace, led by Mahant Deependar Giri.
Covering a distance of about 12 km on foot from Chandnawari, the last motorable halting station on the traditional route, the Chhari-Mubarak had reached Sheshnag at a height of 3352 meters from sea level yesterday.
Despite intermittent rains, cloudy sky and cold, Vedic hymns and ‘Bum Bum Bholey’ rented the air when ‘Chhari-Mubarak’ left Sheshnag for Panjtarni at a height of 3657 meters this morning.
Mahant Deependar Giri was joined by a large number of Sadhus and other devotees when the Chhari left Sheshnag to cover a distance of 13.4 kilometers to reach Panjtarni.
Mahant Giri along with other devotees will carry the Charri from Panjtarni to inside the cave shrine tomorrow after covering a distance of six kilometers on foot.
Before starting the journey from Sheshnag, Mahant Giri said he and other devotees would pray for peace and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir.
He lauded the role of locals and said without their support the yatra would not have been successful.
People of Jammu and Kashmir, including those from the Kashmir valley always remained attached with the yatra. They helped in the success of the pilgrimage this year too, he said.
Mahant Giri said that tomorrow traditional rituals will be performed and prayers shall be offered the whole day at holy cave shrine of Shri Amarnath ji. However, before dusk, the Chhari-Mubarak would start return journey and will have night halt at Panjtarni.
From Panjtarni, the Chhari-Mubarak will return to Pahalgam.
‘Pujan’ and ‘Visarjan’ ceremonies will be performed on the bank of river Lidder in Pahalgam. Thereafter, traditional ‘Kari-Pakouri’ Bhandara will be organised for Sadhus.
With this last ritual, annual pilgrimage of Swami Amarnath ji would culminate.
Chhari-Mubarak will return to Shri Amareshwar temple at Akhara building abode at Srinagar.
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