Jammu: Sadhus arrive in Jammu for Amarnath Yatra
Jammu. Jammu: The famous Ram Mandir in the old city reverberated with chants of praise for Lord Shiva as sadhus from across the country arrived here to take part in the annual pilgrimage to the holy cave of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas.
The 52-day pilgrimage will begin on June 29 via two routes – the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal. A day before, the first batch of pilgrims will leave for the valley from Bhagwati Nagar base camp and Ram Mandir in Jammu.
The temple has a naturally formed ice Shivling and last year over 4.5 lakh pilgrims offered prayers at the 3,880-metre-high shrine.
The Ram Mandir, located in the Purani Mandi area of the temple city of Jammu, hosts sadhus and sadhvis in its sprawling complex, with government departments extending their cooperation to ensure various facilities for visitors, including on-the-spot registration for the yatra. Mahant Rameshwar Das, head of the temple, said all necessary arrangements, including round-the-clock free community kitchen service and medical facilities, have been made for the sadhus, assuring them of a hassle-free yatra. “The temple has been serving them throughout the year for generations. They visit the Amarnath temple to seek blessings and pray for the welfare of the people and the country,” Das said. He said the people of Kashmir will welcome the pilgrims as per the age-old tradition so that they do not face any problem. “We expect a huge rush of Amarnath pilgrims this year in view of the improved security situation in the Valley,” he said, praising the role of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and security agencies for the positive change. Amid chants of Bam Bam Bhole and Jai Jai Baba Barfani, the sadhus and sadhvis are eagerly waiting for the yatra to begin. Ram Baba, who came from Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, said, “This is my first pilgrimage to the Amarnath temple and I am excited to receive the blessings of my Lord.” Sadhvi Gurvi Giri said she has been visiting the cave shrine for the past five years and her soul finds peace there. Another Shiva devotee said he came on foot from Himachal Pradesh in five days. “This is my 25th visit without any break and I feel blessed to be here once again.” A sadhu from West Bengal is confident of making the arduous journey to the shrine with the help of a belt tied on his back to overcome the pain. “I have undertaken several pilgrimages across the country visiting Kedarnath, Badrinath and Gangotri. This time it came to my mind why not skip Amarnath and start my journey,” he said, adding that on the way he came to know about the Ram temple and joined others here.
