Festivity across J&K as Amarnath yatra continues

The pilgrims have hailed the role of locals in making the arrangements for the yatra.

Hailing from different states of the country, with different cultures, languages and attires, thousands of pilgrims throng different parts of Jammu and Kashmir daily on their way to Amarnath holy cave shrine giving a festive look across the Union Territory.

The arrival of a large number of pilgrims this year has also brought smiles on the faces of transporters, dhaba wallas and pony wallas.

“Pilgrims from Bihar, UP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha and many other parts of the country every day come here and there is a rare glimpse of the whole of India at this place,” Abdul Jabbar, a pony walla at Pahalgam base camp in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district told DH.

Jabbar, who had been associated with the yatra for the last 20 years, said there is festivity all along the yatra route and Muslims, like in the past, are making wholehearted efforts to make the pilgrimage a success.

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His views were echoed by Keshav Ram, who sells tea at Ramban, along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. “These days there is a rare view of different cultures converging at a single place in J&K. All along the national highway, there is a festive mood with signboards welcoming the pilgrims,” he said.

The pilgrims while hailing the role of locals in making the arrangements for the yatra say that their undeterred faith in Lord Shiva strengthens them to face all odds like inclement weather during the pilgrimage.

“The scene of people from diverse lands and cultures, speaking different languages and diversely dressed at the base camp of Yatra in Jammu was a rare sight. Then all along the yatra route we received a warm welcome from locals and officials posted for the yatra duty,” said Abhishek, a pilgrim from Orissa.

Abhishek, who performed the pilgrimage for the second time along with his wife, said he was excited to witness such festivity and joy. “I had come for the yatra in 2016 also, but that time the mood in Kashmir was sombre. This time it seems happiness is on the faces of everybody which is a welcome sign,” he added.

The 62-day annual pilgrimage, the longest in history, started on July 1 and will culminate on August 31 coinciding with Raksha Bandhan and Shravan Purnima. Despite weather playing spoilsport and the Srinagar-Jammu highway remaining closed for several days, over four lakh pilgrims have performed darshan so far at a 3,880-metre high cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.

Last year around 3.65 lakh pilgrims offered prayers at the Shrine despite a cloudburst hitting the yatra camp, killing 15 pilgrims on July 8.