SRINAGAR : The annual 59-day-long Amarnath pilgrimage concluded today with a group of Sadhus carrying “Chhari Mubarak”, the holy silver mace of Lord Shiva, offering special prayers at the 3,880 metre high holy cave shrine south Kashmir Himalayas.
“The holy mace, being carried by its custodian Mahant Deepindra Giri, reached the holy cave houses the naturally formed ice-shivlingam this morning after a night stay at Panjtarni and offered the special prayers amid chanting of religious slogans, marking the end of the yatra coinciding with ‘Raksha Bandhan,” officials said.
Over 3.52 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the shrine since the commencement of the yatra from the twin routes of Pahalgam in Anantnag district of south Kashmir and Baltal in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir on July 2.
While the 45-km Pahalgam-cave track is the traditional route of the yatra, the devotees mostly prefer the shortest 16-km Baltal route.
As many as 41 pilgrims died of natural causes, mostly cardiac arrest, during this year’s pilgrimage, the officials said adding the yatra which was undertaken under three-tier security arrangements remained by and large peaceful with no untoward incident reported during the pilgrimage.
Mahant Deependra Giri will carry the holy mace from the cave shrine to its abode at Dashnami Akhara in Budshah Chowk locality of the city here after offering thanks giving prayer at Pahalgam in the next couple of days.
‘Har Har Mahadev’ and ‘Bolay Nath Ki Jai’, rented the air as Mahant, holding the Chhari, started the onward journey from Sheshnag to Panjtarni, a distance of about six kms, in the wee hours, the officials said.
A large number of devotees, including security personnel, were present when the Chhari was taken inside the Holy Cave on the occasion of Sharvan Purnima. (AGENCIES)
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