Amarnath yatris not deterred by Pahalgam terror attack
The Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent escalation of tension between India and Pakistan failed to dampen the faith and spirit of pilgrims for the Amarnath Yatra, besides organisers of facility camps and langars on way to the shrine.
However, the number of tourists at picnic spots in Jammu and Kashmir has declined as compared to normal years.
Pilgrims, including volunteers of various units of langar committees of the region, remained undeterred by incidents of violence and terror attacks in the past and thronged the holy cave during the first batch’s visit.
Besides paying obeisance to Lord Shiva, the pilgrims performed sewa at the camp and langar organised at the starting point of stairs by Har Har Mahadev Seva Dal.
Sahil Tayal, a devotee from Shiv Puri locality, said pilgrims from the local area had reached Baltal on July 2, a day prior to the commencement of the yatra in their respective cars.
“Though the authorities were worried due to a call given by terrorists to stage week-long protests for slain Hizb commander Burhan Wani’s fifth anniversary today (Tuesday), all the devotees accompanying us exhibited courage and the belief to undertake the pilgrimage and visit tourist places as usual,” said Tayal, acknowledging that a majority of the pilgrims had come to know about the threat perception through the calendar of terrorists’ activities.
Deepak Sharma, an office-bearer of the local branch of Shree Hanuman Mandir Langar Committee, Ahmedgarh, said several devotees from the region falling under Ludhiana and Malerkotla districts had sought intervention in finding camps and Bhandara venues managed by volunteers of various organisations. “Devotees are so undeterred by the news of violence and terror attacks taking place in Jammu and Kashmir during the past years that they have planned to stay at facilitation camps and perform sewa with the permission of organisers,” said Deepak Sharma.
Anil Ghaie of Batta Bag area acknowledged that the number of tourists had declined considerably and it was visible at most picnic spots in Kashmir this year.
“It was for the first time that we found no difficulty in finding rooms at hotels of our choice besides hiring shikara at a much lower fare,” said Ghaie maintaining that the shikara which tourists hired for Rs 5,000 was available for only Rs 2,000.
Considered among the holiest Hindu pilgrimages, the Amarnath Yatra started on July 3 and is scheduled to conclude on August 9.
The recent developments carried significance for the devotees who said the attack had not dampened their spirit.
Located at an altitude of 3,880 metres in Jammu and Kashmir, the shrine draws thousands of pilgrims every year. It is estimated that about 94,000 pilgrims have reached the shrine by now. The yatra follows two routes, a steeper 14 km path from Baltal, and a longer, but shallower, 48 km route from Pahalgam.
Terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir had published a new calendar glorifying the acts of terrorists, including Wani. The calendar highlights the ‘sacrifice’ of the terrorists with dates on which they were neutralised by the security forces. July 8 was marked in green as the signal for the starting of ‘week of protests’ whereas July was marked in red as the conclusion of week of protest for the slain Hizb commander.
Ludhiana