Kailash Manasarovar yatra, events of 2002

Pilgrims Carrying 'Chhari Mubarak' to Shrine (Go To Top)
(Saturday, August 17, 2002)

SRINAGAR: Hindu pilgrims bound for Amarnath cave shrine performed the rituals of 'Chhari Mubarak' (the holy mace of Lord Shiva) on Saturday at the local Shankaracharya temple. Special prayers were held, following which the devotees, led by mahant Deependra Giri, left for Pahalgam where the base camp for the journey has been set up. They carried the 'Chhari Mubarak' with them.

The mace is taken every year from this temple to the cave shrine during a month-long pilgrimage. The shrine lies 4,000 metres (13,500 ft) above sea level and has ice stalagmites shaped like the holy phallic symbol of Lord Shiva.

Legend has it that the cave was discovered by a Muslim shepherd, Adam Malik, four centuries ago. His descendants still receive a share of the cash and other offerings made at the cave.

The pilgrimage will come to an end on the full moon day when the main rituals will be held inside the Amarnath cave. After that, the 'Chhari Mubarak' will be brought back to Jammu where it will remain until the pilgrimage next year.

JAMMU: The Amarnath yatra resumed on Friday with more than 1,000 pilgrims leaving for the shrine from the base camp here. According to officials, a fresh batch of devotees left from the MAM Stadium here early in the morning in more than 50 vehicles. The pilgrimage was suspended on Thursday as the track between Pahalgam and Amarnath that leads to the shrine was blocked by landslides following heavy rainfall.

JAMMU: The Amarnath yatra was suspended again on Thursday as the track between Pahalgam and Amarnath was blocked by landslides following heavy rainfall. According to official sources, the pilgrims were not allowed to leave the base camp at MAM stadium as slippery conditions prevailed along the Baltal-Amarnath route due to continuous rains.

Landslides Cleared: Pilgrims Resume Journey (Go To Top)
(Wednesday, August 14, 2002)

JAMMU: Despite harsh weather, Amarnath pilgrims stranded in Srinagar for two days because of rain-triggered landslides resumed their journey on Wednesday. A batch of 1229 pilgrims left the base camp at MAM Stadium at 0630 hours in 47 vehicles, according to officials. They said the Jammu-Srinagar highway was reopened this morning after Border Roads Organisation (BRO) cleared landslides on the 18-km stretch between Ramban and Banihal on Tuesday.

However, fresh rains triggerred another landslide on the highway at Digdole, about 161 km from here. Reports from Srinagar said about 500 devotees, who had a 'darshan' at the shrine, were being airlifted.

JAMMU: Pilgrims to the Amarnath cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir were stranded on Tuesday after heavy rains triggered landslides on the mountainous route. Most of northern India has received pleasant drizzles since Sunday after monsoon rains delayed by over a month prompted several states to declare drought but the Himalayan region has been lashed by torrential rains along vast stretches.

Authorities have prevented since Monday batches of pilgrims heading by buses from Jammu city to travel to Pahalgam, the base camp for a treacherous trek to the Amarnath shrine located at a height of 13,500 feet. "We have been stranded here since 12 noon yesterday. Here the arrangements for food and board are very good and so are the security arrangements. We were planning to leave (for the Amarnath cave shrine) today, but the roads are blocked. So now we plan to leave tomorrow morning," said Sachin Shinde, a pilgrim from Maharashtra.

"The roads are blocked due to bad weather. We have heard over a thousand people are stranded on the mountain road to Amarnath (cave shrine). So our programme of leaving this place today has been cancelled. When the road clears tomorrow, we will begin our journey," said Baba Charandas, a holy man.

Pilgrims were also stranded along the treacherous narrow 30-mile path from Pahalgam to Amarnath shrine which takes them along icy streams, and around glacier-fed lakes and dense pine forests.

Officials estimate nearly 1,00,000 people would take part in this year's pilgrimage. Last year, 1,70,000 trekked to the cave shrine.

JAMMU: The month-long Amarnath yatra which was suspended due to landslide and inclement weather, resumed on Monday. The clearing of the blockade is still under way. The pilgrims were not allowed to proceed from the base of MAM stadium as the road was blocked due to fresh landslides triggered by overnight rains. Efforts are on to clear the road at Nashri near Batote and at Ramban and men and machines of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) are pressed into service.

It has still been raining in some stretches of the highway, particularly in the landslide zones, making it difficult for the BRO personnel to speed up clearance operation. The authorities had cleared the road near Ramban Sunday evening and allowed one way traffic from Kashmir valley to Jammu but fresh rains again caused the blockade.

Meanwhile, over 1000 pilgrims who left here on Sunday, continued to remain stranded at Batote and Tamban. Besides, over 30 companies of para-military forces which were on their way to Kashmir on Sunday on election duty, also got stranded at various places on the highway, the only surface link between Kashmir valley and the rest of the country.

Nine Killed in Militant Attack on Sleeping Pilgrims (Go To Top)
(Tuesday, August 6, 2002)

SRINAGAR: Nine Amarnath pilgrims were killed and 23 wounded in Kashmir on Tuesday following an attack by suspected Islamic militants. The killers struck early in the day while the victims were sleeping inside tents at Nunwan near Pahalgam, the base camp which is the starting point for pilgrims heading for the cave shrine in the Himalayas.

The militants hurled grenades and sprayed the victims with automatic weapons fire, police said. One of the suspected militants was also killed when security forces opened fire on the attackers. The injured were admitted to Srinagar Government Medical College hospital.

The month-long pilgrimage began on July 19. Hindus believe the shrine to be the abode of Lord Shiva. Last week, two people, including a pilgrim, were killed and four devotees wounded when militants hurled a grenade on the route along the pilgrimage route. Last year, militants killed 29 people in two attacks on the pilgrimage.

SRINAGAR: Two people were killed and three seriously injured when a powerful blast ripped apart a car on Anantnag-Amarnath road in Anantnag in Kashmir on Tuesday evening, official sources said.

The blast took place inside a taxi, seriously injuring five persons on KP Road near Anantnag bus-stand, 55 km from here, around 5.20 pm, they said. The injured were rushed to a hospital where two of them were declared brought dead, the sources said. One of the occupants of the vehicle escaped unhurt. Eyewitnesses said the grenade exploded when it fell inside the taxi.

JAMMU: Dozens of community kitchens dot the route to the Amarnath cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, which is being visited by pilgrims in thousands. The cave shrine is situated 13,500 feet above sea level, in the Himalayas.

The community kitchens, known as 'langars' in local parlance, have been organised by several non-Government and religious organisations and private individuals. "We have kept several varieties of food because pilgrims from different parts of the country come here. We have more than 100 items on the menu which we change every two hours to enable pilgrims to enjoy every variety," said Yonginder Shukla, one of the organisers of a community kitchen.

"Everyday around 7,000 to 8,000 pilgrims take food at our community kitchen," he added. The pilgrims visiting the kitchens are all praise for the arrangements. "The food arrangement is excellent. A variety of food is available here which is served fresh and hot. It is never stale," said Krishan Kumar, who came from Bihar. Many even found the whole concept of community meals inspiring.

"These community kitchens are really good. People who are incharge of these kitchens work without any selfish motive. It has really encouraged us to come back again next year and set up one such community kitchen ourselves so that we too serve the people," said Ashok Talwar, a pilgrim from New Delhi.

JAMMU: Hindu pilgrims trekking through the mountain route to the holy Amarnath cave shrine are thankful to the security forces for their safe journey. And to the ponies as well.

The annual pilgrimage is considered sacred by devout Hindus who travel 50 km to reach the shrine and pray before the "ice lingam" of Lord Shiva. No vehicle can traverse the treacherous narrow path from Pahalgam that winds through icy streams, glacier-fed lakes and dense pine forests.

And man turns to ponies, his pre-industrial revolution mode of transport. "They support us a lot. Without them it would be very difficult to travel. We can't walk up all the way. We ride on their back," said Ram Shankar, a pilgrim. "Ponies are necessary in this journey. Sick people are able to travel only because of them," said another pilgrim, Prabhu Sharma.

About 40,000 pilgrims have visited the shrine so far this year. Even policemen depend on the ponies to transport supplies. Pilgrims offer thanks profusely at the end of the journey. "When pilgrims get tired they take the help of these animals. They always come in handy in need," said Prakash, another person who made it to the sacred cave located at 13,500 feet (4,000 metres) above sea level.

More than 6,000 ponies get busy every year during July and August, the months when ice melts and facilitates the journey. Most of the pony owners are from Jammu.

The Government has fixed a rate of Rs. 1,300 (26 US dollars) per pony for carrying a pilgrim to and from the cave. Officials said nearly 1,00,000 people would take part in this year's pilgrimage. Last year, the figure was 1,70,000.

JAMMU: A day after bad weather forced the authorities to suspend the Amarnath pilgrimage, the journey resumed on Tuesday (July 23) with a fourth batch of 6221 pilgrims proceeding towards the cave shrine from here.

The latest batch, that included 4974 men, 812 women, 62 children and 383 sadhus, left in 454 vehicles from MAM Stadium, the base camp. The authorities decided to let the yatra proceed following reports that the road condition was reasonably good between Jammu and the Valley despite sporadic rains.

Moreover, giving a go-ahead signal meant a reduction in the number of stranded pilgrims, which had increased to 15,000 till Monday evening.

The shrine is at a height of 13,500 feet (4,000 metres) above sea level. The treacherous narrow 30-mile (50-km) path from Pahalgam takes the yatris along icy streams and around glacier-fed lakes and dense pine forests.

This year's (2002) yatra, organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Government, began from Jammu early morning on July 19. Darshan of the Shiv linga at the holy cave began on July 22. The darshan period ends on August 22. (See Yatra Arrangements)

JAMMU: This year's (2002) Amarnath yatra, organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Government, began from Jammu early morning on July 19. Darshan of the Shiv linga at the holy cave begins on July 22. The darshan period ends on August 22.

The first batch of 2681 pilgrims left Jammu in a fleet of 131 vehicles for the cave shrine situated in the southern part of Kashmir amid tight security. Police personnel and para-military troops have been deployed at the main camping sites. Ten information centres have also been set up at various places, including the MAM Stadium, railway station, Kunjwani airport, Lakhanpur, Udhampur, Batote, Ramban and Banihal- all in Jammu division. The number of registered yatris this year is 97,853.

Advance registration of yatris, done by the state, had been going on at the branches of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank in various regions of the country since June 26 and closed on July 5. There is no current registration this year. Applicants had to submit a medical certificate and two photographs and remit Rs 10 per head. The yatra involves very strenuous trekking at an altitude of up to 13,500 feet, through difficult terrain and under uncertain weather, for several days. Yatris can take either Pahalgam or Sonamarg-Baltal route. (See Details)

SRINAGAR:Three soldiers were killed when militants blew up an army vehicle with land-mines on the Amarnath yatra (pilgrimage) route recently. The yatra begins from Jammu on July 19. (Amarnath yatra details)

According to reports, Hizbul Mujahiddeen has claimed responsibility for the attack. In another incident, several Central Reserve Police Force jawans and civilians were injured when militans attacked a patrol party in Anantnag with hand-grenades.

Over the years, the incidence of militant attacks has been increasing along the Amarnath yatra route.



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