Chhari Mubarak taken to Shankaracharya temple; 240,249 pay obeisance in 25 days of pilgrimage
TNN Bureau. Updated: 7/24/2017 1:36:33 AM
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SRINAGAR: ‘Chhari Mubarak’ – the saffron robed holy mace of Lord Shiva – was today taken to the historic Shankaracharya temple on a hillock in Srinagar where special prayers were offered as per the age-old customs related to the annual Amarnath yatra.
Meanwhile, on the twenty-fifth day of the Yatra 3,734 Yatris paid obeisance at the Holy Cave and cumulatively since the beginning of the pilgrimage, 2,40,249 Yatris had darshan at the Holy Cave.
Carried by its custodian Mahant Deependra Giri and accompanied by a group of sadhus and devotees, the holy mace was taken out from its abode at Dashnami Akhara in Budshah Chowk area of the city and offered special prayers at Shankaracharya temple on the occasion of Haryali Amavasya (Shravan Amavasya), a spokesman of the ‘True Trust’, founded by Giri in 2004, said.
He said collective prayers were also offered for peace and prosperity of Jammu and Kashmir.
The spokesman said the Chhari Mubarak will be taken to ‘Sharika Bhawani’ temple at Hari Parbat in downtown Srinagar to pay obeisance to the goddess tomorrow.
The ‘holy mace’ will begin its journey from Srinagar to the 3,880- metre high holy cave shrine of Amarnath on August 2 with halts at Pahalgam, Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarani along the traditional 46-km Pahalgam cave route.
Meanwhile, a batch of 1,002 pilgrims left Jammu for the 3,888-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine of Lord Shiva in south Kashmir Himalayas today where over two lakh devotees have paid obeisance this year.
According to an official, 1,002 is the lowest number of pilgrims in a single batch, so far, this year.
"A batch of 1,002 pilgrims today left Jammu in a convoy of 42 vehicles for twin base-camps of Amarnath shrine. This is the lowest number, so far, this year", a police officer said.
Overall, with today's batch, a total of 65,483 pilgrims have left Jammu for Amarnath in 21 batches since the yatra began from Jammu on June 28.