Covid survivors to wealthy businessmen: Faith comes alive as pilgrims gear up for Amarnath yatra after two years

Srinagar: When 55-year-old Ravi Kumar from Uttrakhand got down with Covid-induced pneumonia last year, he made a wish of going for the Amarnath yatra if he defeats the virus and regains his health.

“My wish has been fulfilled. I am looking forward to earning the blessings of Lord Shiva and thank him for bestowing me with good health.  After Covid, I have learnt one lesson: there is no point in accumulating wealth. Everyone should fulfill their desires at the earliest,” he said over the phone.

Similarly, 64-year-old Ramesh Lal, who is part of a group of 10 pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh, said, “Undertaking the yatra has been a family ritual since the time of my ancestors. We are here to rid ourselves of sins and seek blessings. Lord Shiva fulfills all our wishes,” he said.

For two years, as the pandemic raged, the mystic mountains in South Kashmir were quiet, the silence largely unbroken.

As death and disease spread across the valley, faith was shaken, but its bastion in the Kashmir Himalayas remained at peace. Then, in April this year, as the effects of Covid-19 ebbed, the registration for Amarnath Yatra, one of India’s most prominent Hindu pilgrimages, started.

The government is expecting around 8 lakh Yatris to visit the holy cave this time. There is much excitement among the intending Yatris and Kashmiris attending to them at the same time.

Mehraj Ahmad, a Pony Wala from South Kashmir’s Pahalgam area said, “We look forward to welcoming the yatris after a two-year-old gap.  They are our guests. Their spiritual journey helps us earn our livelihood.”

To avoid any inconvenience faced by these yatris, the divisional administration has made extensive arrangements including the smooth flow of transport, free medicare, a confirmation center, etc.

The pilgrims can directly book their helicopter tickets online from Srinagar to Panchtarni. It is for the first time devotees can complete the holy Yatra in a single day. Besides, the administration has also kept 70 health facilities from Jawahar Tunnel to the holy cave on both routes including Chandanwari and Baltal, which include six base hospitals, medical aid centers, emergency aid centers, and 26 oxygen booths.

 At Pahalgam and Baltal, fabricated toilets and tents have been built for the convenience of Yatris.

“There have been special arrangements made for the facilitation of Yatra this year than the previous years,” an official said.

People living in Anantnag and Ganderbal have also contributed to the elaborate arrangements for the Yatris to ensure a safe and comfortable stay during Yatra days.

Ali Mohammad, a footpath vendor at Pahalgam is eagerly waiting for the commencement of Yatra. “This year we have good expectations with this Yatra. Yatris are our special guests and deserve better hospitality than other visitors to the valley. We should provide them better hospitality to win their hearts so lakhs of tourists would turn towards the valley,” Ali said.

Bashir Sheikh, a hotelier in Srinagar said, “I got a booking from Yatris who have planned to spend 10 days in the valley.”

This year, the Yatra will be held from June 30 to August 11. The 43-day-long yatra will begin from the twin routes — traditional 48-km Nunwan in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam and the 14-km shorter Baltal in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal.

The first batch of pilgrims including sadhus will leave for the twin base camps of Kashmir from Bhagwati Nagar and Ram Mandir in Jammu, a day ahead of the start of the yatra.