In a first, American devotees embark on Amarnath Yatra

SRINAGAR:  For the first time, foreigners are making a beeline to the holy Amarnath cave in the Himalayas.

Two Americans flew all the way from California to have a darshan of holy Shiv Lingum at the cave shrine.

Devotees of Swami Ramakrishna Paramhans, the duo have been planning to visit the cave shrine for decades. Come 2023, their dream came true, thanks to impeccable arrangements made by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha-led administration.

“We have been trying to come for this yatra for many years. We stay in Ashram in California and for many years we dreamt of coming over here. We watched Youtube videos almost daily. it is impossible to describe how we feel. We seep into gratitude and happiness. We were finally able to have darshan,” said one of the devotees wearing saffron robes.

Another American said Swami Vivekananda had come to Amarnath and he had a very important experience. “He had a vision of Lord Shiva. For 40 years, I know this story. It was like a dream to come. But all of sudden and by Bole Nath’s grace everything fell in place and we came here,” he said.

He praised the organizers for making great arrangements for the devotees. “We can say the organization is flawless.  it is so good. The puja is very impressive,” he said.

Like Indians, foreigners too prayed for peace and tranquility in the world. “There is a particular kind of peace that pervades these mountains and holy cave. We hope this peace prevails everywhere,” he said.

Not only Americans, Nepalis too have come for darshan this year. Several Nepali devotees were spotted en route to the cave shrine. “We are thrilled by the love and affection showered by the local people. The arrangements are impeccable,” said a yatri from Nepal.

Situated at 3,888 meters, the holy Amarnath cave is accessible from two routes in Kashmir Valley. The 46-km Pahalgam–Holy cave trek is an ancient pilgrimage route that is covered in five days. There lies the ice lingam of Lord Shiva that is formed naturally and waxes and wanes with the moon. The pilgrims now prefer the 14-kilometer Baltal-Holy cave route since it is shorter though steep, and the journey can be completed in a day.