Srinagar

The sacred Chhari Mubarak of Lord Shiva left the Dashnami Akhara in Srinagar on Saturday after traditional prayers and rituals, beginning its journey towards Pahalgam as part of the annual Amarnath pilgrimage.

The Chhari Mubarak, the holy mace of Lord Shiva, will halt at traditional stopovers during the pilgrimage, with further religious rituals and ceremonies scheduled along the route.

Custodian of Chhari Mubarak, Mahant Deependra Giri, said the holy mace would reach Pahalgam after symbolic prayers at traditional stopovers.

"We are setting out on the main pilgrimage from the Dashnami Akhara. Today, we will rest in Pahalgam after performing symbolic prayers at the traditional stopovers along the way," Giri said.

He said the Chhari Mubarak would halt at Chandanwari on August 24 and Sheshnag on August 25, followed by a two-night halt at Panchtarni on August 26 and 27.

"Then, on the morning of the 28th, on Raksha Bandhan, we will take the holy Chhari Mubarak to the holy cave," he said.

Giri said the Chhari Mubarak would be installed at the holy cave amid traditional prayers and Vedic chanting, following which it would return to Panchtarni for the night.

He added that the procession would depart Panchtarni on August 29 and proceed via Sheshnag and Chandanwari to Pahalgam. On August 30, prayers and Visarjan will be performed.

Meanwhile, in Poonch, the fifth batch of around 2,700 pilgrims from across the country arrived for the annual Baba Budha Amarnath Yatra.

The devotees were given a warm reception by local residents and Poonch District Police upon their arrival. Pilgrims expressed happiness over their experience and appreciated the arrangements and security provided during the pilgrimage.

Ketki Vyas, a pilgrim, said, "This is our second time visiting. We enjoyed it last time too, which is why we came back; we intend to visit a third time and will encourage many others to come here as well."

Another pilgrim, Ramesh Chavda, said that a group of around 43 devotees had travelled from Gujarat's Botad district in a single bus.

"We are really enjoying this annual pilgrimage. There are no issues at all; the security provided by the Army is so good that there is absolutely no cause for worry," Chavda said.

He said the group was enjoying the atmosphere in Poonch and would visit the Budha Amarnath shrine the following day.

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"The atmosphere is wonderful, and there is even a drizzle. We are having a fantastic time. Tomorrow, we are going to visit the Budha Amarnath shrine, and tonight we are halting here in Poonch," he said.