Charri Mubarak reaches Chandanwari

Aug. 3, 2009 - PRLog -- Renting the air with chants of 'Bum Bum Bole' and 'Har Har Mahadev', Charri Mubarak, the holy mace of Lord Shiva, was taken to Chandanwari by Mahant Deependra Giri and a group of devotees and Sadhus this evening.

The holy mace will be rested at Chandanwari and the devotees will observe Dwadashi before taking the Charri Mubarak on its onward journey towards the next halt at Sheshnag where it will be rested for another night.

The holy mace had reached Pahalgam on July 31 and stayed there for two nights during which the custodian of the Charri Mubarak performed necessary rituals including a Pujan at the Ganesh temple on the banks of Lidder stream, official sources said.

On way to Pahalgam, Pujan was also performed at Sureshwar temple at Sonawar, Shiv temple at Pampore, Shiv temple at Bijbehara and Martand Tirth at temple town of Mattan.

The Charri Mubarak will reach 3880-metre high Amarnath cave shrine on August 5 which will mark the end of this year's yatra, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.

The return journey of the holy mace will begin the same day and it will reach Panchtarni for night halt. It will be taken to Pahalgam base camp on Pratipada the next day for Pujan before visarjan will be performed on August 7 on the banks of Lidder stream.

Meanwhile, the yatra to the holy cave shrine continued from both Baltal and Pahalgam routes today as another batch of nearly 1500 pilgrims performed darshan of naturally-formed Ice-Lingam till reports last came in.

A spokesman of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) said 1462 pilgrims left from Baltal base camp and 585 from Nunwan base camp this morning, on their journey to the holy cave shrine.

The spokesman said another batch of 184 yatris left Jammu today for Pahalgam and Baltal base camps. He said 2811 yatris performed darshan on Saturday.

Total number of pilgrims, who paid obeisance to Lord Shiva this year, has gone up to 3.72 lakh while 44 persons including 40 yatris have died since the pilgrimage began on June 16 this year.

Most of the yatris - nearly three lakh - preferred to take shorted Baltal route while the remaining pilgrims went by traditional Pahalgam track which was opened on June 25 after remaining snow-bound longer than usual.

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