Sri Amarnathji Yatra is one of the most important annual events of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and visit to holy shrine of Shri Amarnathji is considered as one of the most auspicious pilgrimages of Hinduism. The discovery of the Amarnath Cave is attributed to a Muslim shepherd named Buta Malik. According to legend, in the 18th century, he stumbled upon the cave while searching for his missing flock. Inside the cave, he discovered a naturally formed ice stalagmite, which over time came to be revered as the holy lingam of Lord Shiva by Hindus. Malik’s discovery laid the foundation for the Amarnath Yatra, attracting devotees from all over the world to this sacred site. The annual pilgrimage is conducted for the devotees of Lord Shiva in Himalayan ranges of South Kashmir where they pray to the holy shrine of Shri Amarnathji in large numbers. The Yatra culminates on the day of Raksha Bandhan or Shravan Purnima. Generally, the duration of yatra is 6 to 8 weeks. This year, the yatra to the Holy Shrine will start on 01 July and continue till 31 Aug 2023. The government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board are the main organizing bodies of the yatra. The local civil administration, Army, Para Military Forces and J & K Police play a very important role in smooth conduct of the yatra. Last year the holy pilgrimage was conducted for a duration of 43 days (from 30 Jun to 11 August 2022) and more than 3.65 lakh yatris paid obeisance to the Holy abode of Lod Shiva. There are two axis for the yatra. The first one is from Pahalgam-Chandanwadi-Sheshnag-Panchtarni to Holy Cave that takes three days to reach the holy cave from Chandanwadi. Road is existing up to Chandanwadi. The second route is from Baltal that takes one day to reach the Holy Cave. However, the second route is steeper. Entire route has mesmerising scenic beauty and fills up the pilgrim with divine feelings. The spirit of dedication and devotion to Shri Amarnathji i.e Lord Shiva motivates the pilgrims to overcome all the physical challenges faced enroute. This journey has been going on since eternal times and attracting the devotees to the holy abode. The entire preparation and conduct of Amarnath yatra symbolizes the true spirit of unity and integrity of the country. People from all parts of the country converge together for the holy journey. Security Forces personnel who belong to all parts of the country are seen deployed, guarding the entire route of journey to ensure safety of all the pilgrims. Entire government machinery with people from all parts of the society richly contribute to provide all the facilities to everyone travelling along the yatra route. Many NGOs send their representatives to establish medical help centres for the benefit of persons who are undertaking the holy pilgrimage. Numerous Bhandaras are established that provide free food and hot beverages to the people round the clock. Role of the locals of the area has been of immense importance as they provide numerous value-added services to the Yatris including accommodation, food and transportation facilities. They provide assistance and support to the devotees throughout their journey, helping them overcome challenges posed by the rugged terrain and harsh weather conditions. The locals also demonstrate their remarkable hospitality by opening their homes and setting up temporary shelters. This selfless act of service embodies the spirit of communal harmony and brotherhood, fostering a sense of unity among people of different faiths. They also establish various shops along the route to cater for the daily needs of the pilgrims. Local pony operators and porters play a vital role in conveyance of stores and person before, during and after the yatra. Thousands of tonnes of stores are ferried with the support of local porters and pony operators. A large number of local people like taxi operators, hotels owners, tourist guides, handicraft and souvenir shops, porters, pony operators earn a handsome amount of money during the conduct of Amarnath yatra and the local economy gets a much-needed boost during this period. Local people who contribute towards conduct of yatra, eagerly wait for its commencement every year. There are many porters and pony operators whose main source of annual income is Amarnathji yatra. The positive role played by the Kashmiri people in the Amarnath Yatra not only showcases their devotion and reverence for the pilgrimage but also highlights their commitment to fostering religious tolerance and promoting peaceful coexistence. Their active participation and dedication contribute to making the Amarnath Yatra a spiritually enriching and harmonious experience for all the devotees involved. This annual pilgrimage to the holy shrine of Shri Amarnathji has tremendous spiritual importance. It is the second most difficult and most important pilgrimage to adobe of Lord Shiva after Mount Kailash in Tibet. It is believed that Lord Mahadev narrated the story of immortality to Mata Parvati as this Holy Cave and hence the name Amarnath was given. It is also believed that Lord Shiva used to come to this Holy Cave after melting of snow in summer season and used to preach the knowledge of astrology, medicine, farming, philosophy, administration, literature, rituals etc religious to the Saptarishis who in turn would go to the masses and propagate the knowledge. Since the pre historic period, the tradition of travelling by the devotees to pay respect to the Aadi Yogi i.e., Lord Shiva is going on. There is a need to further spread the word about conduct of this holy festival throughout the country so that more and more people become aware of rich cultural heritage of Kashmir since time immemorial. It will strengthen the bonding between people of Kashmir and from other parts of the country. Smooth and hassle-free conduct of Shri Amarnathji Yatra brings large number of benefits to the pilgrims, local people and the organizers in term of physical, materialistic and spiritual growth as well as provides much needed boost to the local economy. It is a celebration of rich and ancient cultural heritage of Kashmir. It is a festival of spiritual awakening and strengthening the bonding of national unity in true sense.
