SRINAGAR: The 57-day annual Amarnath Yatra formally concluded on Friday with the arrival of the ‘Chhari-Mubarak’, the holy mace of Lord Shiva, at the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir, officials said.
The pilgrimage, which commenced on July 3, concluded on Raksha Bandhan, nearly three weeks after the yatra was suspended on August 9 following damage to the track and adverse weather conditions.
The holy mace, carried by a group of sadhus led by its custodian Mahant Dipendra Giri, reached the cave in the early hours of Friday after the group trekked six kilometres from the Sheshnag halting station.
Special prayers were subsequently offered at the cave shrine, which houses the naturally formed ice Shivlingam revered by devotees as a manifestation of Lord Shiva.
The group had covered about 42 kilometres from Pahalgam to reach the shrine, with overnight halts at Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarani.
Following the prayers, the Chhari-Mubarak began its return journey. The ‘pujan’ and ‘visarjan’ ceremonies are scheduled to be held on the banks of the Lidder river in Pahalgam on Sunday, after which the holy mace will return to its abode at the Amareshwar Temple at Dashnami Akhara in Srinagar, officials said.
More than 4.80 lakh pilgrims undertook the annual Amarnath Yatra this year.
