Despite the continuous threats from militants to attack two major Hindu pilgrimage centres?Mata Vaishno Devi and Amarnath in Jammu and Kashmir?pilgrimage season is touching a new record at both the pilgrimage centres.
While, the annual Amarnath Yatra is likely to begun on June 11 for two months, an unprecedented number of devotees have been thronging Mata Vaishno Devi shrine since the past fortnight. In comparison to routine influx of 25,000-30,000 pilgrims daily during the peak season, this year over 35,000 pilgrims are expected to reach here every day to have darshan of the holy shrine.
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) is forced to keep the pilgrims waiting every night to maintain smooth pilgrimage on the 13-km-track and Vaishno Devi Bhawan. ?Since only 29,000 to 30,000 pilgrims are allowed to leave Katra, which serves as base camp for the shrine, daily, about 5,000 pilgrims have to wait at Katra for the night?, Additional CEO SMVDSB, Puneet Kumar said. He further said the number is expected to touch a record figure of seven lakh going by the present rush in the current month. And it is likely that yatra might touch the magic figure of 70 lakh in 2006 leaving behind the number 62.51 in 2005.
Meanwhile, the registration for annual Hindu pilgrimage, Amarnath Yatra has already begun and a record the number of five lakh pilgrims are expected to pay obeisance to holy Shiva Lingum in snow-bound Himalayas.
The registration of pilgrims has been entrusted with 86 branches of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank all over India. According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SASB, Arun Kumar, already about five feet snow Lingam has appeared inside the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine and it is still increasing. Two-month long Amarnath Yatra begins on June 11 and will continue up to August 9, the day of Raksha-bandhan. At least five thousand pilgrims would be allowed to leave for the holy shrine every day from Pahalgam and Baltal.
The SASB has advised the pilgrims not to undertake journey to the shrine before June 11. Adequate security arrangements would be in place on both the tracks from June 11 only. Therefore, the pilgrims should start their journey from that day itself. ?We are expecting a heavy rush of pilgrims this year. Depending upon weather condition, the number of pilgrims is likely to touch an all-time high figure of five lakh?, the SASB sources said.
Last year, 4.1 lakh pilgrims had darshan of Lord Shiva'sholy Ice Lingam. The State Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S.K. Sinha, who is chairman of SASB, has been personally monitoring the arrangements for Amarnath pilgrimage. He had visited Baltal twice and Pahalgam once besides the holy cave shrine to supervise the arrangements and facilities for the pilgrims.
The SASB is also organising a Sufi Music Festival from June 11 to June 15 co-including with Amarnath Yatra. The festival, which is being organised in collaboration with Doordarshan, Indian Council of Cultural Relations, Tourism and Information Department, will be held in Srinagar for three days, and in Baramulla and Pahalgam for one day each. Artists from Pakistan, Iran and various parts of the country will participate in the festival.
Despite all this, providing security cover to pilgrims would be a big challenge to the State government, given the recent spurt in violence and incidents of militants? attacks on minority Hindu residents and Hindu tourists in Kashmir in the past one month.
A senior police source told this correspondent that while there are strong inputs that militants could attack Vaishno Devi shrine, we have enhanced security around it. The next two months would offer us a big challenge when the Amarnath Yatra also begins, he adds.
