His Holiness Sankaracharya Vasudevananda Saraswati and KPS Gill to flag off Amarnath Yatra
DESPITE repeated attempts on the part of J&K Governor NN Vohra and the separatists to change the schedule of annual Amarnath Yatra, the Yatra will be flagged of by Sankaracharya Swami Vasudevananda Saraswati and former supercop Shri KPS Gill on June 15. J&K Chief Minister assured the people of the state that the Yatra would be for two months beginning from June 15 and it would be provided with security cover.
Talking to mediaperson in New Delhi on May 25, VHP general secretary Dr Pravin Togadia said for the last several years the Amarnath Yatra has been conducted for two months at a stretch starting from the full-moon day of the bright fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha to the full-moon day of the month of Shravan. The ice Shivalingam (sign of Shiva – the auspicious one) attains its utmost dimensions on the day of Jyestha Purnima, and after this it gradually starts melting and by Shravani Purnima it gets melted considerably. On the day of Jyestha Purnima, the macro size ice Shivalingam is there for the devotees to have its darshan.
The Yatra continues for two months from Jyestha Purnima to Shravani Purnima that attracts about 400,000 pilgrims to Jammu & Kashmir from all over the country and abroad. They gain in spiritual merits by the darshan, internalise the divine blessings and return with high spirits. The Yatra is very much a spirituo-patriotic pilgrimage and mountain adventure. It strengthens national unity and territorial integrity and there is ample opportunity for much economic activity and income generation for the local populace and the state of Jammu & Kashmir.
But under motions from separatists, their supporter Mufti Mohammad Saeed and the central government the Governor of Jammu & Kashmir opposed the commencement of the Yatra on Jyestha Shukla Purnima, i.e., on June 15, and declared its commencement from June 29. Paying deaf ears to the suggestions of the Sant fraternity of Jammu and the whole country and the Hindu organisations to start the Yatra on June 15, he instead submitted to the pressure tactics of the separatists.
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