Amarnath Yatra: ‘Chhari-Sthapana’ Ceremony Takes Place In Srinagar Temple Ahead Of ‘Shravan Purnima’

Mahant Deependra Giri led a group of Sadhus to perform the ‘Chhari-Sthapana’ ceremony by chanting Vedic hymn at Shri Amareshwar Temple Akhara Building in Singar’s Budshah Chowk.

In connection with the annual pilgrimage of Chhari-Mubarak Swami Amarnath, the ‘Chhari-Sthapana’ ceremony was performed by chanting Vedic hymn at Shri Amareshwar Temple Akhara Building in Srinagar’s Budshah Chowk on Saturday morning by a group of Sadhus led by Mahant Deependra Giri. The Puja lasted for about two hours. Chhari-Mubarak (Holy Mace), one depicting Lord Shiva and another Goddess Parvati shall be kept in the Temple at Akhara Building Srinagar for ‘Darshan’ till it leaves for the main course of pilgrimage on August 26. 

After the event, pilgrims and the general public will be able to have the ‘Darshan’ of the Holy Mace kept in Shri Amareshwar Temple Dashnami Akhara Srinagar. Notably, the traditional ‘Chhari-Pujan’ is set to be performed on August 21 on the occasion of ‘Nag-Panchami’ (Shravan Shukla Paksha Panchami) at Dashnami Akhara, Srinagar.

Chhari-Mubarak will leave on August 26 from Dashnami Akhara Srinagar for the Holy Shrine of Swami Amarnath, which is situated at an altitude of 13,500 feet in South Kashmir. The traditional puja and rituals will be performed on the auspicious occasion of ‘Shravan-Purnima’ on August 31 with the rising sun. 

‘The True Trust’, founded by Mahant Deependra Giri in the year 2004, has made all the necessary arrangements for their food, tented accommodation, and transportation like in previous years for Sadhus and the needy coming from across the country to join Chhari-Mubarak Swami Amarnath Yatra. 

Meanwhile, a 10-day Budha Amarnath Yatra began on Friday with a batch of over 1,000 pilgrims leaving the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for Jammu and Kashmir's mountainous Poonch district.

Chants of "Bam Bam Bhole", "Har Har Mahadev" and "Jai Shri Ram" were heard as the pilgrims' convoy was flagged off by Additional Director General of Police of Jammu Zone Mukesh Singh.

Notably, a total of 1,338 pilgrims, including 907 men and 411 women, departed for the Budha Amarnath shrine in Poonch's Rajpura village in a convoy of 29 vehicles. The convoy was also escorted by paramilitary forces, said officials, as reported by news agency PTI.

The Budha Amarnath temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and it is one of the oldest shrines in the Jammu region. The temple attracts a large number of devotees during the annual yatra, which concludes with the arrival of 'Charri Mubarak' (holy mace) at the shrine from the Dashnami Akhara in Poonch.