Sacred mace leaves Dashnami Akhara for Pahalgam; traditional rituals at the Himalayan cave scheduled for Raksha Bandhan on August 28, culminating with Visarjan on August 30.
SRINAGAR — The concluding and most revered phase of the annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra commenced on Saturday as the sacred mace of Lord Shiva, the Chhari Mubarak, left Srinagar on its traditional journey toward the Holy Cave Shrine in the higher Himalayas.
Led by its custodian, Mahant Deependra Giri, the sacred mace was carried out from the historic Dashnami Akhara building in Srinagar following elaborate Vedic rituals and traditional prayers attended by sadhus and devotees.
Route and Itinerary of Chhari Mubarak
- Pahalgam Arrival (Aug 23): The procession reached the base camp at Pahalgam after performing customary symbolic prayers at designated stopovers en route from Srinagar.
- Night Halts: The sacred mace will observe scheduled traditional halts at Chandanwari (Aug 24) and Sheshnag (Aug 25), followed by a two-night stay at Panchtarni on August 26 and 27.
- Rituals at the Holy Cave (Aug 28): Coinciding with the festival of Raksha Bandhan, the Chhari Mubarak will enter the Holy Amarnath Cave Shrine on August 28. It will be installed inside the sanctum sanctorum amid the chanting of Vedic hymns and special pujan.
- Significance: According to age-old religious traditions, the rituals at the cave commemorate the sacred event where Lord Shiva narrated the celestial secret of immortality (Amar Katha) to Goddess Parvati.
Return Procession and Visarjan
Following the conclusion of prayers inside the cave shrine on the morning of August 28, the Chhari Mubarak will retrace its route:
- Aug 28 (Evening): Night halt at Panchtarni.
- Aug 29: Return journey via Sheshnag and Chandanwari to base camp Pahalgam.
- Aug 30: Formal culmination of the annual Amarnath Yatra with special concluding prayers and the traditional Visarjan ceremony at Pahalgam.
