Srinagar- The 16th annual Harmukh-Gangbal Yatra—a three-day customary traditional Hindu pilgrimage—began in the central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Tuesday amidst religious fervor.
Located at an altitude of 14, 500 feet above sea level from the Naranag area of Kangan hamlet in Ganderbal district is revered by Kashmiri Pandits as the abode of Lord Shiva.
After performing a special Puja, a group of pilgrims, mostly Kashmiri Pandits, headed for Gangbal Lake from the Naranag base camp led by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), marking the beginning of the three-day annual Hindu pilgrimage amidst religious fervor.
The Yatra was formally inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shyambir Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ganderbal Waseem Qadri.
The three-day traditional yatra was revived in 2009 after a long hiatus as part of the Kashmiri Pandit community’s efforts to protect their religious and cultural practices and to re-establish their important religious sites in Kashmir.
Hundreds of pilgrims, primarily Kashmiri Pandits, had travelled to Naranag to take part in the annual Hindu pilgrimage. Officials of the civil and police administration were also present on the occasion.
Amidst chants ‘Harhar Mahadev and Bam Bam Bole’ en-route Harmukh-Gangbal Lake, the pilgrims extended hearty gratitude to the union territory and the Ganderbal district administration for facilitating the Yatra.
“Our participation in this sacred pilgrimage brings us great joy. As a major Hindu holy occasion, the Harmukh-Gangbal Yatra is something we would want to express our sincere thanks to the UT and the district government for allowing it to happen in a comparatively peaceful manner,” said Vinod Pandita, a Kashmiri Pandit who lived in Baramulla district of north Kashmir before moving to Jammu.
Yatri’s, according to officials, will return the next day following the farewell Puja on Wednesday on the shores of Gangbal Lake. The Yatra was conducted under the auspices of the All Parties Migrants’ Coordination Committee (APMCC) and the Harmukh Ganga (Gangabal) Trust (HGGT).
The district administration Ganderbal had made adequate arrangements for boarding, lodging, security and food for the Yatri’s during pilgrimage.
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