Srinagar: The chants of ‘Har Har Mahadev’ and ‘Bham Bham Boley’ and other Vedic hymns reverberated in Kashmir hills as the first batch of about two thousand pilgrims including saffron clad hermits or sadhus who chose to trek via shorter Baltal route (14-km) reached the Amarnath on Saturday evening to pay obeisance and have the darshan of fully formed natural Shivling or ice-lingam of Lord Shiva inside the revered place of Hindu worship. With the 52-day-long annual pilgrimage beginning officially on Saturday, most of the devotees who are part of another batch of nearly three thousand pilgrims which had started the arduous journey through rugged mountains from Chandanwari (Pahalgam) basecamp earlier during the day have arrived at Sheshnag, the first halting place along the traditional three-day trek (34-km), a report received here said. Confirming that the first batch of the pilgrims has safely reached the cave-shrine tucked away in the Kashmir Himalayas at a height of 3,888 metre, a government official here said, “They enthusiastic devotees are waiting to have the darshan of the Shivling and pray at Lord Shiva’s abode.
” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted the pilgrims at the start of the annual yatra, saying the ‘darshan’ of Lord Shiva is known to infuse immense energy in his followers. “My heartfelt best wishes to all pilgrims on the commencement of the holy Amarnath Yatra. This yatra associated with the darshan of Baba Barfani infuses imme.
