Srinagar: The 16th annual Harmukh-Gangbal Yatra, a three-day customary traditional Hindu pilgrimage commenced in the central Ganderbal district on Tuesday with religious fervor.
The sacred Harmukh-Gangabal Lake, situated at an altitude of 14, 500 feet from Naranag area of Kangan hamlet in Ganderbal district, is considered as an abode of Lord Shiva by Kashmiri Pandits in the Harmukh mountain range.
Accompanied by State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), a group of pilgrims, primarily Kashmiri Pandits, after performing special Puja, set off from the Naranag base camp towards Gangabal Lake, marking the start of the three-day annual Hindu pilgrimage amid religious fervor.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shyambir Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ganderbal Waseem Qadri officially flagged off the Yatra.
After a long hiatus, the three-day customary Yatra was resurrected in 2009 as part of the Kashmiri Pandit community’s attempts to preserve their cultural and religious traditions and to restore their significant holy sites in the region.
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 ‘Har-har Mahadev’ and ‘Bam Bam Bole’ en-route Harmukh-Gangabal 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,” Arti Tickoo, a Pandit woman who lived in Kupwara district before moving to Delhi, told ‘Kashmir Images’.
Yatri, according to officials, will return the next day following the farewell Puja on Wednesday on the shores of Gangabal 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 of Ganderbal had made adequate arrangements for boarding, lodging, security and food for the Yatri during the pilgrimage.
