Srinagar, Aug 12: ‘Chhari Mubarak’, the saffron-robed holy mace of Lord Shiva, was today taken to the ancient ‘Sharika-Bhawani’ temple on the Hari Parbat hillock in downtown area of the city here for offering special prayers as per the age-old customs related to the annual Amarnath Yatra.
Carried by its custodian Mahant Deependra Giri and accompanied by a group of sadhus and devotees, the holy mace was taken to the temple to pay obeisance to the Goddess on the occasion of ‘Shravan Shukla Paksha Pradipada’, as per the age-old traditions, a spokesman of the ‘True Trust’, founded by Giri in 2004, said.
He said Goddess ‘Sharika-Bhawani’, popularly known as ‘Tripursundari’ amongst the mystics, is believed to be ‘Isht Devi’ (Presiding Deity) of the Srinagar city who manifested herself in a figure of ‘Shila’ (holy rock) at Hari-Parbat.
Sadhus, who participated in the pujan, prayed for everlasting peace for Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesman said.
He said rituals connected with ‘Chhari-Sthapana’ would be performed tomorrow at Shri Amareshwar Temple Akhara Building, Budshah Chowk here. After performing the rituals, the holy mace would be kept in the temple for ‘Darshan’ till it leaves for main course of pilgrimage.
Traditional ‘Chhari-Pujan’ would be performed on the occasion of ‘Nag-Panchami’, that falls on 15 August, at the temple here, the spokesman said.
He said the ‘Chhari-Mubarak’ will begin its journey from Srinagar to the 3,880 metre high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas on August 20 with night halts at Pahalgam, Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarani along the traditional 46-km Pahalgam-cave route.
It will reach the cave shrine on the auspicious day of ‘Shravan-Purnima’ that falls on 26 August, the spokesman said.
