Over 13,000 pilgrims facilitated from Kameshwar Temple between August 18-25; more than 25,000 pay obeisance at Baba Budha Amarnath
AKHNOOR, Aug 25: The historic town of Akhnoor witnessed a grand culmination of the Baba Budha Amarnath Yatra today, as BJP J&K President and Member of Parliament Sat Sharma, along with MLA Akhnoor Mohan Lal Bhagat, flagged off the final batch of 1,340 pilgrims from the historic Kameshwar Temple.
The occasion witnessed an overwhelming display of faith, devotion and community spirit, with BJP District In-charge Vinay Gupta, District President Kuldeep Sharma, religious leaders, social workers, prominent citizens and a large number of devotees present to bid farewell to the pilgrims.
From August 18 to August 25, nearly 13,000 pilgrims were facilitated and sent forward from Kameshwar Temple, while more than 25,000 devotees have paid obeisance at Baba Budha Amarnath Ji, popularly known as Baba Chattani, during the pilgrimage period.
Throughout the Yatra, Kameshwar Temple emerged as an important reception and service point for pilgrims. Devotees arriving from Dumi were welcomed with a bike rally, organised with the participation of Bajrang Dal, Hari Mandir Shiv Ghat Team, social workers and local residents.
At Kameshwar Temple, pilgrims were accorded a warm traditional welcome amid dhol beats and devotional chants. Refreshments and breakfast were served to the devotees, who also availed themselves of the opportunity to seek blessings at Kameshwar Mahadev Temple during the auspicious month of Sawan.
Dr. Satyanarayan Das Ji was also prominently present during the programme.
Addressing the gathering, Sat Sharma appreciated the people of Akhnoor for extending wholehearted hospitality and service to the pilgrims. He said the Baba Budha Amarnath Yatra represents the rich spiritual and cultural heritage of Jammu and Kashmir and reflects the region’s enduring tradition of communal harmony and devotion.
MLA Mohan Lal Bhagat said that Akhnoor had once again demonstrated its deep faith and spirit of sewa by welcoming thousands of pilgrims. He expressed gratitude to the religious organisations, volunteers, social workers, local residents, administration and police for their coordinated efforts in ensuring that the pilgrims were provided with a safe, comfortable and respectful passage.
He said that serving pilgrims and ensuring their convenience is a matter of pride for the people of Akhnoor, adding that the overwhelming participation of local residents had made the Yatra a memorable spiritual experience.
Rameshwar Dass also addressed the gathering and expressed gratitude to all organisations, volunteers and residents who contributed to the successful conduct of the pilgrimage and arrangements for the visiting devotees.
The administration and police made elaborate arrangements for the smooth and secure movement of pilgrims. SP Rural Ravinder Singh, SDPO Bharat Sharma and SHO Sushil Choudhary remained involved in monitoring the security arrangements.
Necessary civic and sanitation arrangements were also ensured by the Executive Officer, Municipal Committee Akhnoor, Mohammad Yaqoob.
Among those present on the occasion were Brahmin Sabha President Sudesh Magotra, Daljit Chib, Rakesh Malhotra, Deepesh Singh, Kuldeep Sharma, Babbu Magotra, Manmohan Singh, Jagdish Bhagat, Anil Sharma, Vinay Sapolia, Rahul Langar, Raman Sharma, besides a large number of local residents, volunteers and devotees.
The final departure from Kameshwar Temple marked a spiritually charged culmination to the pilgrimage, with the temple reverberating with “Har Har Mahadev” chants as devotees embarked on their onward journey to seek the blessings of Baba Budha Amarnath Ji.