Sacred Rituals Herald Amarnath Yatra's Beginning

Special prayers and rituals were conducted at Pahalgam for the beginning of the Amarnath Yatra. The holy mace ceremony marked the start of the pilgrimage, with various sacred rituals performed on Ashad Purnima to honor Lord Shiva. These ceremonies are preparations for the journey to the sacred shrine.

Special prayers took place on Thursday at the Pahalgam base camp, bringing in the annual Amarnath Yatra as rituals for 'Chhari Mubarak', the holy mace of Lord Shiva, commenced.

According to Mahant Deependra Giri, auspicious rituals such as chanting Vedic hymns, bhoomi-pujan, navgrah-pujan, chhari-pujan, and dhawajarohan were performed during Ashad Purnima.

These rituals are a crucial part of the annual pilgrimage, setting the stage for the main journey to the revered cave shrine of Swami Amarnath Ji.