My Amarnath Yatra: Faith in A Time of Strife
Source: http://specials.rediff.com/getahead/2008/aug/14sld1.htm
INDIA, August 14, 2008: [HPI note: these are the first paragraphs of a first-hand account of this year’s Amarnatha Yatra, by Swapnil Bhumkar. You can read the whole diary by clicking on the link above.]
Sri Ganganagar was where we came across our first langar, where free food is distributed to anyone and everyone. We were in Jammu, six of us, on the way to Amarnath, and beyond. The amazing thing about the Amarnath langars is that the food is not just clean, but also delicious. The sevaks urged us to eat more and stuffed our plates with Puris and Kheer.
Among the sadhus were Batuk Hanuman Maharaj, who wanted to trek barefoot to the ice Shivalinga, Ganeshdas Baba, a priest from a Malegaon, Maharashtra, and Hari Om Baba from Kashi. The urban opinion about sadhus is negative. Let me tell you, their schedule is tighter, and rules and principals tougher than that of the military. It takes a real man to become a sadhu.
We had crossed Patni Top, where the real beauty of the mountains begins, as does trouble. Hundreds of cars and buses were being stopped, the reason being, they said, riots. A few constables told us the Yatra is suspended because of violence in Udhampur, Pahalgam, Baltal. They said we could go ahead if we liked but the administration would not take responsibility. We waited there for almost seven hours. People had started getting restless so a convoy along with five military trucks started to move towards Pahalgam. We could only see soldiers, and more soldiers…
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