Amarnath Yatra: What Goes On Behind The Scenes To Ensure Safety?

In this mammoth effort, each yatri camp is run by multiple authorities in coordination, including a camp director.

Lord Shiva is perhaps the most popular and revered Gods among all Hindu deities, and consequently, lakhs of devotees trek during the month of ‘shraavan’ (July-August) through formidable mountainous terrains, to pay obeisance at the Shri Amarnathji Shrine in South Kashmir.

With the Amarnath Yatra dates for 2019 being set between 1 July (the day of Masik Shivratri) and 15 August (Shravan Purnima), the first batch of devotees for the 2019 Yatra were flagged off from the Nunwan Yatri Camp (about 6 km short of Pahalgam) by the Camp Director in the wee hours of 1 July.

Two Routes To The Holy Cave

There are two routes for reaching the Holy Cave, i.e. the Northern Route through Ganderbal district, and the Southern Route, through Anantnag district.

• Northern Route: Devotees reach Srinagar either by air directly, or by vehicles from Jammu. From Srinagar, through Sonamarg, they proceed to Baltal and then to the Yatri Access Control Point at Domel. This 14 kms long route (Baltal-Domel- Rayalpathri-Bararimarg -Sangam-Holy Cave), allows physically fit devotees to visit the Amarnath Shrine and return within a day.
• Southern Route: Yatris either reach Srinagar by air and move by road towards Pahalgam, or travel up from Jammu along the KP Road and reach Nunwan Yatri Camp. From Nunwan, they are despatched to the Chandanwari Yatri Access Control Point, from where they set out on foot. This 34 km long route (Chandanwari–Pisu Top–Zojibal–Sheshnag–Mahagunas Pass–Poshpathari–Panjtarni–Sangam–Holy Cave) entails a climb from an altitude of 2896 m (Chandanwari) to 4420 m (Mahagunas), a short descent, and a climb again to 4115 m (Holy Cave). This trek usually takes about three to five days on foot, and therefore requires the Yatris to stay the intervening nights at camps established at Sheshnag and Panjtarni.

Story Behind Why the Traditional Yatra is Undertaken Along Southern Axis

Panjtarni, about 6 kms from the Holy Cave, has a helipad. Hence, devotees have an option, weather permitting, of availing a helicopter service from Neelgrath for the Northern Route, and from Pahalgam for the Southern Route. This allows devotees to perform the Yatra on the Southern Route, and return in a day.

The traditional pilgrimage is however undertaken along the Southern Axis, as this is the route that is said to have been undertaken by Lord Shiva, with each major place en route being associated with a deed of Shiva. 

Religious texts aver that Ma Parvati had asked Shiva about His ‘Mund Mala’ and the secret behind His immortality. Shiva then agreed to narrate the Amar Katha to Parvati – but at a lonely spot where no living being could eavesdrop on that secret. He then chose the Holy Cave for this event and left for that spot along with Parvati.

In His quest to ensure secrecy, he left Nandi (the bull which He used to ride) at Pahalgam (at times also referred to as ‘Bailgam’). At Chandanwari, Shiva released the moon (‘Chand’) from His hair (‘Jataon’). At the banks of Lake Sheshnag, He released the snakes, and at Mahagunas Parvat, He decided to leave his son Lord Ganesha. At Panjtarni, Lord Shiva released the Five Elements (Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Sky), of which He is the Lord, behind. Thereafter, he entered the Holy Cave along with Maa Parvati and took ‘Samadhi’.

To ensure that no living being is able to hear the ‘Immortal Tale’, Lord Shiva created ‘Kalagni’, and ordered him to spread fire to eliminate every living thing in and around the Holy Cave. After this, He narrated the secret of immortality to Ma Parvati. However, a pair of pigeons hiding in the cave overhead the ‘Amar Katha’ and became immortal – and can be seen even today in the Holy Cave.

Arrangements For A Hassle-Free Amarnath Yatra

The Amarnath shrine is deemed as one of the major Hindu ‘dhaams’. Consequently, the number of devotees visiting it have been increasing steadily, with 2008 seeing 5.33 lakh yatris visiting the shrine, and 2011 witnessing about 6.36 lakhs. In 2018, 2.85 lakh devotees paid obeisance at the shrine. This year, over two lakh devotees are expected.

Considering the number of devotees and the religious sentiments involved, the Jammu and Kashmir state government, in conjunction with the Government of India, undertake extensive and elaborate arrangements to ensure a safe and hassle-free yatra for the devotees. These arrangements are necessary on account of a number of reasons:

• The Amarnath pilgrimage coincides with the Monsoons; this increases the chances of inclement weather, to include cloud-burst / heavy rain, sleet, hail, snow, lightning and flash floods along the yatra routes. In fact, light rain can be expected daily. It may be recalled that in 1996, unseasonal blizzards (late-August) had claimed the lives of 222 yatris, many of whom died on account of exposure and exhaustion.
• Some yatris are unable to recognise the climatic and terrain conditions en route, and either don’t bring appropriate clothing including footwear, or are physically not fit. In 2011, about 107 devotees died due to health reasons, while 2012 saw 88 such deaths. It is also for this reason that children below 13 year of age and adults above 75 years, and women who are more than 6 weeks pregnant, are not permitted to undertake the pilgrimage. The responsibility for checking all this falls on the officials, who have to exercise great tact in conveying a point to devotees, someone of whom are high on religious fervour.

What You, As A Yatri, Should Know

• In spite of periodic improvements, the route to the Holy Cave is still narrow, and passes through zones that are prone to rock-falls, shooting stones and even landslides. This requires lookouts for rendering timely warnings.
• With increase in traffic, there is often an increase in road accidents. In 2012, 42 people died in accidents. However, both traffic management and roads have since improved.
• Kashmir is located in the Seismic Zone IV and V – hence, the need for full preparedness for an earthquake.

These arrangements therefore include:

1. fool-proof security along all the routes starting from Jammu
2. administrative arrangements for stay
3. medical facilities
4. measures for providing weather alerts and warnings to both the yatra managers and the devotees
5. elaborate arrangements to cater to any type of disaster or emergency

Role Of Various Authorities In Coordinating & Managing Amarnath Yatra

The routes are hence dotted with Automatic Weather Stations monitored by the Indian Meteorological Department; rain shelters; mobile connectivity points of BSNL; chemical toilets; medical aid posts, resuscitation points and base hospitals; helipads for emergency CASEVAC; avalanche rescue teams (ARTs); mountain rescue teams (MRTs); fire-fighting means; disaster management, relief and sustenance stores; emergency food supplies; personnel from the State Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force; thousands of security personnel.

The latter, in addition to providing multi-tiered, inter-locked security, also assist in steering the yatris, particularly during harsh weather, while holding stocks of response stores. The Indian Air Force too stands ready to provide assistance where required.

Each yatri camp is run by a Camp Director, a senior official, in conjunction with a large number of other officials who regulate various activities at each campsite.

The Camp Directors stay in constant touch with the security forces, the Access Control Points (to monitor the number of devotees at each stage of the yatra route), as also with the Joint Control Room which acts as an information-and-decision-making hub.

Camp Directors also advise all the devotees on a range of issues, including health, food habits, clothing, group travel, precautions en route, fire-safety, protection of the environment, etc, while ensuring nondiscriminatory access to tents, bedding and other facilities. At each camp and en route, food is provided by ‘langars’ / ‘bhandaras’ run by individuals, societies or non-governmental organisations.

Better Arrangements in 2019 For The Yatra

While the arrangements have improved annually over time, this year, the arrangements appear to be better and more focused in every regard, with each facility being augmented; and all arrangements being inspected and reviewed by apex leaders, and subjected to a well thought-out and planned mock exercise by experts from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

In sum, the Amarnath Yatra, performed amidst awe-inspiring, mystical mountains, once again promises to be that spiritual, transcendental journey which touches the innermost core of every pilgrim, particularly on the Southern Axis, irrespective of whether one is a believer, or a non-believer, or an atheist.

(Kuldip Singh is a retired Brigadier from the Indian Army. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)