Jammu
Amid chanting of “Bam Bam Bole,” Shri Budha Amarnath Yatra starts with huge religious enthusiasm
Amid chanting of “Bam Bam Bole,” Shri Budha Amarnath Yatra starts with huge religious enthusiasm
POONCH TODAY NEWS
POONCH: Amid chanting of “Bam Bam Bole,” Shri Budha Amarnath Yatra started here at Poonch with huge religious enthusiasm on the 28th of July 2025 and was going on in full swing up to the time of filing this report.
The yatra was flagged off from Jammu by LG Manoj Sinha from base camp and received at Poonch by the district administration. From Jammu to Poonch, the yatra was given a rousing reception at Akhnoor, Sunderbani, Nowshera, Rajouri, and Surankote by the people before reaching Poonch. At Poonch, the yatra was received by DIG Rajouri-Poonch Range, Deputy Commissioner Poonch, and SSP Poonch. During the first four days, thousands of pilgrims from different states reached Poonch, and after their night stay at Poonch, they all had the darshan of the Shri Budha Amarnath shrine at Mandi. The people of Mandi also gave a rousing reception to the yatra. Before the start of the yatra, a Trishul yatra was organized at Poonch, which started from Navagraha temple and was led by Dr. Udeshpaul Sharma, in which hundreds of devotees took part. After passing through different areas of Poonch city, the yatra culminated at the college ground. Adequate security arrangements have been made by the J&K Police. Although the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri are considered highly sensitive based on the recent history of terrorist attacks, J&K police and other paramilitary agencies are very active and have made appropriate plans in advance to ensure foolproof security for all the pilgrims. At various places in the Poonch and Rajouri districts, adequate arrangements have been made by the administrations of both districts. The historic Chhari Yatra will take place on August 7th. Before the start of the yatra, a number of meetings were conducted by the top officers of the UT and district administration to ensure a peaceful yatra. It is pertinent to mention here that during the last few years, the Poonch-Rajouri range witnessed a number of terrorist attacks, but the Shri Budha Amarnath Yatra remained mostly peaceful with the cooperation of security forces, administration, and people from every section of society. The J&K police and other paramilitary agencies played a big role in ensuring a peaceful yatra during testing times. But this year, the yatra seems to be highly sensitive after the deadly Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 26 civilians were shot dead by the terrorists, which forced India to launch Operation Sindoor. After Operation Sindoor, Pakistan targeted the city of Poonch badly, in which 14 persons sacrificed their lives for the nation. Despite facing a massive shock during Operation Sindoor, people from all the sections of the society have come forward to welcome the yatra to give a message of communal harmony and brotherhood, as evident from the first four days of the yatra. However, with two back-to-back tough experiences of the Pahalgam attack and the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, the security agencies are in no mood to take anything lightly and have made all the security arrangements in advance for ensuring a peaceful yatra. This Shri Budha Amarnath yatra has high religious value after the Amarnath Yatra of Kashmir. Pilgrims from different parts of the country visit every year. The Shri Budha Amarnath Yatra was started with the efforts of VHP in 2005. J&K police and other paramilitary agencies are active, as the next fifteen days are very hectic due to the ongoing Shri Budha Amarnath Yatra, the festival of Raksha Bandhan, the Janmashtami festival, and Independence Day.
