60-day Amarnath Yatra ends
Srinagar, Aug 26 : The 60-day Amarnath Yatra ended peacefully on Sunday with over 2.85 lakh pilgrims performing the Himalayan pilgrimage this year.
The Yatra started on June 28.
The 'Chhari Mubarak' (Lord Shiva's Mace) carried by a group of Hindu priests headed by Swami Deepinder Giri, its custodian, reached the cave shrine on Sunday morning.
The priests offered the final prayers at the shrine. Some senior officers of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) that manages the annual Yatra were also present.
Swami Deepinder Giri told IANS that the devotees prayed for peace and prosperity of the country, especially in Jammu and Kashmir.
More people performed this year's pilgrimage than in the last three years.
Due to extraordinary security arrangements that included the deployment of over 70,000 security personnel and the cooperation of local Muslims, this year's Yatra ended peacefully.
Except for four pilgrims who died in a landslide, the Yatra was incident free this year.
No militant outfit carried out any attack on the pilgrims' convoys and most outfits issued statements that the Yatra was not on their target list as it was a purely religious exercise.
Located 3,880 meters above the sea level in Kashmir's Himalayas, the cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure that wanes and waxes with the phases of the visible moon.
Devotees believe the ice stalagmite structure symbolizes the mythical powers of Lord Shiva.
Devotees approached the cave shrine both from the north Kashmir Baltal base camp and the south Kashmir Pahalgam base camp.
Helicopter services were also available for the pilgrims.
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Will be in politics till 'last breath', says Siddaramaiah, seeks Varuna support for son
Mysuru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said he will be in politics till his "last breath", and will continue to serve the people as much as he can.
He also called on the people of his Varuna assembly segment here, to support and nurture his son and Congress MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah politically, just as they supported him.
"My political life has seen victories and defeats. I have lost in four elections, won seven. Victories and defeats are common in politics and I have seen both, but I have never forgotten to serve the people. Till today I have been serving the people as much as I can, and I will continue to do so. Till my last breath I will be in politics and will serve you as much as I can," Siddaramaiah said.
Addressing a gathering, he said, he cannot often visit the Varuna assembly segment and that his son, Yathindra, is handling the day-to-day affairs here.
"He was an MLA from here once (2018-23). I will approve all the developmental work here as Yathindra suggested. Like you nurtured me politically you should also nurture Yathindra. I have confidence and faith that you will do it," he added.
These comments have come amid ongoing power tussle between Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar over the chief minister post, amid speculations of leadership change citing alleged "power sharing agreement" between the two after 2023 Assembly polls.
Siddaramaiah credited his political growth and his becoming the CM twice, to the people of Varuna.
"If I'm the chief minister and the Leader of Opposition twice, if I have presented Budgets for 17 times, it is because of the blessing of people of Varuna hobli and Mysuru taluk. I became Minister in 1984, for about 46 years I have been a Minister. I have faced 13 elections, lost in four, and even when I lost you blessed me. I will never forget your blessings," he said.
Recalling his days of struggle, the CM said, with hardwork he studied and became a lawyer. "I later came to politics and because of all your blessings I have grown so far."
