Srinagar, Jul 5 (PTI) Special prayers were Sunday held at Pahalgam on the occasion of 'Ashad-Purnima' -- marking the traditional commencement of the annual Amarnath yatra in the south Kashmir Himalayas.

"Chanting Vedic hymn, 'Bhoomi-Pujan', 'Navgrah-Pujan', 'Chhari-Pujan' and 'Dhawajarohan' ceremonies were performed at Pahalgam today on the auspicious occasion of 'Ashad-Purnima' that marks the commencement of annual pilgrimage of Swami Amarnath Ji, traditionally," the custodian of the 'Chhari-Mubarak' (holy mace of Lord Shiva) said in a statement here.

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He said these are the important rituals prior to the main course of the annual pilgrimage, which is likely to start later this month.

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"The sound of conch shell reverberated the whole atmosphere. Keeping in view the COVID-19 pandemic, only selected number of Sadhus accompanied the holy mace from Dashnami Akhara Srinagar to Pahalgam," he said.

The custodian said COVID-19 is an extraordinary situation and extraordinary measures need to be taken to meet this challenge.

“People of Jammu and Kashmir irrespective of their caste, creed or religion have been cooperating, assisting and encouraging the pilgrims and Sadhus who come here from across the country and even abroad for this annual pilgrimage," he said.

He said prayers were also offered at the historic Martand Temple in Mattan area of the Anantnag district.

While the government has not yet announced formal dates for the commencement of the yatra, Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam on Saturday said keeping in view the prevailing circumstances, the pilgrimage this year would have to be undertaken in a restricted manner.

While reviewing the preparations for the yatra, the chief secretary said a maximum of 500 pilgrims only would be allowed per day by road from Jammu towards the cave shrine.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)