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Threat or no threat, pilgrims throng to Amarnath
Mumbai, July 27: The increasing militant attacks during the Amarnath Yatra notwithstanding, over the last few years, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of pilgrims visiting the holy cave for a `darshan` of the ice Shiv lingam.
Mumbai, July 27: The increasing militant attacks during the Amarnath Yatra notwithstanding, over the last few years, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of pilgrims visiting the holy cave for a 'darshan' of the ice Shiv lingam.
The Amarnath Yatra has been etched on the Indian psyche as one of the important pilgrimages to be undertaken in one's life and deeply religious people make it a point to have a 'darshan' at least once in their lifetime.
Situated in a narrow gorge at the farther end of Lidder Valley, Amarnath stands at 3,888 m.
The number of pilgrims has increased manifold during the last five years, a period marked by militants attacks aimed at spreading terror during the yatra, tour operators say. "We find more and more people wanting to go to Amarnath every year. The awareness is growing and the threat aspect figures nowhere in people's minds," says Arun Manerikar, from a travel agency which has been arranging trips to Jammu and Kashmir for the last 15 years.
The reasons attributed to the trend are many. Media coverage, particularly by the electronic media, has played an important role even as it is this media which has been telecasting coverage of terrorist attacks, travel experts say. However, terrorist attacks have taken place during the yatra for the past few years now. In all, 31 people were killed at Pahalgam in August 2000; 13 people, including seven pilgrims were killed in the attack at Seshnag in 2001 and nine pilgrims died in August 2002 at the Nunwan base camp.
But people remain undeterred. Bureau Report
Situated in a narrow gorge at the farther end of Lidder Valley, Amarnath stands at 3,888 m.
The number of pilgrims has increased manifold during the last five years, a period marked by militants attacks aimed at spreading terror during the yatra, tour operators say. "We find more and more people wanting to go to Amarnath every year. The awareness is growing and the threat aspect figures nowhere in people's minds," says Arun Manerikar, from a travel agency which has been arranging trips to Jammu and Kashmir for the last 15 years.
The reasons attributed to the trend are many. Media coverage, particularly by the electronic media, has played an important role even as it is this media which has been telecasting coverage of terrorist attacks, travel experts say. However, terrorist attacks have taken place during the yatra for the past few years now. In all, 31 people were killed at Pahalgam in August 2000; 13 people, including seven pilgrims were killed in the attack at Seshnag in 2001 and nine pilgrims died in August 2002 at the Nunwan base camp.
But people remain undeterred. Bureau Report