Amarnath pilgrimage to culminate tomorrow

With a day left for the culmination of two-month annual Amarnath pilgrimage, the "Chhari Mubarak", the holy mace of Lord Shiva, today reached Panchtarni, the last halting station, six-km away from the revered shrine.

The holy mace left Sheshnag at around 08OO hrs and after covering a distance of 13-km, reached 3657-mt high Panchtarni hill on the traditional Pahalgam route in the afternoon.

After a night halt, the mace would be taken to the cave shrine tomorrow marking the culmination of the annual yatra.

The mace is carried every year from its abode Dashnami Akhara in Srinagar to the Amarnath shrine during the annual pilgrimage for special prayers.

Before dusk tomorrow, the "Chhari" would commence its return journey from the cave shrine to its abode here.

With the annual pilgrimage coming to an end tomorrow, 577 devotees left for 3,880-mt high Amarnath shrine from the Baltal route and 10 from the Pahalgam route.

So far, nearly 3.75 lakh pilgrims had paid obeisance at the shrine since the commencment of the yatra on June 15.