After walking for 111 days Pilgrim from UP reaches Pahalgam for Amarnath Yatra
Harnam Prasad, who is on a 7000 kilometer pilgrimage, has reached Pahalgam, carrying a 17 kg Kanwar on his shoulder.
Harnam Prasad took on the pilgrimage from his house in Lakhimpuri, offering his prayers in Rameshwaran Jyotirling in Tamil Nadu, Srisailam Mallikarjuna Temple in Andhra Pradesh and visiting several religious places in Mathura, Vrindavan before reaching Pahalgam.
'I have been walking for one hundred and eleven days. I am taking a padyatra from Rameshwaram Jyoti Linga, to Baba Barfani Amarnath. On my way I have visited Srisailam Mallikarjun. After that, I went to Vrindavan Mathura and straight from Mathura I went to Delhi and visited Khatu Shyam Baba. Taking his blessings, I went straight to Jammu and Kashmir through Jammu and Punjab Haryana,' Harnam Prasad told ANI.
Harnam Prasad lifted 17 kg Kanwar (sacred water pots) on his shoulders midway, from Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur, and said with them he will cover a total of 1700 km of 7000 km pilgrimage, before doing 'abhishek' of Lord Shiva and Nandi Maharaj with the sacred water.
'I lifed the Kanwar in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, with them I'll cover seventeen hundred kilometers of 7,000 kilometers padyatra and perform abhishek on Mahadev on Nandi Maharaj,' he said.
Prasad said that he only wishes for our blooming country to flourish and it should be Hindu nation.
'My only wish is that our nation should be Hindu nation, Gaumata should be our Rashtramata and Akhand Bharat should be built,' he said.
On Sunday, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced that the ongoing Amarnath Yatra has surpassed the 2-lakh mark, with devotees continuing to throng the holy cave shrine.
In a post on X, LG Sinha expressed his joy, stating, 'With Baba Amarnath Ji's blessings, the holy pilgrimage has crossed the 2 lakh mark today. This is a sacred journey of a lifetime, and I welcome all the devotees to discover and experience the divinity. Har Har Mahadev!'
The 38-day annual Amarnath pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine in south Kashmir began on July 3 and will conclude on August 9. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Digvijaya Singh's post on Kanwar Yatra stirs row; BJP takes 'Maulana' jibe
Senior Congress leader Digvijay has sparked a controversy by attacking the annual Kanwar Yatra through a Facebook post in which he accused the government of hypocrisy, claiming that the Yatra is allowed to cover roads but not Namaz. His post drew sharp criticism from the BJP and the JDU, who condemned Singh's remarks and sought an apology for speaking against a Hindu former Madhya Pradesh chief minister shared the post in which the picture on the left showed several Kanwars placed on a busy road, while the right one showed a policeman kicking a man offering Namaz. "One country, two laws," Digvijay Singh captioned the post. The photo on the right is from an incident that happened in March last year, wherein a Delhi police cop was seen kicking a Muslim man offering Friday prayers on the road in the Inderlok area. The incident sparked outrage and the policeman was suspended. The BJP took a strong objection to the Congress leader's post and accused him of always attacking the Hindu religion and its traditions."Maulana Digvijay Singh only opposes the Sanatan Dharma. He wants to create a row around a holy festival like the Kanwar Yatra. When he can glorify Zakir Naik, talk of protecting terrorists, raise questions over Army operations, talk in favour of Pakistan and do the politics of appeasement, nothing better can be expected out of him," said Madhya Pradesh minister Vishwas Sarang."Digvijay Singh has always insulted the Hindu religion, its followers, saints and festivals. That is why he is called Maulana Digvijay Singh. He uses terms like saffron terror and defames Sanatan Dharma," Sarang BJP leader also warned that if Singh continues hurting Hindu religious sentiments, it will not be tolerated. "He should apologise for his remarks," Sarang minister's stance was echoed by KC Tyagi of the JDU, an ally of the BJP, who called Digvijay Singh's post "objectionable"."I don't agree with him. His statement is objectionable, emotionally charged, disrupting and also wrong in terms of the comparison between two communities. The Kanwariyas have a fixed route, which is clearly defined and demarcated till Haridwar. They cannot just take their Kanwar on any route arbitrarily," Tyagi said while speaking to India Today also said that Muslims have also been given all the rights to offer Namaz in mosques, but when it is offered on the roads, the administration does its work to manage the Congress leaders against repeating such statements, Tyagi said, "It is because of such comparisons that the Congress is in this situation. If this continues, then their leader, Rahul Gandhi, may have to deal with even more uncomfortable situations".UP TEACHER'S POEM ON KANWAR YATRADigvijay Singh's post came just a day after a case was registered against a teacher in Uttar Pradesh for reciting a poem on Kanwar Yatra during the school assembly, with Hindu outfits claiming that it hurt religious controversy erupted after a video went viral showing Rajneesh Gangwar, a teacher at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Inter College in Bareilly, reciting his self-composed poem titled "Tum Kanwar lene mat jana, gyaan ka deep jalana" (Don't go to fetch the Kanwar, instead light the lamp of knowledge).It further says, "Kanwar le jaakar koi SP ya DM nahi bana hai" (No one has become an SP or District Magistrate by carrying kanwar).Hindu organisations objected to the poem, calling it inflammatory and disrespectful towards Kanwar yatris or kanwariyas.- EndsMust Watch
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Martyrs' Day in Kashmir: A look at its history and the BJP's indifference
Story so far: Jammu Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah defied his Lieutenant-Governor's (L-G) stance on 'Martyrs' Day', on July 13, 2025, to pay tribute to the 22 civilians killed by Dogra rulers in 1931. Visuals shared by Mr. Omar Abdullah show him grappling with the authorities as he visited the Naqsbandh Sahib shrine at Khawaja Bazar to offer fatiha (prayer) at the martyrs' graves. The L-G had barred the government and regional parties from paying tributes at the site. 'The unelected government tried to block my way forcing me to walk from Nawhatta chowk. They blocked the gate to Naqsbandh Sahib shrine forcing me to scale a wall. They tried to physically grapple me but I was not going to be stopped today,' posted Mr. Abdullah. Highlighting the July 13 massacre as J&K's 'Jallianwala Bagh', Mr. Omar Abdullah said, 'True heroes who fought against British rule in all its forms are today projected as villains only because they were Muslims.' This is the physical grappling I was subjected to but I am made of sterner stuff & was not to be stopped. I was doing nothing unlawful or illegal. In fact these "protectors of the law" need to explain under what law they were trying to stop us from offering Fatiha — Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 14, 2025 While Mr. Abdullah was able to visit the shrine, no other leader was able to do so. NC leaders such as Showkat Mir, Imran Nabi Dar, Shafqat Watali, Nasir Aslam Wani and Tanvir Sadiq were either detained or put under house arrest. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, J&K Apni Party (JKAP) president Altaf Bukhari and and J&K Peoples Conference (JKPC) president Sajad Lone, were also detained in their homes or offices. BJP has refused to mark the event as a 'martyrdom', maintaining that the slain civilians were 'rioters' and not national heroes. Here's a look at why J&K observes this day and its changed nature since 2019 What happened on July 13, 1931? In 1931, Kashmir was in turmoil due to a series of incidents that had led to revolt by the Muslims citizens against the ruling Dogra administration. In Jammu's Udhampur — a Hindu-majority area, a landholder had converted to Islam, resulting in him losing his property rights. A Hindu police officer had interrupted a sermon led by Mufti Muhammad Ishaque, accusing the seer of transgressing the law. In retaliation, the crowds condemned the interference into religious matters and a public protest was held. While a case was filed against the police officer for interfering in religious matters, a local magistrate dismissed the case. Two other incidents, which had created resentment among the Muslims were — a Muslim jail attendant being reprimanded by his Hindu superior and a pages of the Holy Quran being found in a public latrine. The final incident which led to the clash between the citizens and the Dogra police was the arrest of one Abdul Qadeer — a Kashmiri employee serving Major Butt of the British Army. In a public meeting, Qadeer had allegedly urged Muslims to retaliate to the Dogra king's oppression by attacking the palace. Accusing Qadeer of sedition, the Dogra police arrested him and placed him in Srinagar's Central Jail. On July 13, 1931, when trial started in Srinagar, a huge crowd had assembled outside the jail, raising slogans to seeking Qadeer's freedom. As the protestors urged the judge to imprison them instead, police began to hit them with batons. In retaliation, the crowds pelted the Dogra police with stones and sticks. On the Governor's orders, police opened fire at the protestors killing 17 Muslims on the spot, while five succumbed to injuries later. The slain civilians were buried in compound of Kanqah-i-Maula, three days later. The spot has since then been renamed as Mazar-i-Shuhada. Observing Martyrs' day The incident gave impetus to calls for Jammu-Kashmir's freedom from Maharaja Hari Singh's rule. The Reading Room party, founded by Sheikh Abdullah, established the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference with the sole aim to protect Muslim rights. His demands for self-rule of the Kashmiri people too gained traction and a Legislature was set up by the Maharaja in 1934. In 1947, after Maharaja Hari Singh fled to Jammu after acceding Kashmir to India, Sheikh Abdullah was appointed as J&K's first Prime Minister. He declared July 13 as 'J&K Martyr's day' and has been observed by consequent governments. Pakistan also observes the same day to honour Kashmiri civilian martyrs. Qadeer is believed to be born in Swat, which falls currently in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Through the years, Martyrs' day has seen 'house arrest' of Opposition leaders whenever the State has been put under President's rule. In 1986, then CM Farooq Abdullah threatened to launch a fresh struggle if the Governor's rule was not ended by September 7 that year. While most other Opposition leaders like G. M. Shah, Ghulam Nabi Kochak, Moulvi Abbas Ansari, Abdul Gani Lone were placed under 'house arrest', Dr. Farooq Abdullah and his ally, Mirwaiz Moulvi Farooq, were allowed to pay tributes to the martyrs. BJP's indifference BJP has never officially recognised or observed 'Martyr's day', maintaining, 'People killed then are those who broke the law and the State forces did what was required under the law. We neither believe in martyr's day, nor do we approve it'. On September 13, 1989, Kashmiri Pandit leader and BJP member Tika Lal Taploo was slain by Kashmiri militants. BJP and Kashmiri Pandits across India began observing September 13 as 'Martyr's Day', holding rallies and shraads (death anniversary) to honour Taploo. Through the years, BJP has used this event to voice the concerns of the Hindu minority in Kashmir and the targetted attacks on the community by militants. In 2015, when BJP allied with J&K People's Democratic Party to form a coalition government, the saffron party 'boycotted' the July 13 Martyrs' Day event — a first for a ruling J&K party. 'The 1931 martyrs have no relevance for our party. If Kashmir-based political parties do not attend the functions we hold in memory of our leaders like Syama Prasad Mookerjee, why should we attend their Martyrs' Day,' said BJP's Kashmir spokesperson Khalid Jehangir. Since then, it has continuously boycotted the event. Before Article 370 was abrogated in August 2019, then Governor Satya Pal Malik skipped the official state event, along with his Chief Secretary and four non-local advisors. Post-abrogation, the L-G has delisted 'Martrys' day' as an official holiday and scrapped the event observing it. After the election of the Union territory's first CM, Mr. Omar Abdullah, the ruling National Conference and other J&K parties this year, sought permission for their delegations to be allowed to visit the graveyard and pay tributes. However, the J&K Police denied permission to all regional parties to hold any commemoration functions at the graveyard. 'The District Administration Srinagar has denied permission to all applicants intending to proceed towards Khawaja Bazar, Nowhatta on 13th July 2025 (Sunday). The General Public is hereby advised to strictly comply with these instructions. Any violation of these orders shall invite strict legal action under relevant provisions of law,' warned the police. As politicians were put under house arrest, Mr. Omar Abdullah posted, 'Today the unelected nominees of New Delhi locked up the elected representatives of the people of J&K. All to stop people from visiting a historically important grave yard containing the graves of people who laid down their lives to give Kashmiris a voice & to empower them,' echoing hurt sentiments of Kashmiri Muslims.
Scroll.in
3 hours ago
- Scroll.in
TDP asks EC to clarify voter roll revision is not linked to ‘citizenship verification'
The Telugu Desam Party, an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre, on Tuesday urged the Election Commission to ' clearly state ' that the special intensive revision of voter rolls is not linked to citizenship verification, ANI reported. In a letter to the poll body, the party also said that such exercises should be conducted with sufficient preparation time and 'ideally not within six months of any major election'. While the Telugu Desam Party did not explicitly mention the ongoing voter roll review in Bihar, the recommendations made by its parliamentary party leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu come amid a political row over the exercise in the poll-bound state. The revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar was announced by the Election Commission on June 24. As part of the exercise, persons whose names were not on the 2003 voter list will need to submit proof of eligibility to vote. This means that 2.9 crore out of the state's 7.8 crore voters – or about 37% of the electors – have to submit documentary evidence. The Opposition parties have alleged that the special intensive revision of electoral rolls risked disenfranchising more than 2.5 crore voters, as they may not be able to produce the necessary documents. In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday, the Telugu Desam Party proposed a series of reforms to 'strengthen voter roll management and enhance transparency in the electoral process'. 'The scope of the SIR [special intensive revision] must be clearly defined and must be limited to electoral roll recorrection and inclusion,' the letter said. 'It should be explicitly communicated that the exercise is not related to citizenship verification, and any field instructions must reflect this distinction.' Voters enrolled in the most recent certified electoral roll should not be required to prove their eligibility 'unless specific and verifiable reasons are recorded', it added. TDP MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar yesterday giving his party's suggestions to "strengthen electoral roll management and enhance transparency in the electoral process". Writing on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the context… — ANI (@ANI) July 16, 2025 The Telugu Desam Party was part of the National Democratic Alliance from 1998 to 2004 and then between 2014 and 2018. In March 2018, the party quit the alliance, citing the BJP-led Union government's refusal to grant Andhra Pradesh special category status. In 2024, the party once again joined the alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. In its letter, the party, now in power in Andhra Pradesh, also highlighted the southern state's high levels of seasonal migration. It urged the Election Commission to deploy mobile units that accept temporary address declarations to prevent the exclusion of migrant workers and displaced families. Among other recommendations, the party called for the issuance of unique, non-replicable Electors Photo Identity Card numbers and the introduction of Aadhaar-based cross-verification with data privacy safeguards. It also suggested replacing the current ink-based voter verification system with a biometric one. The letter was submitted after a Telugu Desam Party delegation met with the election commissioners in New Delhi on Tuesday. What is the exercise in Bihar? Bihar has 7.9 crore registered voters, according to the Election Commission. Between June 25 and July 26, booth-level officers, or BLOs, in Bihar will go door-to-door to verify if these voters are genuine. If the officers are satisfied, the voters will be re-enrolled to a new voter list by electoral registration officers, or EROs, who are usually officials from the local administration. If not, they will be removed from the voter lists. A draft roll will be published on August 1 and the final roll will be out on September 30. This process is called a special intensive revision and it was last held in Bihar in 2003. The EC's 2023 manual on electoral rolls says that in such a revision, BLOs visit every household in his assigned area and note down 'all relevant particulars of the eligible persons staying in each house' in an electoral card. Based on these cards, which are checked by senior election officials, the EC prepares a written manuscript. 'Thereafter, the manuscript is computerised and a draft roll is prepared and published, inviting claims and objections,' says the manual. 'After disposal of such claims and objections, the roll is finally published.'
