Retelling the story of communal harmony

Over the years Kashmiri people are known for hospitality and brotherhood and the same is showcased during the annual Amarnath yatra, particularly at a time when security concerns for pilgrims have become a major talking point in the country. However the help and assistance to Hindus by local Muslims paint a portrait of communal peace and Kashmir’s old syncretic ethos.

With the beginning of the Amarnath yatra, the Baltal — the base camp of the pilgrimage in ganderbal district of central Kashmir wore a festive look.

   

The base camp at Baltal on the banks of the Nallah Sindh remains active round the clock. Around midnight daily, the huge sprawling camp, guarded heavily by security forces, starts bustling. Pilgrims from various parts of the country board their buses and travel on the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway to Baltal and Pahalgam base camps in south Kashmir.

The common sight at Baltal is of the Kashmiri Muslims who are the major local service providers to Amarnath pilgrims during the annual yatra.

The local service providers mostly consist of those people who have installed their kiosks and tents for yatris and are seen eagerly waiting to receive them.

The Kashmiri Muslims make a major part of the service providers who facilitate the annual Hindu pilgrimage every year showcasing the communal harmony.

Instrumental in the running of the annual pilgrimage is the role that the local Kashmiri Muslims have played over the years whatever the situation. Thousands of Kashmir Muslims join the Yatra, offering pilgrims’ services as workers, ponymen and palanquin-bearers thus helping aged pilgrims in climbing the difficult trek of Baltal up to the cave on a palanquin.

Hundreds of locals every year also put up stalls at the yatra base camps at Baltal in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district and Pahalgam in south Kashmir offering different kinds of materials for the pilgrims.

Besides being a business provider for the locals, the Amarnath Yatra also showcases the bonding between Kashmiris and the pilgrims.

Risking their lives and braving the difficult trek – rains, hot and humid weather conditions, mud, and what not – all along the route up to cave the local services provides including ponywallas and palanquin bearers manage to provide a safe and comfortable journey to the Amarnath pilgrims.

“We are coming here for years now to provide services to the Amarnath pilgrims who reach base camp and then leave for cave for darshan, adding that cutting across the religious lines we being hosts ensure that the guests don’t face any inconvenience and also ensure their safety and successful pilgrimage” Mohammad Akbar, a local service provider said. 

It doesn’t mean only business for us, however besides earning livelihood it gives us an opportunity to serve and help the people of other religion which give us satisfaction” another local service provider said.

The Amarnath pilgrims also were all praise for the hospitality and helping nature of the Kashmiri people facilitating and providing different kinds of services to them to ensure a successful pilgrimage.

“An impression is given outside that the situation is very tense in Kashmir and it is not wise to perform yatra. But coming over here, one comes to know that the situation is not as such and one comes to know about the hospitality of Kashmiris. The people living over here provided us every kind of help.” a group of pilgrims from Gujrat told Greater Kashmir. 

The Amarnath pilgrims said that the Yatra would be incomplete without local involvement.

While sharing his views on the role of Muslims during Amarnath yatra, another pilgrim from Delhi, Mukesh Kumar said that it is all due to the cooperation and support of the Muslim community that the religious journey has been successful. He says the Muslims have played an important role by providing all kind of services and other necessities to pilgrims all along the route to the cave.

Well, once you reach Baltal base camp after going through a couple of checking points you come across the festive fervour. Well lit and decorated ‘langars’ with loudspeakers blaring bhajans greet you.

At base camp here is a full fledged market run by Muslims selling ‘puja samagri and other stuff. You pass through and they call out ‘Bhole puja ka saman le lo, nahane Ka Garam pani free, saaman rakhna free’. The scene here is a real show of communal harmony.

The enthusiasm of the pilgrims can be seen during the arrival and stay at base camps with the whole  area also reverberate with the chants of ‘Bam Bam Bholey.’

The pilgrims are seen freely moving around the base camp busy clicking pictures, buying different kind of things available in the market.

The langars ( community kitchens) set up for the yatris by locals as well as non locals see a huge rush.

Once you leave base camp to cave shrine, the shorter route to shrine cave is just about 14 km long, but has a very steep gradient and is quite difficult to climb. It starts from Baltal and passes through Domial, Barari marg, and Sangam to reach the cave.

The pilgrims reach cave shrine by foot or by chopper with majority of the pilgrims prefer pony ( horses) or palanquin (a kind of a bed carried by four people on four sides).

Local Muslims are seen carrying pilgrims either on ponies or their shoulders.

The treacherous route to the holy cave is abuzz with Yatris chanting ‘jai “bole’ and Kashmiri Muslim while simultaneously advising pedestrians trains to stick to the hill end and not move on the valley end lest they fall down. Enroute you also find many tea stall with photographs of shiv lingam on the hoarding of almost every shop.

Irfan Raina is correspondent with Greater Kashmir.

Irfaanraina786@gmail.com

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