Pilgrims traverse five states on foot, arrive in Kashmir for Amarnath Yatra

Srinagar, Aug 10: Four Yatris from various states across the India arrived in Qazigund on Thursday, marking the 33rd day of their pilgrimage to Amarnath. Having covered over 850 kilometers on foot, they continue their journey towards the holy cave.
Mohan Singh Bhandari, one of the Yatris, shared with *Rising Kashmir* that he has travelled from Devbhumi, Uttarakhand, undertaking an 850 km walk from Haridwar to Amarnath. Bhandari emphasized that the main purpose of the walk is to meet different people along the way.
“On TV news channels, there is a different world with different news about what’s happening here and there in Kashmir. In reality, if we visit a place, we meet the people there and get a new experience. We gather information about the local people. We are doing this walk to gain that experience,” he said.
Bhandari praised the supportiveness of Kashmiris, noting that the news on the channels does not reflect reality. He has visited Kashmir many times and has many friends in the Valley. “I also do cycling. I have friends from Jammu and Srinagar as well. They are very good people and very helpful. Today is the 24th day of the journey, and we travel around 30-35 kilometres on average each day. Now that we have reached Kashmir, it’s just a day or two journey to reach Pahalgam,” he added.
Hannah Prasad, another Yatri from Lakhimpur Kheri, a district in UP, said that he is on the 32nd day of his journey to Baba Barfani. He mentioned that the Yatra by foot aims to motivate people to undertake the journey on foot.
When asked about people who travel by car and the difficulties of traveling on foot, he said, “The foot yatra has different benefits. Firstly, we remain fit. Secondly, people get motivated. Thirdly, we gain information about the roads and get to know the culture of the people we meet.”
Prasad noted that he is currently in his fifth state, having covered four states so far. “It has been 33 days since I left home,” he added.
“People should come to J&K, travel to different spots, and enjoy without any tension. The people provide good hospitality throughout the journey,” he said.