MANALI, July 6, 2013: The horrific destruction in Uttarakhand which left hundreds dead and thousands homeless has not shaken the faith of devotees of Lord Shiva. Undeterred by the disaster, people from across the country are set to undertake the tougher yatra to the 17,000 feet high Shrikhand Mahadev from July 15. In fact, many of the people who could not go to Uttarakhand, are signing up for this pilgrimage.

Given the increasing number of pilgrims registering for the Shrikhand yatra, the district administration is going to hold a meeting on Friday to chalk out plans for safety, security and convenience of the pilgrims. The pilgrimage to Shrikhand Mahadev begins from Rampur (Shimla) and Nirmand (Kullu) and is one of the toughest in the world. Unlike the ice-lingam of Amarnath, the 72-foot-tall Shiva lingam of Shrikhand, which has cracks in it, is famous as snow does not accumulate on it, despite having 30-40 feet snow around it.

According to members of Shrikhand Seva Mandal, the number of pilgrims is going to rise further as they are getting thousands of phone queries from across the country. "These are devotees from Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh who could not visit dhams in Uttarakhand," said Mandal president Govind Sharma.

The yatra continues for one month from July 15. Pilgrims can motor to Jaon village of Nirmand and then start the 35km yatra on foot. The two-way trip generally takes four days. With days to go for the yatra, the administration is busy getting the Rampur-Jaon road repaired and arranging for parking facilities to accommodate hundreds of vehicles. All pilgrims will have to get themselves registered with police before yatra and after its completion.

Anni sub-divisional magistrate Neeraj Gupta said police will be deployed along the route and medical services will be available for the pilgrims. "I've sought two doctors for Shinghad and Bhim Dwar camps. Four police camps would be set up. Oxygen cylinders, stretchers, emergency lights and other necessary equipment have also been ordered. Officials from forest, revenue, I&PH and other departments along with relief and rescue teams would be available at the camps," Gupta said on phone.

All departments and organizations will hold a meeting on July 9 to review the preparations. A team of specialists would also visit Shrikhand to check safety aspects before the yatra. According to the mandal president, most devotees embark on the pilgrimage in the first 10 days, and 18,765 pilgrims had a darshan of Shrikhand during this period last year.

"We plan to organize langars at various places and provide free tents to devotees. Also, hundreds of other people provide tent service at many places for nominal charges," he added.

How to reach Shrikhand Mahadev

Devotees can go by road up to Jaon village, situated 170km from Shimla and 200km from Kullu. Then they have to trek 3km to Singhad, the base camp. The next camp is 9km away at Thachru. Bhim Dwar is 10km above Thachru and Parvati Bagh 4km further off. These two places are the preferred last halts for those going for a darshan of Shiva lingam.

Facts at a glance

Shrikhand Mahadev lingam is 72 foot high

It is believed that snow on the lingam melts immediately, but its surroundings see snow round the year

Shrikhand is the toughest pilgrimage in the country

Yatra starts at 6,000 feet above sea level and ends at 17,000 feet

Over 50,000 pilgrims are expected to visit Shrikhand in a month

Registration is mandatory before the yatra

Lingam is broken (khandit), so it is known as Shrikhand

The yatra generally causes body ache due to tough geographical conditions, and it is believed that person gets rid of his ego and wrong deeds after this pain

Source: The Times of India, DT. July 6, 2013.