15th July 2010 – Now our trekking part of yatra had completed. We felt relax when got up by 7.00 am. Meanwhile Dr. Ashok and Ganesh met us at gate no-2. They slept in a lungar, where they took dinner. Now we all got relaxed. We booked a 12 seater vehicle “TATA Vinger” for Jammu @ Rs. 800/- per head. Driver Safiq arranged two more passengers and started at 9.30 am.
As per our itinerary we had to stay at Srinagar for one night & one day for sightseeing in and around Srinagar. But the condition of Kashmir Valley was very much tense. There were curfew in cities & townships. Driver informed us that there happened some occurrences of bomb blast, firing and stone pelting on yatries vehicle. We had to cross Gandarbal, Srinagar, Pampore, Khanbal, Avantipore etc all disturbed area.
As our vehicle was going towards Srinagar, we crossed Sonmarg and other small road side helmets. Sky was clear and sun was shining with full bloom. We were enjoying beauty of Kashmir Valley. After one hour Safique stopped near a dhaba for refreshment.
After 2 hr run our jeep was passing beside Dal Lake. It is said that it is very beautiful lake in India. Dogra King Ranbir Singh got made it as a prototype lake of Amsterdam city in Europe. It covers 18 sq. KM and divided by causeways into four basins called Gagribal, Lokutbal, Bodbal and Nagin. Lokut & Badbal have an island each in the center, known as RupLank (or Char-Chinar) & SonaLank respectively. Along most of the shore is boulevard lined with Mughal-era Park, gardens & hotels. During the winter season the lake freezes over sometimes. The lake has some interesting flora & fauna. It is well known for its Victorian-era wooden house-boats built for Britishres as vacation home during Raj period. Now a day’s House boats, Shikara, Hotels, Garden and Parks etc were without tourists. Srinagar was totally closed due to curfew. Our driver Safiq stopped jeep near Dal-lake and met with J&K police jawan on duty who was his friend. Their gossip lasted for half an hour and we utilized the time for photography of Dal-lake and around.
As we left Srinagar we found Safiq’s face with tension and fear because we had to cross most disturbed township of Bijbehra, Pampore, Khanbal & Avantipore. As he was running with very high speed in Pampore, one teenage boy suddenly threw a stone targeting our jeep, but thanks God, he missed target and we crossed safely. Safiq was courageous and had become habituated of facing such type of occurrences. If the mind remains quite in all circumstances and happiness, patience will be more easily increased. Before crossing Avantipore we had to remain in jam for nearly 2 hrs.
The first prime minister of India Pt. J. L. Nehru enacted a very myopic law in 1949. This law is known Art. 370 in Indian Constitution. Due to this Art. No any people outside of Kashmir can purchase property in Jammu & Kashmir, while people of Jammu & Kashmir can purchase property anywhere in India. That’s why Kashmiri people did not get opportunity to interact with the people outside of Kashmir Valley. If this law was not enacted, then normal churning of population and gradual mixing of population would make Kashmiri people in main stream of the nation.
We take some refreshment of “Sattu Drink” at Qazigund and crossed Jawahar tunnel. Shafiq stopped at Ramban and disappeared for half an hour. When he came, told us that Ramban was his native place. He showed his two own houses. He had gone to meet his kids and became fresh. It was getting dark. We were very much anxious for getting any shelter at Jammu, which was a difficult task after 10.00 pm. Anyhow Ranjan made contact with his friend Karan of Jammu to book any dharamshala or hotel for 10 persons, and he did in Shankar Hotel near Jammu station. Safiq stopped near a dhaba at Udhampur and time was 10.30 pm. After dinner we reached Jammu by 12.45 am in the night. We spent night at Shankar Hotel and shifted to Saraswatidham Dharmshala next morning.
16th July 2010: Now we started preparing for our second phase of yatra to Mata Vaishno Devi. Since we had met Divine Father- Baba Bholenath we thought to pay our homage to Divine Mother also. Mata Vaishno Devi cave is one of the holiest Hindu Shrine dedicated to Shakti. It is one of the most revered place in northern India. It is second most visited religious shrine in India, after Tirumala Venketeshwara Devsthanam at Tirupati in south India. Mata Vaishnao Devi Cave (Also known as Darbar/ Bhawan) is situated at an altitude of 5,300 feet on the trikut hill of Shivalik Range of the Himalaya under district Udhampur. Jammu to Katra is 46 km to be covered by motor and rest 14 km to Bhawan on foot or pony. A rail link is under construction from Udhampur to Katra and to be completed by December this year.
Since Daddy was not feeling well, so he agreed to take rest at Saraswati Dham & rest of us (Nine) boarded in the bus for Katra at 6.30 pm. Myself and Ranjan had visited this Darbar earlier also but for the rest members it was first trip. We started trekking from Katra at 9.30 pm and our target was to reach Bhawan by 2.00 am. There were a number of security posts, stalls and “Vishram Sthal” in the route. A new short-cut route has been made from Indraprashtha (a place before Ardh Kumari) to Darbar. Now a days a battery operated vehicles ply to carry old and sick persons.
17th July 2010: Instead of 2.00 am, we all gathered at Bhawan by 5.00 am. We had to keep our leather items like shoes, belts, mobiles, cameras and other metal items in a cloak room. Since Darshan remain closed for pilgrims from 6.00 am to 8.00 due to Aarti, so we made fast, took bath and went for darshan. There was no long queue, so we got opportunity for darshan before 6.00 am.
After Mata ka Darshan we took breakfast and started to negotiate 6 km steep climb to Bhairavnath. It is said that without darshan of Baba Bhairavnath, yatra of Mata Vaishno Devi is incomplete. Anyhow we got darshan of Bhairavnath by 10.00 am and climb down to Katra by 5.00 pm and Jammu by 7.30 pm.
After Mata ka Darshan we took breakfast and started to negotiate 6 km steep climb to Bhairavnath. It is said that without darshan of Baba Bhairavnath, yatra of Mata Vaishno Devi is incomplete. Anyhow we got darshan of Bhairavnath by 10.00 am and climb down to Katra by 5.00 pm and Jammu by 7.30 pm.
