Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha attended an event organised by civil society, trade fraternity and citizens, in Srinagar today, to welcome pilgrims of Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra.

In his address, the Lt Governor lauded the significant contribution of the people of Jammu Kashmir in smooth and successful conduct of the annual holy yatra.

“People feel privileged to be part of holy pilgrimage and contributing to make the journey safe and a truly fulfilling spiritual experience. The spiritual journey to the holy cave is the symbol of faith and unity. For centuries, it has been the collective responsibility of the society to make every step of this journey blissful,” the Lt Governor said.

Interacting with various stakeholders, the Lt Governor highlighted the important role of civil society groups, trade bodies and local citizens in the hassle-free pilgrimage. He urged them to come forward and welcome the devotees of Shri Amarnath Ji coming from across the country and abroad.

The responsibility of carrying forward the great tradition of serving pilgrims our ancestors followed with full devotion rests on the shoulders of all of you, he said.

“J&K has glorious heritage of harmony, tolerance and brotherhood. It is the land of almost all religions known to mankind. These values deeply embedded in society are expressed in this Yatra and everyone irrespective of religion and caste participates in serving the pilgrims," the Lt Governor said.

On the occasion, the Lt Governor also spoke on the arrangements made by the administration, Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board, Police, Security Forces and various stakeholder departments for the safe and secure pilgrimage of the devotees.

Addressing the Traffic management related issues, the Lt Governor said the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has been directed to take comprehensive measures to provide resolution to ease traffic congestion, especially in Srinagar.

The Lt Governor also observed that the arrangements for Muharram have already started. The administration is taking all the stakeholders onboard for Muharram, he added.

Sh Aftab Malik, Chairman, DDC, Srinagar; Ms Safina Baig, Chairperson, DDC Baramulla; Mohammad Yousuf Gorsi, Chairman DDC Anantnag; Ms Nuzhat Ishfaq, Chairperson DDC Ganderbal; Dr Darakhshan Andrabi, Chairperson J&K Waqf Board; civil society members, representatives of various organizations and community leaders shared their inputs and extended all support and cooperation to the administration in the peaceful and smooth conduct of Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra.

The Lt Governor assured that the valuable suggestions received from various stakeholders will be incorporated for the convenience of the yatris and the general public.

Sh Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to Lt Governor; Sh Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary; Sh Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir and other senior officers were also present