Ancient Shiva Cave Discovered in Reasi

An ancient Lord Shiva cave has been discovered on the high mountain near Thanpal in Salal area of district Reasi.

The area is tough terrain and nearly 2 hour on foot journey along Surman ‘Khud’. The villagers with their efforts managed to make narrow track up to the cave which is on the steep rocky mountain. On one side there is Salal dam and on the other at high mountain this cave.

The locals said that this cave was inaccessible due to its location but as they used to hear some kind of sounds from that area, nobody ever dared to go that side. A daring youth of the area namely Sunil Kumar, son of Paras Ram, armed with gun and assisted by 2-3 more youth, managed to reach up to the cave using ropes and his mountaineering skills. He saw a Shiva Lingam, stone idols of Shiva family, a statue of Saint and Hanuman. The cave appears to be almost equal to that of Shiv Khori. After this, the youth returned and told this matter to the whole village.

The next day, the village Sarpanch and some locals started digging track on the rocky mountain and with in few days they managed to reach there and saw the cave. They saw ‘Pindis’ and a big Shiva Lingam. The villagers narrated the matter to the local MLA and district administration. On their request, some officers including DC also visited the cave last week and they were astonished to see such a wonderful cave. They assured to develop the area and the cave for pilgrimage on the pattern of Shiv Khori.

There are two different routes one via Talwara-Siar Baba and Thanpal using boat over Salal dam and another one via Reasi Salal and yet another one via Bidda Dhayangarh Dam site.

Historic Sudhmahadev Mela gets underway

The historic Sudhmahadev Mela in Chenani tehsil of Udhampur district got underway amidst colourful festivity around the mela site on Tuesday. Thousands of devotees thronged Sudhmahadev temple to seek the blessing of Lord Shiva during first day of three-day mela.

During the first day of three days of folk fair, the devotees first bathe in the Beenisangam called Budhisudhi rivulet, which flows from top of the Dhar Shivgarh and is considered an abode of innumerable saints. Therefore, the devotees take bath in sin destroying spring (Pap Nashni bowli) situated just at the entrance of the temple, about which it is said that a holy dip in this spring shuns all evils.

MLC, Yash Paul Khajuria, formally inaugurated the mela.

MLA Chenani, K.C. Bhagat, Tehsildar Chenani, (mela officer), R.K. Anand, officers of different departments, tourists, pilgrims, prominent citizens and Local Mela Committee members were also present on the occasion.

District administration has made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the Mela like uninterrupted power, safe drinking water, sanitation, medicare, Police Control Room, assistance both and security have been made at the mela site beside various departments like Agriculture, Horticulture, Health, National Rural Health Mission, Apiculture, Handicraft, Handloom and Animal Husbandry have put up their departmental stalls to educate the masses about the various State and Centrally sponsored schemes especially for soico economic upliftment.

Jammu and Kashmir Dharmarth Trust looks after the management of this historic temple under the pioneering guidance of its chairman Trustee, Dr. Karan Singh and president of Trust, Th. Divakar Singh. Recently, the Trust has added various facilities for devotees, visiting the Shrine of Sudhmahadev and other sacred Historical shrines of Shree Gouri-Kund and Maantalaai. To meet the increasing rush of devotees of the Mela days, the Trust has already made elaborate arrangements for facilities of pilgrims like their boarding lodging and langers, darshans and performing of Pooja.

BABAYN to commence yatra on June 14

Baba Amarnath Buda Amarnath Yatri Niyas, (BABAYN) a conglomeration of several social, trade and religious organizations, today said it will march to the Amarnath cave on June 14, fortnight before the date announced by the shrine board, and claimed that over 40,000 pilgrims have registered with it.

Niyas dared the state government to "interfere in their programme." The conglomeration is not happy with the shorter yatra period - between June 29 and August 13, which was announced by Governor-headed Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).

President of BAN Surinder Mohan Aggarwal said the organisation will head as per the schedule and will perform a yagya on June 13 at Ranvireshwar temple here before leaving for the holy cave.

"Although we have not received any intimation from the government so far, but our doors will always remain open for any consultations pertaining the date of the yatra," he said.

Aggarwal said "SASB has no control over the fixation of dates and said that their role is limited only to the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage."

He also maintained that if the government does not provide security to their march to the holy cave, the Niyas will make all the arrangements for the yatra themselves.