The Amarnath Yatra base camp in the Bhagwatinagar area here descended into a devotional milieu when scores of artists performed a spiritually charged dance -- "Shiv Tandav" -- to welcome the pilgrims.
"We performed the dance in praise of lord Shiva. It was our welcome gesture and a way to entertain the pilgrims ahead of their yatra," Nikhil, an artist who played Shiva at the musical opera-cum-dance, told PTI.
Devotees said they enjoyed the gesture of the local artists to create an spiritually charged atmosphere wherein one "forgets his or her pain of the journey". Gayatri Soni of Jaipur, who is on the pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, said she was amused by 'Shiva Tandav'.
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She also praised the arrangements for the pilgrims by the J-K administration. "There are very good facilities and people from Jammu and the local administration are looking after the pilgrims very well," Soni said.
The 62-day annual pilgrimage to the 3,888-metre-high cave shrine commenced from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district on July 1. Officials said the pilgrim footfall at the shrine has crossed 65,000 mark as the yatra is progressing smoothly, with devotees from across the country thronging the base camps to have a glimpse of the naturally formed ice-shivling of lord Shiva and offer their prayers. Over 36,000 pilgrims have left Jammu for Amarnath in seven batches so far, they said.
