Srinagar, Nov 9: The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has extended road access to the sacred Amarnath shrine in Jammu and Kashmir. This development has made the holy cave accessible by motorable road, enhancing the comfort and accessibility for pilgrims.
The road widening from Dumail to the Amarnath cave via the Baltal base camp in the Ganderbal district of central Kashmir has been successfully completed. The officials praised the BRO for this remarkable feat, which marks a historic expansion of road connectivity to the Amarnath cave shrine.
The BRO also shared a video showcasing the journey of vehicles to reach the Amarnath cave on a specified date, emphasizing the role of "Project Beacon" in restoring and improving Amarnath Yatra tracks. The transfer of maintenance and upgradation responsibilities to the BRO in September of the previous year has allowed for this significant development.
However, not all parties have welcomed this achievement, with the People's Democratic Party (PDP) criticizing it as a betrayal of Hinduism. They argue that turning religious pilgrimages into leisure activities for political gain is unacceptable.
On the other hand, the BJP defended the project, emphasizing that it underwent proper Environmental Impact Assessment and did not involve tree cutting. They highlighted the significance of the Baba Amarnath shrine to many people and cautioned against repeating past controversies.
Situated 141 km from Srinagar, the Amarnath shrine is perched at an elevation of 12,756 feet in the Ladar Valley, surrounded by glaciers and snow-covered mountains for most of the year. Each year, thousands of devotees participate in the Amarnath Yatra, and this year saw more than 4.5 lakh pilgrims offering their prayers at the holy shrine.