AMARNATH YATRA - SUFIS

1. Sufi Festival To Kick Off Amarnath Yatra

epaper.hindustantimes.com

KASHMIR, INDIA, April 4, 2006: For the first time in the century-old history of the Amarnath pilgrimage in Kashmir, Pakistani artists will take part in a sufiyana music festival at the launch of the pilgrimage on June 11 this year. The pilgrimage will continue until August 9. The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board is hoping to get two of the best known Pakistani Sufi singers--Abida Parveen and Rahet Fateh Ali Khan--to perform. Santoor maestro Shiv Kumar is expected to lead the Indian contingent. Another attraction will be the recitation of the Ram katha by Murari Bapu at the cave shrine. More than half a million pilgrims are expected this year. The number last year was 400,000. The schedule for the Amarnath pilgrimage was announced on Friday and the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board spokesman made it a point to stress that the yatra duration had been decided by the chairman of the shrine board, Governor Lt. Gen. S.K. Sinha, in consultation with Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. This is an attempt to underscore the harmonious relationship between the heads of government and the state on the pilgrimage, which ran into several controversies in the last 2 years. The pilgrimage will be routed through both the traditional Pahlagam-Chandanwarui route as well as through the shorter route via Baltal.