The Snoop At Amarnath

This is an anecdote from my father’s life where he safely got out of a snoop by terrorists in one of the holiest destinations known in India, Amarnath. This story is written from his point of view of the incidents that happened. I would not hesitate to claim him as the main character of the trip.

When everybody was scorching under the weather, my posse planned a pilgrimage to Lord Shiva’s temple, Amarnath. It is situated approximately in the middle of Jammu Kashmir. The trip as per plan was, first going straight to Amarnath and while coming back, first we will stay in Srinagar and then return to Delhi. The transport decided was a tempo-traveller.

On the 8th of July, we proceeded with the journey. The flow was pretty enjoyable with random chattering. At one point, transports were not allowed and we had to thirty-five kilometres and to thirteen thousand feet for the Amarnath Yatra. At first, the policeman at the starting asked me to go by helicopter as I would not be able to make it to the apogee and back, but that was an incentive for me to go with full determination and simultaneously devotion.

The journey was indeed tough but all of us didn’t give up. As we walked further, the height increased, however, witnessed one of the most beautiful nature scenes one could ever imagine.

After hours of hiking conducting ways towards the site, we all were now covered with dust and debris ashes. Finally, we reached in whatever way, still keeping our heads and being lucid, nevertheless what we saw was we still needed to now go hundreds of stairs up to ‘Shivaling’ which was covered with clouds. We who aspired to achieve the view at the top again mustered up our yet left pieces of vitality and again started.

The ice Shivaling was so blissful to look at. There was blood that froze on my nose as the sun hit directly on us at such height.

After the visit, we found a small room where the monk used to live with a thin mattress in it. I and one friend of mine sat there and others found something or the other to relax in the place.

For general information, it is not advisable to sleep in such places as a person may die out of lack of oxygen.

Well, I still needed to slake the need for rest. When we were sitting, the monk who provided us with the room to stay and relax for some time came and reminded us to take proper breaths. Somehow, I slept on the twin mattress and the consciousness of taking proper breaths was forgotten and I started breathing like us city people usually do, not using our full lungs.

My friends went outside. Since I slept, the group asked to meet them further to my one friend who waited for me. He went outside and started talking to the monk while I, on the edge dying was peacefully sleeping inside. And, the undesirable thing happened, I lost my breaths.

 After some time, somebody shook me and woke me up and I was surprised to see Lord Shiva right in front of me. He said,’ hey! What are you doing here? Wasn’t it told before not to sleep? Your friends already left for the further journey, stand up and go!” That time I took a long breath which suddenly led me to open my eyes. I was surprised that what I just experienced was just a dream. I immediately stood up, astonishingly I had an amazing amount of energy in me. I went out of the room and asked my friend to start with the way. I walking at an excellent speed and my astonished friends confusedly asked me to slow down as I was now walking faster than any of them.

I believe the holy place was with me and rescued me out of grave danger.

Finally, we reached the booked hotel in Srinagar. But, there we were yet welcomed by another trouble. The hotel just has two Hindu staff members with them. They told that a terrorist Burhan Vani has been shot dead so everybody is participating in demonstrations. As the people there prefer their children also to be terrorists, it was a cabal they used and feigned themselves as the heroes. Burhan Vani was known to be the Hero of children there. Somehow the two managed to serve food for dinner and breakfast to the group. We all had a peaceful sleep at night. The next day we woke up and progressed for Delhi.

The terrorists were already covering way targeting pilgrim busses burning them and doing violence for the death of a powerful assassin leader. The victim was now our bus and they tried to stop it. Now, for this incident, I stood up from my seat and sat with the driver and again and again gave him the courage to not stop the bus. No matter what comes the way, he would not stop. Well, the spirit worked out but soon the terrorists rode their jeeps and came on both sides of the bus and hit sticks on windows demanding to immediately stop the bus.

I kept on saying to the driver to not stop for whatever happens and with this, we luckily reached the army camp and were saved from infuriated terrorists and went ahead with our journey. I pay my heartfelt gratitude to the almighty for protecting us as our bus was a survivor. I looked back in the Bus and saw the scaredy cats having their blood run cold, with quaking boots, shook like a leaf, ready to sacrifice their existence. I chuckled and asked,’ Chill! Why did your souls leave your body all of a sudden?” Later, we reached our homes safely. We got to know that the hotel terrorists stayed in for the night was just the one adjacent to ours.

The next day, the Amarnath terrorist attack on the 10th of July, 2017 was breaking news covered by every news channel. Visiting Amarnath was closed for many months after that. May the souls of people who died at that time rest in peace. When the god himself invites you to his wonders on Earth, one must go. The god’s plan clears all your way and you glide to achieve.