LG chairs 50th meeting of Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board
Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, Feb 12:
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday called upon the people to celebrate India’s grand renaissance. He said for thousands of years, the sacred land of India has journeyed toward spiritual excellence, with our saints and great souls reaching the pinnacle of consciousness.
“In near future, India alone will guide the world towards the right path. The society, especially the youth should also recognize and harness its spiritual fire alongside its technological & scientific prowess to surpass other nations in developmental journey,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor was speaking at the Dyar Daham celebrations, part of Mahashivratri Festivities, at Mata Bhadrakali Asthapan in Thalwal, Jammu. He paid obeisance to Maa Shakti and Lord Shiva, and offered his prayers for peace and prosperity to bless everyone.
The Lieutenant Governor observed that India has always placed the pursuit of truth above all else. “Our ancient culture has long
India’s Ancient Wisdom
championed peace, global brotherhood, the erasure of social divides, mutual love among all, and steadfast adherence to dharma.
In today’s world, where nations race ahead with one technological marvel after another, we must connect hearts just as deeply,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor said that India is sparking two revolutions at once – “The outer one empowers infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and the digital economy. The inner one transforms consciousness, values, and a global vision for society”.
“We are not just conquering quantum computing; we are awakening a quantum consciousness in daily life. This dual revolution will make India not merely prosperous, but a balanced superpower,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor highlighted that India’s strength lies not just in its human resources, innovations, startups, science and space tech but also in inner spiritual flame, ignited for millennia through wisdom and meditation.
“India’s ancient wisdom proves spirituality and scientific discovery aren’t foes but allies. For India, science labs and ashrams aren’t rivals; they are twin milestones on the same path.
Our rishis and sages were the original scientists, excelling in both realms. The world now acknowledges that India gifted humanity knowledge and spirituality, paving the way for modern progress,” the Lieutenant Governor further said.
On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor laid the foundation stone for the cultural heritage centre at Mata Bhadrakali Asthapan. He also commended the NHPC for undertaking the works worth Rs 6.60 cr for infrastructure development at Thalwal including community facility enhancement, development of ghat, parking, yagya shala, protection and compound wall, fencing and installation of gate.
Shri Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary, Shri Chandraker Bharti, Principal Secretary Home; Shri Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Shri Shiv Kumar Sharma, DIG Jammu-Samba-Kathua Range; Shri Dileep ji Pandita, President, Mata Bhadrakali Asthapan Trust Thalwal; Shri Ram Swaroop, Executive Director, NHPC, Regional Office Jammu; Dr Rakesh Minhas, Deputy Commissioner Jammu; Dr Arvind Karwani, Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner; senior officials, members of Mata Bhadrakali Asthapan Trust and people from different walks of life also joined the celebrations.
Meanwhile, During its 50th Board meeting, Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB) today approved setting up Laser and Sound Show dedicated to ‘Baba Barfani’, to be hosted in both Srinagar and Jammu. The show will also serve as a cultural beacon, highlighting the rich spiritual history of the Union Territory.
The Board also announced that the Pratham Pooja for the 2026 pilgrimage will be performed on June 29, 2026 on the occasion of Jyeshtha Purnimaa. The formal commencement date for the Yatra will be finalized soon.
The meeting was chaired by the Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha, who is also the Chairman of Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB).
The Board approved various key measures and interventions to further enhance the spiritual experience and convenience of devotees for the upcoming 2026 Yatra.
Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board decided to enhance the accidental insurance cover for registered yatris, service providers, officials, seasonal workers and pujaris from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
The Board also discussed and approved various welfare measures for SASB employees.
The Lieutenant Governor directed the officials for identifying spots for installation of suitable toilet facilities enroute the yatra.
He further directed installation of shelter sheds and rain shelters on tracks for pilgrims, service providers and security personnel.
The meeting also discussed ongoing projects, dissemination of Yatra-related information, insurance cover for ponies; extension of online and pre-paid services; registration of pilgrims; disaster preparedness and mitigation measures; adequate provisioning of medical care facilities; langar and volunteer services, telecommunication, grid connectivity; Weather Forecasting Infrastructure & Systems, security and surveillance; digital pre-paid system for hiring services, laying of crash barriers and safety railings along vulnerable stretches on both routes and the progress achieved on various ongoing works undertaken by different departments.
Reviewing the maintenance, restoration and development of Yatra tracks by Border Roads Organization, the Board was informed that the BRO has registered a significant progress, achieving comfortable track width on both Baltal and Pahalgam routes.
Dr Mandeep K. Bhandari, Chief Executive Officer, Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board, gave a detailed presentation regarding the arrangements for the upcoming Yatra.
The meeting was attended by Members of the Shrine Board- Swami Avdheshanand Giri Ji Maharaj, Prof. Kailash Mehra Sadhu, Shri K.K.Sharma, Shri K.N.Rai, Shri Mukesh Garg, Dr. Shailesh Raina, Dr. Simridhi Bindroo, Shri Suresh Haware and Prof. Vishwamurti Shastri.
Shri Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary; Shri Shaleen Kabra, Additional Chief Secretary, Jal Shakti Department; Shri Shailendra Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Power Development Department; Shri Nalin Prabhat, DGP; Shri Chandraker Bharti, Principal Secretary Home; Shri Santosh D. Vaidya, Principal Secretary, Finance; Administrative Secretaries; Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; IGPs; Deputy Commissioners (Ganderbal and Anantnag); Additional CEO SASB and senior officers of the UT Administration, BRO and Shrine Board also attended the meeting, in person and through virtual mode, at Lok Bhavan Jammu.
