Next day was the last day of the Yatra in the sense that a reverse trek had to start. A number of people even trek in a single day to Pahalgam but it is very tiring. Most people go back to Shesh Nag and then descend next day straight to Pahalgam. These days due to motor transport up to Chandanwari, it is easy to make it one day to Pahalgam but only for able bodied persons. However, generally Yatris take two days for return. It is also possible to descend to Srinagar in one day through Baltal route. I would have preferred to take this route but being leader of the Mobile Tourism team, we had to descend back to Pahalgam... The track on the Baltal side while going back from Yatra is almost all the way down. The only climb is at Sangam. It is quite comfortable to perform the Yatra through traditional route and then descend through Baltal track. These days many people follow this arrangement. However, while coming up the Baltal track is quite steep most of the way. We made the descent from Panjtarni to Pahalgam in one day and stopped for the night there. This was essential to clean up and have a nice hot bath! Next morning we drove back to Srinagar.

The Yatra was officially over but not for me. On reaching Srinagar, my friend Shastri, Manager of Air India Office came to me and complained that I had forgotten him. He was sore that I had not taken him for the Yatra. Well, I told him that it was not still very late and we could do it one day from Baltal. He readily agreed to do so. Next morning we left in his ambassador car at about six. Shastri was an ace driver and he drove very fast. By 7.30 we were in Baltal! The tourist officer had already arranged two horses for us and we started our move towards the holy cave. Those days the Baltal track was very narrow and in some places it was quite steep. We had to dismount from our horses a number of times. The journey was quite tiring as it involved an endless climb. We stopped for some tea and soft drinks a few times. After descending to Sangam, the track became very gradual towards the holy cave. There was not too much rush as the official Yatra was already over. By 11.30 after a travel of three and a half hours we reached the holy cave. Shastri was very happy as he had excellent darshan. Shiv Lingam was still there. Those days due to lesser rush the Lingam would last almost throughout the Yatra and even after it was over. We had some snacks for lunch. Around one o’clock we started our return journey. The climb back near Sangam was slow and tiring. We rested for some time at the top. The descent was slower also because of the steepness of the track. We took more time in return and reached Baltal around 5 in the evening. After a cup of tea with the tourist officer we drove back to Srinagar. Well, I had performed two Yatras in just one week.

I had opportunity of visiting the cave few times but by helicopter only. Once I went with Suman Dubey who used to be the media advisor to Rajiv Gandhi. We landed near the cave and climbed up. The Yatra had been over and there were no people around. The lingam was still there. We stayed for about 20 minutes and then flew back. Second time, we went in the heli-ski helicopter. Sylvain Saudan and I had been surveying slopes for heli-skiing in Sonamarg area. I told Aimee, the pilot about the cave. He was excited and said that we will have a peep there. We flew along the valley from Baltal to Sangam. I explained to him to go into the valley of the cave and hover some distance away so that we could see the condition of Lingam in mid-winter. He took us straight to the end of the valley and then turned back. However, strangely instead of hovering he straight away flew back to the Sangam area. When I asked him why he did not hover, he told me that there was a strong whirlwind in the area and we could have hit the cave. He said it is impossible to hover near the cave. One more attempt to go to the cave by helicopter was during a rescue operation in Zanskar. I was accompanying Flt.Lt. Kulwant to Zanskar for rescuing a French couple stranded there in late December due to heavy snowfall on Shingo La. They were getting frost-bite and chest infection and had to be rescued. Kulwant had taken me along to locate the exact spot. Near Baltal I suggested to him that we should have look on Amarnath cave. He readily agreed and we turned right into the Sangam valley. As soon as we were near Sangam, he made a circle and turned back. On my asking why he was doing this, he said that a very strong head wind was coming out of the Amarnath valley and we could not enter. We had to give up and proceed on our rescue mission.

The most exciting and rather mystifying trip by helicopter to the Holy Cave I had was with Swami Chidvilasananda, popularly known as Gurumai! She was the disciple of Swami Nityananda and the head of the Ganshpuri Ashram. She had come to Kashmir as the guest of Dr.Farooq Abdullah and was staying with her 30 odd disciples, mostly foreigners, in Dachigam Guest House. Her PRO approached me for Pawan Hans Helicopter which I was handling in the Tourism Department for visiting the cave. The pilot informed us that the Westland Helicopter could not go into that area. He said only a small Cheetah helicopter could do it. They tried their best through the state and the central government to get the helicopter but failed. The PRO who was visiting me frequently for other trips to Vaishnovdevi and Ladakh, told me Gurumai was very much disappointed. He asked me to help him. Luckily, the Air Force Commander was a great friend of mine. I mentioned to him. He too had heard of Gurumai. He said he will arrange provided he and his wife get a special exclusive audience with her. This was immediately agreed to by them. Next morning I was picked up by the helicopter and we flew to Dachigam. We landed near the Guest House and picked up Gurumai. We flew straight to Pahalgam and then followed the Yatra track all the way. The sky was absolutely clear in late December. Everything was a sheet of white. We turned into Amarnath valley and hovered just a hundred odd feet from the cave. It was absolutely calm. The pilot told me to look at the thread which is at front of the aircraft to see the wind direction. It was absolutely still. We stayed there for about ten minutes. Gurumai prayed and I took some pictures of the Lingam. It was huge right up to the ceiling of the cave! Then we flew out. I could not understand the reasons for this miraculous phenomenon! All the earlier attempts which had resulted in failure seemed to indicate that the lady definitely had some spiritual powers!

(Concluded)