BY MOHD MAJID MALIK : BHADARWAH, SEPT 02—— Today the seven days Kailash Yatra proceeds from Vasuki Nag Temple Ghatta Bhadarwah and passing through Lakshmi Narayan Temple towards Kailash Kund, in which pilgrimages from throughout the State as well as Country participated and this time for the first time more than five thousand people are going to Kailash Kund and today with Charri Yatra of Kailash they will stay at Hayan where from Kalash Kund 17 km away is. On the occasion the Distt-Police Doda organized a Tea Langer at Seri Bazaars Bhadarwah which was inaugurated by the ASP Bhaderwah T R Katoch and SDPO Bhaderwah Ab Quyoom who speaking on the occasion informed that this time we are going to organize tea langer for the pilgrims at various places and health sites .ASP and SDPO Bhaderwah further informed that this Yatra gives the message of peace and truth and communal harmony. ASP Bhaderwah and SDPO Bhaderwah himself distributed tea among the pilgrims which were highly appreciated by the local people .Security was beefed in the whole town included the way of the Yatra. On the occassion strict security arrangements were made by the Doda police .SSP Doda Parbhat Singh in a message also wished the Yatris .
Bhagwan Vasuki Nags Temple is situated at Gatha, Bhadarwah .The king of Bhadarwah at that time perhaps 500 years ago was Vasak Dehra.This world come in to origin only when Vasuki Nag started to do his official work at Vasak Dehra. .Before this, it was a village comprising few souls, shahs, yogis, pandits, kotwals and Guptas inhabited the place. Later on a few families of Muslims also settled there. At present, it has become a large village comprising of a population density of around 50,000.
People’s opinion at this time is that Lord Vasuki Nag had come from some where outside. At Gatha, a poor and old woman of Diaden families was living in a hut. She had a cow which was giving 4-5kg of milk daily. This cow was only the means of her living. Suddenly; this cow stopped giving 5kg milk. This continued for at least 10 days .The old lady became very tense so she hid behind a tree, suddenly she saw that a man came, changed in to a big snake and started sucking milk from the cow. After some time, the snake disappeared. This shocked the women .She returned back home and become unconscious.
That night, she saw a dream. The man who had turned in to a big snake came in to her dream. The man said he was Vasuki Nag. He said that the place of Gatha had fascinated him. He asked her to make a temple for him at the place. In the morning, she told the villagers about it. The villagers gathered and decided to build a temple of Vasuki Nag there. This temple is present at Gatha Bhadarwah .The members of Didan family are Pujaries there.
KALI NAG —Sungli is a village which is situated 5km from Bhadarwah just below the Kailash Kund.This is also a village of about 100 families. Once a shepherded who was living at sungli took his goats went to Kailash Mountain . When he was walking along his goats at Kailash Parvat (Mountain), which was full of trees, Shrubs, green grass, etc, he suddenly became thirsty. He went to a pond which was present there just at a short distance from Kailash Kund.he saw that pond was full of snakes. He became very sad. This pond is also known as Kala Dal.
As the man was very thirsty, so saw no other way to quench his thirst, so he prayed to the snakes to leave the pond so that he can take some water from the pond to satisfy his thirst. .suddenly Kali Nag appeared before him and said throw your golden ring which you have worn in your finger, in to the pond you will get water to drink. on saying so, the Kali Nag disappeared .The shepherd did the same. He at once threw his golden ring in to the pond. All the serpents disappeared .He took plenty of water in his hands and quenched his thirst.
The others places which come in the way of Kailash Kund is Nalthi, Hawak, Rishi Dal,Ram Tund ,Hayan and Seoj Dhar.
It is only after the coming of Vasuki Nag in Bhadarwah that Nag cult got its root established here .Kailash Kund was the original abode of Shiv, But Lord Shiva gave it to Vasuki and himself went to live at Manmahesh in Chamba(Himachal Pradesh)..
The Yatra was flagoff by the SDM Bhaderwah Yasha Mudghal . Masth Nath Yogi and MLC Naresh Kumar Gupta who every year deliver the send off speech on the occasion said that Bhaderwah –Seoj road should be made Moterable ,Seoj to Shankh Pader roap way should be made and criticized the Bhaderwah Development Authority for not providing Any wide publicity to this Yatra instead of the huge funds provided by the state government and also informed that electric department has failed to provide the electricity to the people on this holly day .He demanded by the state government to full fill all pending demands of the people and made this Yatra a national festival .
Pertinent to mention here that this Yatra will stay three days at Kalash Kund and after that Mela Pat will be celebrated at Bhaderwah where according to official sources Chief Minister Gulam Nabi Azad will be the Chief Guest.
Those who were present on the accompanied the Yatra included ASP Bhaderwah T R Katoch ,SDPO Ab Quyoom ,SHO T R Bradwaj ,SDM Yasha Mudghal ,Tedhsilar Shabir Hussain Keen