Inspired by Swami Vivekananda, two US nationals undertake Amarnath Yatra

Two United States nationals from California undertook the ongoing Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir. A video of the two foreign nationals sharing their experience of visiting Amarnath Shrine was shared by the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board on Tuesday. The duo said they were inspired by Swami Vivekananda and undertook the pilgrimage.

In the video, the duo was heard saying that they felt happy and thankful to visit the revered place. "Swami Vivekananda came to Amarnath, he had a very important experience. We have known of this story for 40 years. It seemed impossible and was a dream to come here. But by Bholenath's grace, everything came together and here we are. We can't explain how we feel," one of the two foreigners said.

Both were clad in saffron robes, typical of the Hindu sages in India. The 62-day-long Amarnath Yatra began on July 1 and is set to conclude on August 31. The pilgrims approach the Himalayan cave shrine either from the traditional south Kashmir Pahalgam route, which involves an uphill trek of 43 kilometres from the Pahalgam base camp or from the north Kashmir Baltal base camp, which involves 13 kilometres of uphill trek. The entire journey is quite arduous with the elderly pilgrims facing issues while traversing the mountainous paths.