Pampore: As part of the second phase of the “Meri Mati Mera Desh” initiative, an Amrit Kalash Yatra event took place in Saffron Town Pampore area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday.
The Kalash Yatra event was organized by the Block Development Office Pampore in collaboration with the Youth Services and Sports Zone Pampore and the Education Department Zone Pampore at Green Meadows School in Frestabal, Pampore.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Awantipora Zaffar Husson Shawl was the chief guest on the occasion.
The event attended were Tehsildar Pampore Zuber Ahmad Bhat, SDPO Pampore Krishan Rattan, BDO Pampore Mohammad Ashraf, ZEO Pampore Abdul Rasheed, ZPEO Pampore Syed Masarat Hussain Andrabi, Commandant 110 Bn Yougesh Prohit, Commandant Arun Kumar Bharti of 185 Battalion, BDC Chairman Pampore, DDC member Awantipora B, Civil Society members along with other officials, Sarpanchs, and a number of students.
The event served as a heartfelt tribute to the local heroes and martyrs who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
A poignant moment of the event was the collection of soil (Mitti) from every household in the villages, symbolizing unity and resonating deeply with all attendees.
This humble soil was reverently placed into a large Kalash, creating an atmosphere of jubilation during the mixing ceremony.
The families of the brave heroes were honoured with mementoes presented by the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Awantipora Zaffar Husson Shawl and other dignitaries.
Students from different institutions showcased their talents through patriotic songs, paintings depicting national heroes, quiz programmes related to our nation, and cultural performances to honour our brave heroes.
At the culmination of the event, BDO Pampore, Mohammad Ashraf, expressed gratitude to everyone for their presence and support. He also extended his congratulations to the students for their exceptional performances.
Talking to Kashmir Reader Block Development Officer (BDO) Pampore Mohammad Ashraf said, “In the second phase of “Meri Mitti Mera Desh,” which is our Kalash Yatra, we had collected soil from Panchayats, and now we have collected it at the block level. According to the calendar, this soil will be sent to Delhi. From all the villages and blocks, soil will be collected, and it will be sent to Delhi.”
“In the second part of this programme, we felicitated the family members of our brave heroes who sacrificed their lives for the nation. Various departments, including the education department, culture, youth services and sports, and different departments, participated in this block-level program. We conducted a painting competition and a quiz competition related to the national movement,” he said.
The BDO Pampore said there were cultural songs and they hope that this will convey a positive message. He said that civil administration, police administration, CRPF officials, and civil Society members all came together on one platform to send a message to everyone that we are here for the development of our motherland.

BILAL HABIB