Jammu Tawi, June 15 -- With the annual 57-day Amarnath Yatra set to commence on July 3, several sadhus and spiritual seekers have begun arriving and staying at the Ram Mandir in the old city, a major transit centre before they embark on the pilgrimage.

Weeks before the official start of the yatra, the temple has been witnessing a steady influx of ascetics who spend their time in prayer, religious discourse, and service while preparing for the trek to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.

Hymns reverberate in the air and chants of "Bam Bam Bhole" invoke the blessings of Lord Shiva at the temple.

Amar Dass, a Sadhu from Ayodhya, said he arrived one and a half months before the pilgrimage to serve fellow saints stay...