Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio has started streaming live ‘Aarti’ of Shri Amarnathji Shrine on JioTV to aid devotees unable to have physical ‘darshan’ of the holy shrine.

According to PTI, the company has laid the necessary network and infrastructure to support live streaming in a short turnaround time, despite difficult terrain and challenging conditions, people aware of the matter said.

Last week, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had launched various online services of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board to provide a personal experience to the devotees.

“For millions of devotees who are unable to visit the holy cave of Shri Amarnathji this year due to COVID-19 pandemic, the Shrine Board has brought darshan, hawan, and Prasad facility under the virtual mode.

“The devotees can book their Pooja, hawan, and prasad online, and priests at the holy cave will offer it in the devotee’s name. Prasad will be subsequently delivered at doorsteps of the devotees,” a spokesperson of the board had said.

With the launch of new online services of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, the devotees of Lord Shiva from across the world can perform online virtual ‘pooja’ and ‘hawan’ at the holy cave.

And now, Reliance Jio has introduced an immersive virtual experience of the shrine with live streaming of the aarti on JioTV and a host of other services through its various apps to benefit millions of devotees across the country, the people said.

The Amarnath Yatra has been canceled for 2021 by Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) on account of the ongoing pandemic due to which the devotees cannot participate in the sacred pilgrimage to the holy shrine this year.

To ensure that devotees can continue to connect with and participate in this sacred pilgrimage, Jio has created an immersive virtual experience, powered by Jio Digital Life, which includes live streaming of aartis on JioTV on a dedicated channel, and virtual pooja and hawan through JioMeet that allows devotees to join a virtual pooja room with the priest at the shrine and have a hawan / pooja performed in their name and ‘gotra’.

Also, it has Chalo Amarnath, a curated playlist on JioSaavn comprising songs and ‘bhajans’ dedicated to Shri Amarnathji.

Amarnath Darshan Channel on JioChat provides information on live darshan, aarti timings, methodology for offerings and donations as well as live and recorded aarti broadcasts.

The people said despite extremely difficult terrain and challenging conditions, Jio has set up the infrastructure, systems, and bandwidth required to deliver live aarti feed and also developed other services across various platforms and apps within a very short turn-around time for the devotees of Shri Amarnathji.

JioTV, the live and catch-up TV app, has over 650 channels across various genres. The app offers 113 channels from the devotional genre and also hosts 17 darshan channels, each dedicated to live streaming of aartis and darshan from popular religious sites.

‘Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board’ Darshan channel has been introduced on JioTV to live-stream aarti from the sacred shrine.

Viewers can watch live aarti as per specific timings and see the recorded version anytime during the day on JioTV. There are two main aartis daily during the day – 6 am to 6.30 am and 5 pm to 5.30 pm.

To perform a special pooja and darshan of the holy ice ‘lingam’ in their name in a virtual online room, devotees can book the service offered by the shrine board by visiting the ‘Book Online Pooja / Hawan / Prasad’ section on their website www.shriamarnathjishrine.com or through the board’s mobile app.

Once the booking process is completed, devotees will receive a link for the virtual online room on JioMeet. Devotees can join this room at a specific time and the virtual pooja / hawan would be carried out by the priest.