Every Independence Day, organisations, groups and individuals think of innovative ways to celebrate the important occasion.
Members of the Vijayawada chapter of the Youth Hostels Association of India (YHAI), celebrated the occasion by hoisting the National Tricolour near the Pakistan border where they went trekking.
A 39-member YHAI team left Vijayawada on August 5 and reached Sonamarg in Jammu and Kashmir. From there, the team walked past two or three Himalayan mountains every day and after walking through glaciers and hiking through pine forest and meadows and sheep, crossing Vishnu Sarovar, Krishna Sarovar, Gadsar and Satsar lakes near Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. They then hoisted the national flag there. “It was a different feeling. Hoisting the Indian Flag near Pakistan border gave us a high,” said N. Vishnuwardhan, chairman of the Vijayawada wing of YHAI.
The trekking team members received a warm welcome from Indian soldiers positioned in camps at the border. They offered snacks to the visiting team and entered their names in their records.
APNGO leader A. Vidya Sagar, YHAI Vijayawada unit treasurer Abdul Khalik, executive secretary S. Narasimha Raju and others participated.