Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR/Jammu, July 17: On 19th day of darshan today 8024 pilgrims paid obeisance at holy cave of Swami Amarnath situated at an altitude of 3880 meters in Lidder Valley of South Kashmir district of Anantnag.
With today’s darshan total yatris paying obeisance in cave shrine since first day of darshan on June 29 has reached 2,10,729, an official spokesman said.
He said over 5000 pilgrims left for holy cave from twin base camps of Nunwan, Pahalgam in South Kashmir district of Anantnag and Baltal, Sonamarg in Central Kashmir district of Ganderbal for the holy cave this morning.
Out of them 2720 pilgrims left from shortest Dumel track from Baltal Base camp for holy cave while 2623 left from Nunwan base camp from traditional Chandanwari track.
He said the yatris stationed at Sheshnag and Panchtarni also left for their onwards journey this morning.
Meanwhile another batch of 2,646 pilgrims today left Bhagwati Nagar Jammu Yatri Niwas for the Amarnath cave shrine of Lord Shiva amid tight security early this morning.
Escorted by the CRPF and police, the batch comprises 1,913 males, 583 females, and 150 sadhus and sadhvis left in a convoy of 106 vehicles for Baltal and Pahalgam base-camps this morning, officials said.
With today’s batch, 56,277 pilgrims and sages have left Jammu for Amarnath in 16 batches since the yatra began from here on June 28.
The Government has mobilised a heavy security blanket of over 35,000 to 40,000 troops including the police, the Army, the BSF and the CRPF.
The yatra from Jammu was suspended due to law-and-order situation in the Kashmir valley on July 8 but resumed the next day.
This year’s yatra will be eight days shorter than the last years 48 days and will conclude on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan) on August 7.
Situated in a narrow gorge at the farther end of Lidder Valley, Amarnath shrine is 46 km from Pahalgam and 14 km from Baltal.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel