Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 30: As the 40 day long annual Shri Amarnath Yatra will conclude on Sharavan Purnima, falling on August 7, the pilgrims rush has considerably declined to the lowest ebb during the last one week now.
On the 32nd day of darshan, 1,372 pilgrims paid obeisance at the holy cave of Lord Shiva today. With this, the total number of pilgrims performing darshan at cave shrine situated at an altitude of 3880 meters in deep Himalayas in South Kashmir district of Anantnag has touched 2,53,971, an official spokesman told Excelsior.
He said over 400 pilgrims left for holy cave from twin base camps of Nunwan -Pahalgam in Anantnag district of South Kashmir and Baltal, Sonamarg in Central Kashmir district of Ganderbal.
Giving further details, he said, 118 pilgrims left via shortest 14 km Domel track from Baltal Base Camp while 373 left via traditional 46 km long Chandanwari-Sheshnag track from Nunwan Base Camp.
Besides, the yatris putting up for a night halt at Sheshnag and Panchtarni also left for their onwards sojourn early this morning, he added.
He said the yatra is proceeding smoothly on both the tracks and the Shrine Board, State Government as well as the philanthropist organizations have made elaborate arrangements for pilgrims enroute to holy cave.
The spokesman said the majority of pilgrims who performed the darshan at cave shrine during last one month have returned to their home States while others are on way.
Meanwhile, a fresh batch of 309 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Jammu Yatri Niwas for holy cave under tight security arrangements in a cavalcade of eight vehicles early this morning for twin base camps of Baltal and Nunwan. These pilgrims will leave for holy cave early tomorrow morning from the respective base camps.
He said the holy mace of Lord Shiva which has been kept for darshan of pilgrims at Amreshwar temple Dashnami Akhara Srinagar will start its journey to holy cave on August 2. The holy mace enroute to cave shrine will pay obeisance at Durga Nag temple, Srinagar, Shiv Temple, Pampore, Awantipora, Shiv Temple Bijbehara, Nagbal Anantnag, Tirath Raj Mattan, Ganesh temple Ganeshpora, with night halt at Pahalgam, Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarni before reaching to holy cave on August 7.
After performing darshan and the puja in a traditional way at cave shrine the holy mace led by its custodian Mahant Deependra Giri Ji Maharaj and other Sadhus accompanying it will return in the evening to Panchtarni. On August 8 it will start the journey for Pahalgam from Panchtarni and after a night halt at Pahalgam the immersion ceremony will be held on bank of river Lidder on August 9 and this will be followed by serving of prashad to Sadhus and other devotees at Pahalgam before the holy mace is brought back to Dashnami Akhara Srinagar.
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