6000 leave for twin base camps from Jammu
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 19: On the 17th day of pilgrimage, 14,000 yatris drawn from different parts of the country today paid obeisance at 3880 metre high Himalayan cave from twin tracks of Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam in South Kashmir district of Anantnag.
According to officials, 14,007 yatris performed darshan of naturally formed Ice Lingam by this evening at holy cave.
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With this, a total number of 2,87,098 pilgrims paid obeisance in Himalayan cave during last 17 days since the 38-day long pilgrimage started on July 3 from twin tracks. As there is heavy rush of pilgrims with thousands of devotees reporting at twin base camps daily, the yatra is likely to touch three lakh by tomorrow, officials said.
Among the 14,007 pilgrims who paid obeisance in Himalayan cave today were 9796 males, 3587 females, 201 children, 47 Sadhus, six Sadhvis, three Transgenders and 367 security personnel, officials said.
They said 7420 pilgrims crossed Access Gate at Domail this morning for darshan to holy cave while 9110 pilgrims returned to Domail after performing darshan at cave shrine.
Officials said 10786 yatris crossed the access gate at Chandanwari this morning to leave for darshan. Besides, 6263 pilgrims proceeded for darshan from Chandanwari while 6341 pilgrims had a night halt at Chandanwari, they added.
Meanwhile, a fresh batch of 6,365 pilgrims, including 1,499 women and 441 children, left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here today to join the ongoing annual Amarnath Yatra in the South Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.
The pilgrims, who included 135 Sadhus and Sadhvis, left for the twin base camps of Nunwan-Pahalgam in Anantnag and Baltal in Ganderbal in separate convoys under tight security arrangements in the early hours of the day, they said.
While 3,514 pilgrims left for Pahalgam in a convoy of 119 vehicles, 2,851 pilgrims travelling in 92 vehicles preferred the Baltal route, officials said.
The 38-day annual pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre high cave shrine started from the two routes on July 3 and is scheduled to end on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and the Raksha Bandhan festival after the holy mace one depicting Lord Shiva and another Goddess Parvati will reach the cave shrine from its abode Dashnami Akhara, Srinagar.
The holy mace led by Mahant Deependra Giri Ji, its sole custodian will leave Dashnami Akhara for last leg of Darshan on August 4 and it will pay obeisance at various temples enroute to Pahalgam.
At Pahalgam after two night halt, it will leave for onwards sojourn to cave shrine. After reaching the holy cave early in the morning of August 9, the holy mace will have puja in a traditional way there before returning to Panchtarni in the evening on its way to Dashnami Akhara. With this the annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji will culminate.
The True Trust led by Mahant Deependra Giri Ji has made elaborate arrangements for Sadhus and devotees for their boarding and lodging who will accompany the holy mace to cave shrine.
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