Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 3: As many as 14,871 pilgrims performed darshan on Day 2 of holy pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji shrine in Anantnag district of South Kashmir Himalayas while over 13,500 pilgrims today left base camps of Nunwan (Pahalgam) and Baltal to perform darshan of natural Ice Lingam of Lord Shiva on first Monday of this year’s pilgrimage tomorrow.
Official sources told the Excelsior that 14,871 pilgrims today performed darshan of `Baba Barfani’ in the holy cave of Shri Amarnath Ji, located at a height of 12,756 feet from sea level by trekking from both tracks of Pahalgam and Baltal or reaching Panjtarni by air from both the base camps.
“The pilgrimage was progressing smoothly,” they said, adding the weather was mainly dry and the pilgrims, who had left Baltal this morning, have mostly reached the cave shrine while those who left for traditional Nunwan- Chandanwari track were enroute.
Most of the pilgrims from Baltal, who reached the cave this afternoon, paid obeisance to Lord Shiva while some others preferred to have night halt at the shrine for performing darshan on Monday, which is associated with Lord Shiva.
As 8916 yatris had performed darshan yesterday, the Day 1 of yatra, the total number of pilgrims, who have paid their obeisance to the Ice Lingam of Lord Shiva during past two days has gone up to 23,787.
Out of 14,871 pilgrims, who performed the darshan at the cave shrine today, majority of 12,246 were male followed by 2494 females, 57 Sadhus and 74 children. While those who had darshan yesterday have returned to the base camps of Baltal and Nunwan, some of them were still on way to Nunwan.
The pilgrims offering prayers today were also on way back. The pilgrims undertaking the yatra from Baltal and having darshan today, will return to the base camp by tonight.
Sources said more than 14,000 devotees set off on the trek from Baltal and Pahalgam base camps this morning, the Day 2 of pilgrimage.
“While 7,471 pilgrims left from the Baltal base camp, another 6,177 pilgrims started their journey on the traditional Pahalgam route from Nunwan base camp,” they said.
Authorities have made unprecedented security arrangements to foil any nefarious design by subversive elements to sabotage the yatra. Special rescue teams have also been deployed at vulnerable spots along the tracks to meet any eventuality.
The yatra, which began yesterday, is scheduled to end on August 18, coinciding with ‘Shravan Purnima’ and ‘Raksha Bandhan’ festivals.
Meanwhile, a batch of 2021 pilgrims today left the base camp here for the cave shrine of Amarnath in Kashmir Himalayas amid tight security from Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu. The batch reached base camps of Nunwan in Pahalgam area of Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district tonight. They will start their journey to the cave shrine tomorrow morning.
The batch, comprising 1505 men, 366 women and 150 Sadhus, left in a cavalcade of 40 vehicles from Bhagwati Nagar base camp at 4.40 am, a police official said.
This is the third batch of pilgrims.
With today’s batch, 4517 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp for the shrine during past three days. The yatra from Bhagwati Nagar base camp had started on July 1.
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