Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 25: On 28th day of annual Amarnath pilgrimage, 4296 yatris today performed darshan at the holy cave shrine of Lord Shiva in South Kashmir Himalayas even as 11 persons including 10 devotees have died so far due to medical reasons during the yatra.
Reports said 4296 yatris today performed darshan at Shri Amarnath ji cave shrine taking total number of pilgrimage this year to 3,16,858. Yesterday, 6035 yatris had paid obeisance to Lord Shiva.
Today, 1935 pilgrims left Baltal for holy cave shrine. They included the yatris, who left by air. About 1000 pilgrims left for yatra from Nunwan, Pahalgam.
Meanwhile, a convoy of 21 vehicles, carrying 28th batch of 609 devotees, left the Yatri Niwas at Bhagwati Nagar here this morning to pay obeisance at the holy cave shrine of Lord Shiva.
The batch including 429 men, 127 women and 4 children, apart from 49 Sadhus left for twin base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal in the Kashmir Valley, reports said.
With today’s batch, a total of 47,715 pilgrims have left Jammu base camp for Amarnath shrine so far. Most of the pilgrims leave directly for Baltal and Pahalgam.
Meanwhile, 10 Amarnath pilgrims and a helper (sevadar) have died so far during this year’s yatra due to medical reasons.
As many as 6,21,145 pilgrims undertook the Amarnath yatra last year, during which 93 people died due to medical reasons, apart from 42 others due to road accidents and other reasons.
In 2011, 106 people died due to medical reasons when a total of 6,35,611 pilgrims undertook the yatra.
The deaths due to medical reasons might be fewer this year as Shri Amarnath Shrine Board banned persons below 13 years or above the age of 75, besides women who were six weeks or more pregnant, from participating in the yatra.
Nitish K Sen Gupta Committee, which was set up in 1996 to enquire into the tragedy in which 243 people were killed in the yatra area, had recommended that no person under the age of 15 years or above 65 should be encouraged to undertake the pilgrimage.
Besides, the Board also did not allow yatris without compulsory Health Certificate to register for this year’s yatra.
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