29th batch of 1,550 leaves for darshan
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 31: On the 31st day of darshan of ongoing annual Amarnath Ji yatra, over 6,000 pilgrims drawn from different parts of the country paid obeisance to naturally formed Ice Shivlingam at 3888 metre high Himalayan cave in South Kashmir district of Anantnag today.
Officials said that 6,353 pilgrims offered prayers at holy cave from twin tracks of Baltal and Nunwan by this evening taking total number to 3,97,499.
The pilgrims who performed darshan today included 5,048 male, 1,156 female, 78 children and 65 Sadhus. Officials said that it rained for some time during the day in entire yatra area but the yatra proceeded smoothly without any hindrance.
Officials said the majority of yatris who performed darshan at holy cave in last 31 days have returned to their home States by now and others are on their way. They said the yatris who performed darshan today also left for Baltal base camp and Panchtarni transit camp.
They said the rush has however, come down during last some days as compared to first three weeks of the yatra. Officials said that 1,447 yatris were staying at Sheshnag during last night while 2,089 pilgrims had a night stay at Panchtarni.
Officials said that 5,806 pilgrims were staying at Baltal base camp during last night while 2,036 left from there for darshan to holy cave. They said 4,012 pilgrims returned to Baltal after darshan while 4,910 left from there towards their home States.
Officials said that the chopper services plied normally during the day from both Baltal and Pahalgam areas to ferry the pilgrims to and fro.
Meanwhile, 29th batch of 1,550 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here for the twin base camps of Nunwan-Pahalgam in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district and Baltal in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district to undertake the onward journey to the Amarnath cave shrine.
Of 1,550 pilgrims in this smallest batch to leave the Bhagwati Nagar camp, 1,068 are performing the yatra through the traditional and longest 48-km Pahalgam track in the Anantnag district while 472 are heading for the 14-km short but tough Baltal route in Ganderbal district, officials said.
The 62-day annual pilgrimage to the 3,888-metre-high cave shrine commenced from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district on July 1. The yatra is scheduled to conclude on Sawan Purnima coinciding with Raksha Bandhan festival falling on August 31 when the holy mace of Lord Shiva will reach cave shrine from its abode Dashnami Akhara Srinagar for darshan.
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