Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 30: The 62 -day long annual Amarnath Ji yatra which started on July 1 is about to touch four lakh in just a period of one month as in last 30 days 3,91,146 pilgrims drawn from different parts of country have performed darshan at Himalayan cave.
On 30th day of yatra today, 6,999 pilgrims from twin tracks of Baltal and Nunwan-Pahalgam paid obeisance to naturally formed Ice Shivlingam in the Himalayan cave at an altitude of 3888 metres in Lidder Valley of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, officials said.
They said among the 6,999 pilgrims who paid obeisance at holy cave today included 5,693 male, 1,212 female, 39 children and 55 Sadhus.
With this, a total number of 3,91,146 pilgrims visited holy cave during last 30 days, officials said. The weather was pleasant during the day in entire cave shrine area and yatra plied normally from both the tracks, they added.
They said the majority of pilgrims who performed darshan at cave shrine during last 30 days have returned to their home States while others are on the way. The yatris who performed darshan at holy cave by this evening also started their return journey towards Baltal base camp and Panchtarni transit camp as authorities are not allowing stay of pilgrims near holy cave and lower cave in view of the last year’s tragedy due to cloudburst and flash floods.
This decision was taken for the safety and security of pilgrims by the Shrine Board, officials said.
They said 5,546 pilgrims were staying at Baltal base camp for night while 2,240 left for darshan to holy cave early this morning from there. Besides, 4,871 pilgrims returned for their home States during the day, officials added.
They said 2,619 pilgrims reported at Chandanwari Transit Camp during the day while 2,628 left for darshan from there today.
Officials said 2,089 pilgrims were staying at Panchtarni for night halt while 1,214 reached there after performing darshan at holy cave by the evening. They said 2,064 pilgrims were having night halt at Sheshnag transit camp.
Officials said that the chopper services also plied normally during the day from both Baltal and Pahalgam sides for ferrying of yatris to and fro.
Meanwhile, a fresh batch of 1,974 yatris left from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here for the twin base camps of Nunwan-Pahalgam in South Kashmir district of Anantnag and Baltal, in Central Kashmir district of Ganderbal early this morning under tight security arrangements in a cavalcade of 85 vehicles. This was the 28th batch of pilgrims who left Jammu for holy cave since the flagging off first batch on June 30.
Among them 1,410 pilgrims preferred the traditional and longest Nunwan-Pahalgam track, while 564 pilgrims preferred shortest but terrain Baltal track, officials said.
These pilgrims included 1,546 male, 363 female, 84 children, 45 Sadhus and 16 Sadhvis. This was the lowest batch of yatris who left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas towards holy cave in last 31 days.
So far, 42 deaths were reported in ongoing yatra which mostly occurred due to breathlessness and cardiac arrest.
The 62 -days yatra will culminate on Shravan Purnima coinciding with Raksha Bandhan festival on August 31 when holy mace of Lord Shiva will reach the cave shrine4 for darshan.
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