SRINAGAR : A fresh batch of pilgrims today left Nunwan Pahalgam and Baltal base camps for the holy Amarnath cave shrine in South Kashmir Himalayas amid chanting ‘Bam Bam Boley’ and ‘Har Har Mahadev’.
More than 50,000 yatris had darshan of the self-made ice-shivalingam till last night, a yatra official said. “Yes, we have allowed pilgrims from traditional track for the first time today”, he said.
He said majority of yatris will have night stay at Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on 42-km-long traditional route.
However, others will start their foot journey to next halting station.
The officials claimed that all necessary arrangements had been made for smooth pilgrimage from this track. The decision to allow pilgrimage from Pahalgam was taken on June 30, after a team of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) and civil administration reviewed the track condition. Pilgrimage on this track could not be started as a precautionary measure because of heavy snow at several places.
Despite overnight rain for some time, yatra from shortest Baltal route was going on smoothly, official sources said. With this 50,528 yatris had darshan of the ice-lingam at the Holy cave and majority of them have returned to Baltal base camp, they said, adding that majority of them left for their homes.
(AGENCIES)
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