Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 21: With 11,095 pilgrims paying obeisance at holy cave of Swami Amarnath today, the yatra has touched 3,04,876 in last 24 days since the 44 day long pilgrimage started on June 28.
According to an official spokesman, the rush of pilgrims is picking up day by day and thousands of pilgrims are reaching cave shrine daily for darshan from both Baltal and Chandanwari tracks.
The spokesman said that 11,095 pilgrims paid obeisance to Icy Lingam in holy cave by this evening and majority of them have started their return journey.
He said the weather was pleasant enroute to holy cave today as it was a Sunny day along both the tracks.
He said 3466 pilgrims left from Nunwan, Pahalgam base camp to holy cave for darshan early this morning while 5424 pilgrims left via shortest Baltal track. Out of them, 952 pilgrims left via chopper, he added.
He said the pilgrims who had a night halt at Sheshnag and Panchtarni also left for their onwards sojourn early this morning.
It may be recalled that annual Swami Amarnath yatra will culminate on Sawan Purnima coinciding with Raksha Bandhan on August 10 when the holy mace of Lord Shiv will reach cave shrine.
Meanwhile, a fresh batch of 1491 pilgrims left for the cave shrine early this morning under tight security from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here in a cavalcade of 46 vehicles. They included 939 male, 381 female, 21 children and 150 Sadhus. These pilgrims had reached their respective destinations in Kashmir Valley when last reports came in. They will leave for holy cave from there early morning tomorrow.
The yatris undergoing registration at Jammu Haat and other registration counters today criticized the SASB and administration for their problems. They said that yatris have to wait in long queues for medical examination at Jammu Haat, Saraswati Dham and Vaishnavi Dham registration counters as one doctor has been posted for their medical examination.
It takes hours together in making registration at the registration counters here as authorities have posted only single doctor for medical examination of pilgrims intending to have the pilgrimage of holy cave, said Suresh Mahapatra a pilgrim from Lucknow, UP said.
He said the pilgrims have to stand in queue for long time in getting their medical examination conducted as only one doctor has been deployed for the job. Same were the views of Sarojni Kohli a pilgrim from, Patiala, Punjab. She said they have been waiting for one hour in queue to have medical examination conducted.
Follow our WhatsApp channel