Over 7,500 leave for holy cave
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 8: The annual Shri Amarnath Ji yatra, which started from twin tracks of Baltal in Ganderbal district of Central Kashmir and Nunwan Pahalgam in Anantnag district of South Kashmir on July 3, crossed one lakh today.
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According to officials, on the sixth day of pilgrimage to Himalayan cave situated at a height of 3880 meters, 18,633 pilgrims from twin tracks of Nunwan and Baltal performed darshan of naturally formed Ice Shivlingam in the holy cave.
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With this, the total number of pilgrims performing darshan in cave shrine during last six days has reached 1,11,974.
Among 18,633 pilgrims who performed darshan at holy cave today included 13,010 male, 4818 female, 256 children, 174 Sadhus, 26 Sadhvis, two transgenders and 347 security personnel.
Officials said the rush of pilgrims is increasing day by day from both the tracks. The pilgrims enroute to holy cave highly praised the arrangements made by Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) and UT administration.
Meanwhile, a fresh batch of over 7,500 pilgrims left here early today for the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Amarnath in South Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.
The 38-day pilgrimage commenced on July 3 from the Valley via the twin tracks – the traditional 48-km-long Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The yatra will conclude on August 9.
Over 94,000 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the shrine since the start of the yatra till yesterday, they said.
The seventh batch of 7,541 pilgrims, including 5,516 men and 1,765 women, left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here in 309 vehicles for the twin base camps in Kashmir amid tight security arrangements between 2.55 am and 4.05 am, the officials said.
The first pilgrim convoy, carrying 3,321 pilgrims in 148 vehicles, left for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district, followed by the second convoy of 4,220 pilgrims in 161 vehicles who are undertaking the yatra via the 48-km traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district, they said.
Since Lieutenant, Governor, Manoj Sinha flagged off the yatra in Jammu on July 2, a total of 47,902 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp for the Valley.
There is a huge rush at the counters for on-the-spot registration, with authorities increasing the number of counters to 15 from 12, as well as the daily quota to 4,100 to ease the rush.
Over 4,000 devotees arrived in Jammu from various parts of the country to get themselves registered.
More than 3.5 lakh people have registered online for the pilgrimage so far. Thirty-four accommodation centres have been set up across Jammu, and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are being issued to the pilgrims. Twelve counters have been set up for on-the-spot registration.
Arrangements have been made to provide boarding and lodging facilities for over 50,000 people at various lodgement centres across the Jammu region, from Lakhanpur to Banihal, they said.
Over 100 lodgement centres have been set up for the purpose, they added.
A total of 180 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), which is 30 more than previous years, have been deployed for the security of the pilgrims.
Officials said over 5000 pilgrims have entered the Bhagwati Nagar, Yatri Niwas by this evening to leave for twin base camps of Nunwan Pahalgam and Baltal early tomorrow morning while thousands of Yatris are reaching here from different parts of the country to embark on annual pilgrimage daily.
It may be recalled that holy Mace of Lord Shiva (Chhari Mubarak) will leave for cave shrine from its abode Dashnami Akhara Srinagar on August 4. Prior to that the holy mace led by its sole custodian, Mahant Deependra Giri Ji will be taken for Bhoomi Pujan and other religious rituals to Pahalgam on July 10 i.e Vyas Purnima coinciding with Guru Purnima.
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