SRINAGAR : Despite cloudy sky and intermittent light rain, pilgrimage is going on smoothly to holy Amarnath Cave shrine in south Kashmir, where so far 3.40 lakh yatris had paid obeisance since the commencement of the 59-day-long yatra from July 2.
However, for the third day today no pilgrims could reach base camp here due to closure of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway following landslides and soil erosion, triggered by heavy rains. Fresh batches of pilgrims left Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam base camp for the holy cave early this morning despite cloudy sky and intermittent rain during the night.
A Yatra Control Room (YCR) official told that 1548 pilgrims, lowest since the commencement of the annual yatra, paid obeisance at the cave shrine yesterday. With this a total of 3,39,954 Yatris have paid obeisance at the Holy Cave.
However, the pilgrims, including women, sadhus and children, who had already arrived in Kashmir by air and via Mughal road on their own without any security cover left Baltal base camp in the central Kashmir district of Ganderbal for the holy cave shrine early this morning.
He said the yatris are expected to cover the 16-km-long distance on foot before paying obeisance at the cave shrine today. The official said yatris, who had night halt near the cave shrine after having darshan, have also started their return journey to Baltal base camp.
Similarly, fresh batches of pilgrims also left Nunwan Pahalgam base camp for Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on the traditional route. However, majority of the pilgrims will start their foot journey towards the next halting station after reaching Chandanwari.
Similarly pilgrims, who had night halt at Chandanwari and other halting stations have also started their journey towards the cave shrine early this morning.
Pilgrims who had returned to base camps after having darshan at the cave shrine remained stranded due to closure of the highway. (AGENCIES)
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