Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 22: Over 10,800 pilgrims drawn from different parts of the country paid obeisance at 3880 metres Himalayan cave from twin tracks of Baltal and Nunwan -Pahalgam on the 20th day of Darshan in South Kashmir district of Anantnag.
Officials said that 10,829 pilgrims performed darshan at holy cave by this evening. With this the total number of pilgrims who paid obeisance in the cave shrine since the yatra started on July 3 has reached 3,31,829.
Among the 10,829 pilgrims who performed darshan today included 7646 male, 2660 female, 97 children, 76 Sadhoos, two Sadhvis, three transgender and 345 security personnel.
All the yatris who performed darshan at cave shrine by this evening have started return journey to Domail and Panchtarni, officials said.
Meanwhile, the jawans of JKP led by Sector Officer holy cave Chand Ji Dhar and ITBP personnel returned golden ornaments to the husband of a lady Niha who had lost her purse somewhere near cave shrine.
The lady had reached Baltal base camp but the police after finding the purse containing golden ornaments worth Rs six lakh, mobile and I -Cards etc returned it to her husband Dina Nath. The couple was from Calcutta (West Bengal.) They highly praised the honest approach of police and ITBP men on duty.
Meanwhile, braving heavy rain, a fresh batch of more than 3,500 pilgrims left Jammu for the Amarnath cave shrine in the South Kashmir Himalayas amid tight security in the early hours of Tuesday, officials said.
Escorted by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and police personnel, the 20th batch of 3,536 pilgrims — 2,601 men, 822 women, 11 children and 102 Sadhus and Sadhvis — left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here in 132 vehicles between 3:33 am and 4:09 am, the officials said.
The first pilgrim convoy, carrying 1,250 pilgrims in 48 vehicles, left for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The second convoy of 2,286 pilgrims in 84 vehicles undertook the yatra via the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district, they said.
With this, a total of 1,27,541 pilgrims have departed from the Jammu base camp for the valley since July 2, when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch.
According to the officials, on-the-spot registration for the pilgrimage has been closed due to the drop in footfall of pilgrims. The registration will now be done at the Bhagwati Nagar base camp.
More than four lakh people have registered online for the pilgrimage so far. Last year, over 5.10 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine.
The 38-day pilgrimage will conclude on Sawan Purnima falling on August 9. The day also coincides with Raksha Bandhan festival.
Meanwhile four pilgrims of Shri Amarnath Yatra today received minor injuries when a vehicle they were traveling in met with an accident during a downward convoy in Ramban district.
Officials said that four pilgrims suffered injuries when a bus in the Amarnath yatra convoy towards Jammu from Srinagar, hit the parapet wall due to brake failure at T-2 Tunnel Seri in Ramban.
Police along with locals and traffic cops deployed on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway immediately swung into action and launched a rescue operation and shifted the injured to the district Hospital.
Their conditions are stated to be stable, they said.
“All injured yatris are stable and being discharged for their journey towards Jammu,” Alyas Khan, Deputy Commissioner, Ramban said.
He stated that the traffic is smoothly plying on the National Highway.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
