Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 9: The heavy rains which lashed the Jammu region and some areas of Pahalgam Base Camp in Kashmir valley early this morning have not dampened the spirit of Amarnath pilgrims as 16,410 yatris drawn from different parts of country paid obeisance at holy cave on the eighth day of darshan today.
Thousands of yatris from different parts of the country continue to report the State daily for their onwards journey to holy cave surrounded by glaciers in deep Himalyas in South Kashmir district of Anantnag.
According to an official spokesman, 16,410 pilgrims performed darshan at holy cave today with this the total number of pilgrims visiting the cave shrine since the first batch of yatris left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here on July 1 has touched 1,21, 328.
The spokesman said there is total hustle and bustle on yatra tracks and on twin base camps of Nunwan –Pahalgam and Baltal where thousands of pilgrims report daily. He said 5958 pilgrims left from Baltal to holy cave early this morning for darshan while 1055 left by air. Besides 2385 pilgrims left from Nunwan Base camp for holy cave this morning.
He said the weather on both the tracks remained cloudy today while it drizzled at Pahalgam in the morning however yatra continues smoothly. One yatri identified as Suresh Jatav, 32, S/o Nakzi Ram of Ferozpora, Indore MP died at holy cave due to cardiac arrest. His body has been kept in mortuary near Cave shrine. With this one more death, the toll in ongoing yatra has touched five, he added.
Meanwhile some yatris complained lack of facilities both at Baltal and Nunwan base camps. They said that Guest House at Baltal has no basic facilities and still Rs 1200 are charged from per yatri for one night haltage. The yatris at Jammu Haat also complained problems saying there are no langer facilities when the pilgrims are standing in long queues from 4am to 2pm or more. “The Government should open langer in Jammu Haat as hundreds of pilgrims visit there daily for registration and they have to remain hungry till the registration process finishes for the day’’, said Ram Kumar a pilgrim from Ratlam MP.
The Additional DC Jammu, Dr Piyush Singla who is also the Nodal Officer for yatra said that 1714 token slips for almost 3000 pilgrims have been issued for Jammu Haat today. Only these yatris who have been given the slips will be registered for next two days and not the extra yatra as the quota of 2500 pilgrims at Jammu Haat has been already exhausted.
Dr Singla said the unregistered yatris coming from other parts of country should not approach for registration at Jammu Haat during next two days.
A fresh batch of 1885 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here, today under tight security arrangements in a cavalcade of 53 vehicles for holy cave. They included 1494 male, 262 female, 29 children and 100 Sadhus.
However these pilgrims were stopped at Seri Udhampur, Panthal and Dangoo due to land slides on National Highway. Later the NH was restored for traffic in the afternoon and the yatris left for the twin base camps.
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