Over 3000 perform darshan

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 4: While a batch of 964 devotees left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here on Tuesday for the annual AmarnathJi Yatra in Kashmir, over 3000 pilgrims drawn from different parts of the country paid obeisance at cave shrine by this evening.

Officials said 3289 pilgrims from different parts of country performed Darshan at holy cave via Baltal track by this evening. With this, a total number of 4,67,986 pilgrims visited the holy cave during last 33 days since the 57-day long annual Yatra to cave shrine situated in deep Himalayas of South Kashmir's Anantnag district started on July 3 from twin tracks of Baltal and Nunwan-Pahalgam.

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Officials said the number of Yatris visiting holy cave is decreasing day by day since July 19 after heavy rains lashed the Jammu and Kashmir triggering flash floods, cloud bursts and landslides.

Officials said 964 devotees left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here early this morning for holy cave and this was the lowest batch of pilgrims leaving for cave shrine from here since the Yatra was flagged off on July 2 by Lt Governor , Manoj Sinha who is also the Chairman of Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB).

The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, which was shut for several hours due to slippery road conditions and debris clearance operation, was reopened for traffic facilitating passage of the Yatra.

The fresh batch of pilgrims left from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here for Baltal in 39 vehicles around 3 am, they said.

With the departure of the batch, the total number of pilgrims who have left the Jammu base camp for the annual pilgrimage has risen to 1,41,712, officials said.

This is the smallest batch that has left for the Yatra so far. While 1,056 pilgrims left Jammu for the Yatra on Monday, 3,886 pilgrims left Jammu on Sunday.

The 57-day annual pilgrimage is scheduled to conclude on August 28 the day coinciding with Hindu festivals of Sawan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan when holy mace of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati will reach cave shrine from its abode Dashnami Akhara, Srinagar.