With 28,000 pilgrims performing darshan, yatra crosses one lakh in 5 days

Largest batch of over 8,800 leaves for base camps

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 7: With 28,000 pilgrims performing darshan at holy cave on Tuesday, over one lakh pilgrims visited cave shrine situated at an altitude of 3888 meters in South Kashmir district of Anantang in first five days of darshan since the yatra started on July 3.

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As per reports, a fifth batch of 28,035 pilgrims performed darshan at holy cave from twin tracks of Baltal and Nandiwan (Pahalgam) today. With this, a total number of 1,13,814 pilgrims paid obeisance of naturally formed ice lingam in cave shrine in first five days of darshan.

Reports said the yatra plied from both the tracks smoothly and despite the heavy showers in the evening, the yatra was not disrupted. The weather was partially cloudy in the yatra area during the day and it rained in the evening at 5pm but yatra plied normally without any hindrance.

The unabated rush of pilgrims is continuing with thousands of yatris daily reporting at twin base camps from other parts of country to embark on holy pilgrimage.

Meanwhile, the largest batch of pilgrims so far this year, comprising 8,815 devotees, including 31 foreign nationals, left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here today for the annual Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir amid tight security.

Officials said the sixth batch comprised 5,831 men, 2,193 women, 31 children, 598 Sadhus, 131 Sadhvis and 31 foreign nationals.

Of them, 3,989 pilgrims travelling in 181 vehicles left for the Baltal base camp in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, while 4,826 pilgrims in 182 vehicles proceeded towards the traditional Pahalgam route in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, taking the convoy strength to 363 vehicles. Click here to watch video

With Tuesday’s departure, a total of 34,829 pilgrims have left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas Jammu for Kashmir since the yatra commenced on July 2.

The Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas echoed with chants of “Bam Bam Bhole”, “Har Har Mahadev” and “Jai Barfani Baba Ki” as devotees set out on the pilgrimage. Many pilgrims expressed satisfaction with the arrangements made for the smooth conduct of the yatra.

Tuesday’s convoy was the largest since the start of the pilgrimage, surpassing the previous highest of 6,721 pilgrims on Sunday, an official said. A total of 5,794 pilgrims had left on Monday, while 4,812 departed on July 4.

The 57-day pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine is scheduled to conclude on August 28, coinciding with the festival of Sawan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has urged unregistered devotees planning to undertake the pilgrimage to defer their journey for a few days as all registration slots have been booked till July 9 due to an unprecedented rush.

Officials have also announced that only registered pilgrims will be allowed to proceed towards Kashmir, while unregistered devotees will be stopped at designated checkpoints until fresh registration quotas become available.

As a huge number of unregistered pilgrims are thronging Jammu daily and slots of registration are not available up to July 9, the administration has started ‘Rahi Hop’ bus services for them to visit the historical and cultural monuments of Jammu. Today stranded pilgrims in various buses were taken to Tirupati BalaJi temple for darshan, Jammu Zoo and Amar Mahal Museum.

Besides, pilgrims will also be taken to Akhnoor and Suchetgarh border. The pilgrims welcomed this step of the administration saying this way they will have the Jammu Darshan and visit the historical and cultural monuments and other places.