2 more die, over 5000 leave for darshan
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 16: Though Shri Amarnath Ji yatra remained suspended from twin tracks of Baltal and Chandanwari due to heavy down pour in the yatra area, a fresh batch of over 5000 pilgrims left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here for holy cave early this morning.
According to officials, no yatra was allowed to leave for holy cave from Baltal and Nunwan-Pahalgam base camps in Central Kashmir district of Ganderbal and South Kashmir district of Anantnag to ensure the safety of pilgrims as heavy rains lashed the yatra area.
Officials said yatra also remained suspended from Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarni camps today. However, the chopper services continued during the day and 965 yatris were carried by choppers to cave shrine, officials added.
Officials said 869 yatris performed darshan of the Ice Lingam in the cave shrine of Baba Amarnath up to this evening. With this a total of pilgrims paying obeisance at holy cave since the 43 days long yatra started from June 30 this year has touched 1,64, 839.
Officials said that over 8000 pilgrims are camping at Panchtarni, the last halting point towards holy cave on Chandnawari track today while over 10,000 pilgrims are stranded at Baltal base camp.
Officials said that 3712 pilgrims were camping at Nunwan base camp last night while 6266 were at Sheshnag camp.
Officials said the weather remained cloudy during the day in yatra area and it was drizzling throughout the day. In view of last Friday’s cloudburst and death of 15 pilgrims in the flash floods on the fateful day, the authorities suspended the yatra today to avert any untoward incident. However, the yatra will be resumed tomorrow provided the weather improves, the officials added.
Officials said one more yatri died today at Baltal due to cardiac arrest. She has been identified as V Rajita, wife of Pandiyala Vankati of Andhra Pradesh while the yesterday’s unidentified dead body which was found at Baltal near Helipad has been identified as Jaya Parma of Madhya Pradesh. One pilgrim also died at Samba who was on her way to home State after coming from darshan of Ice Lingam at holy cave today. She died in a camp at Samba where her other companions were staying. Officials said that her condition deteriorated and she was shifted to District Hospital Samba (DHS) where doctors declared her as brought dead.
Her body has been kept in mortuary of the Hospital for post-mortem. She has been identified as Gayatri Devi, 50, wife of Dinish Sharma of Dashu, Rajasthan. With this the death toll in ongoing yatra has touched 30 excluding 15 pilgrims who died in flash floods of last Friday near cave shrine.
Meanwhile, the rush of pilgrims is not decreasing and thousands of yatris from different parts of the country continue to reach Jammu daily despite the heavy rains. There is heavy rush at the yatra registration counters and community halls in the city here. As per reports 3000 Shri Amarnath Ji bound pilgrims have crossed gateway of Lakhanpur in Kathua district by this evening while thousands of pilgrims have also reached here through train and by air today.
A fresh batch of 5838 pilgrims left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas to holy cave under tight security measures early this morning in a cavalcade of 223 vehicles.
Among them 3291 pilgrims preferred the traditional 48 km long Chandanwari-Sheshnag track while 2547 preferred shortest 14 km Baltal track. These yatris have reached their respective base camps by the evening.
The 43 -day long annual yatra of Shri Amarnath Ji will culminate on August 11 i.e on Shravan Purnima coinciding with Raksha Bandhan festival when the Silver mace of Lord Shiva will reach the holy cave from its abode Dashnami Akhara, Srinagar in Kashmir valley. The holy mace will be taken by its custodian Mahnat Dependra Giri Ji Mahraj who will be accompanied by Sadhus and other devotees from Srinagar to cave shrine to maintain the age old tradition of yatra.
Meanwhile, as per sources, the SRTC which has been entrusted to make the arrangements of buses for Amarnath pilgrims by the authorities has hired some outdated private buses. Daily two to three buses develop some mechanical fault on the way and it takes two to three hours in removing the fault. This way the entire yatra has to be stopped in the way for hours together which can expose the pilgrims to security risk also, sources added.
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