Over 1,700 pilgrims leave for cave shrine
STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: The number of pilgrims who paid obeisance to Lord Shiva at Amarnath cave shrine in South Kashmir crossed the 4.5 lakh mark on Saturday as more than 7,500 yatris had darshan of the naturally formed ice lingam, officials said here.
“As many as 7,541 pilgrims performed the yatra on Saturday and had darshan of Baba Bholenath on the 29th day of the annual yatra,” the officials said.
They said the number of pilgrims who have been to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine has reached 4,51,881. As per the officials, there have been two deaths, a sevadar from Haryana and a pilgrim from Jharkhand, in this year’s yatra. Both the deceased suffered cardiac arrest along the Baltal route in June. The 52-day pilgrimage will conclude on August 19. About 4.59 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine last year. Meanwhile, more than 1,700 pilgrims left a base camp here for the Amarnath shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas amid tight security early this morning, officials said.
More than 4.45 lakh pilgrims have so far paid obeisance at the naturally-formed ice lingam at the 3,880-metre high cave shrine, they said.
