STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: Amid tight security, the sixth batch of over 7,200 pilgrims left from here on Monday for the twin base camps of 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir, officials said.
A total of 7,282 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here in a convoy of 332 vehicles amid heavy security of CRPF, the officials said.
Of these, 5,866 are males, 1,206 females, 22 children, 179 sadhus and nine sadhvis, they said.
They said 2,901 pilgrims heading for Baltal were the first to leave in 150 vehicles around 3.40 am followed by the second convoy of 182 vehicles carrying 4,381 pilgrims for Pahalgam.
The annual 43-day pilgrimage commenced on June 30 from the twin base camps — Nunwan in Pahalgam of south Kashmir’s Anantnag and Baltal camp in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
SASB to take ‘feedback’ from pilgrims on facilities
Jammu: Pilgrims visiting the Amarnath can now give their feedback to the shrine authorities for improving facilities.
The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) on Monday launched pilgrim feedback services (PFS), officials said.
People can rate their experience on overall yatra facilities, accommodation, sanitation and food quality in the camps, besides giving suggestions and comments.
The system is taking the feedback directly through SMS from all the people who have undertaken the yatra, an official told PTI. Over 55000 pilgrims had offered prayers on the fifth day of the pilgrimage at the shrine, located at a height of 3880-meter and housing the naturally formed ice-shivling.
The official said that feedback is being used for continuous upgrading of facilities.
The Jammu Municipal Corporation has also employed young research assistants for two months to get feedback from pilgrims in Jammu city. The annual 43-day yatra commenced from the twin base camps — traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag and 14-km shorter Baltal in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal — on June 30.
A total of 39,269 pilgrims have left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for the Valley since June 29, the day the first batch of pilgrims was flagged off by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha. The yatra is scheduled to end on August 11 on Raksha Bandhan.
Till today, over 52,000 pilgrims had offered their prayers at the Himalayan cave shrine, housing the naturally formed ice-Shivlingam, the officials said.
The Yatra is scheduled to end on August 11 on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.