STATE TIMEs NEWS
JAMMU: A fresh batch of over 1,200 pilgrims on Thursday early morning left from the Jammu base camp for the Amarnath cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas amid tight security, officials said.
According to the officials, this batch had the lowest number of devotees leaving Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu since the commencement of the 52-day-long yatra from the twin base camps of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district on June 29.
This year’s yatra has already crossed the 4.5 lakh-mark of last year, with over 4.7 lakh pilgrims so far paying obeisance at the naturally-formed ice lingam at the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine, they said.
Despite rains, the 35th batch of 1,295 pilgrims, including 182 women, 42 sadhus and four sadhvis, left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for the valley at 3.30 am, the officials said.
While 946 pilgrims are heading for the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route, 349 have opted for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal trek, the officials said.
They said around 5,000 pilgrims are still visiting the cave shrine on a daily basis to offer their prayers. The pilgrimage will enter its final phase on August 14 when the ‘Charri Mubarak’, the holy mace of Lord Shiva will join the yatra in Pahalgam. The yatra commenced on June 29 and is scheduled to conclude on August 19.
