Over 24,000 pilgrims visit Amarnath Shrine, total crosses 2 lakh

5,800 Yatris depart from Jammu for Kashmir

STATE TIMES NEWS

SRINAGAR: The number of pilgrims who paid obeisance to Lord Shiva at Amarnath cave shrine in South Kashmir crossed the two lakh mark on Monday.
“As many as 24,879 pilgrims performed the yatra on Monday and had darshan of Baba Bholenath on the seventh 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 now reached 2,07,016.
The officials said 16,826 male pilgrims, 5,345 female pilgrims, 398 Sadhus and one Sadhvi were among those who paid obeisance at the cave shrine.
Over 2,000 security forces and 289 children also performed the pilgrimage.
Meanwhile, amid tight security arrangements, over 5,800 pilgrims departed from Jammu this morning for the twin base camps of the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.
They said the number of pilgrims who have paid obeisance at the cave shine has crossed two lakh. Escorted by CRPF personnel, the 11th batch of 5,803 pilgrims left for the base camps of Baltal and Palagam in 218 vehicles around 3 am, according to the officials. While 3,941 pilgrims took the 48-kilometre traditional Pahalgam route for their yatra, the rest took the shorter but steep 14-kilometre Baltal route, they said.