Over the past 16 days, more than 300,000 devotees have participated in the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, officials reported. On Monday, a new group of 4,875 pilgrims set off for the Valley despite sporadic rain and thundershowers along the routes. The previous day, over 15,000 pilgrims had the opportunity for ‘Darshan’ inside the sacred cave.
Authorities stated that the latest group of 4,875 Yatris departed from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu in two escorted convoys. “The first convoy left at 3:05 a.m. with 1,918 Yatris in 68 vehicles heading to the north Kashmir Baltal base camp. The second convoy departed at 3:50 a.m. with 2,957 Yatris in 94 vehicles for the south Kashmir Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp,” officials said. These convoys arrive in the Valley by midday, with restrictions preventing Yatris from proceeding beyond the transit camps of Manigam and Mir Bazaar after 5 pm.
The cave shrine, situated at an altitude of 3,888 meters in the Kashmir Himalayas, houses an ice stalagmite structure believed by devotees to symbolize the mythical powers of Lord Shiva. Pilgrims can approach the shrine from either the traditional south Kashmir Pahalgam route, which is 48 km and takes 4-5 days, or the north Kashmir Baltal route, which is 14 km and allows for a one-day ‘Darshan.’
On Monday, two escorted convoys carrying a total of 4,434 Yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu. The first convoy, with 1,721 pilgrims in 64 vehicles, departed at 3 a.m. for the north Kashmir Baltal base camp. The second convoy left at 3:35 a.m. with 2,713 pilgrims in 101 vehicles heading to the south Kashmir Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp.
This year’s Yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 29, coinciding with the festivals of Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.
