Over 24,000 pilgrims paid obeisance at naturally formed Ice Shivlingam at Himalayan cave in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district till yesterday evening, this year’s yatra crossed 1.30 lakh mark in just six days, breaking all previous records of scared pilgrimage.
While a fresh batch of 6919 pilgrims left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas base camp in Jammu towards twin base camps of Baltal in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district and Nunwan -Pahalgam in Anantnag district under tight security measures early this morning.
Officials told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), on the sixth day (yesterday), 24,978 pilgrims paid obeisance at holy cave of Swami Amarnath Ji.
With this, the total number of pilgrims visiting the 3888-metre-high cave shrine in the deep Himalayas during the last four days since the yatra started has reached 1,30,260, surpassing all the previous records.
Officials said among the 24,978 pilgrims who performed darshan today at holy cave included 16,667 male, 5367 female, 354 children, 520 Sadhus, two Sadhvis and seven others besides 2061security personnel and service providers.
According to available data, in 2023, the yatra crossed the one-lakh mark on the 10th day of its commencement, while in 2022 it took nine days.
Meanwhile, the eighth batch of 6919 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas base camp in Jammu for the Kashmir Valley to perform the pilgrimage to the Amarnath Cave Shrine.
Chanting ‘Bam Bam Bhole’, the pilgrims left the base camp in a cavalcade of 259 early Friday morning. These include 5241 Men, 1435 Women, 16 Children, 214 Sadhus & 13 Sadhvies ( female sadhus).
Of these, 2542 left for Baltal whereas 4377 departed for Pahalgam base camp from where they will proceed for their further journey to the holy cave.
The administration has placed stringent security arrangements for the smooth conduct of the yatra.
Officials said that thousands of security personnel from the police, Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and other paramilitary forces have been deployed along the route, while the army is overseeing the overall security with the air force providing all-round aerial surveillance.
Over 125 free langars have been established by philanthropic organizations at base camps and in the yatra area up to the holy cave to serve the pilgrims.
The 52-day-long Amarnath Ji Yatra will conclude on August 19 this year on the auspicious occasion of Shravan Poornima, which also coincides with the festival of Raksha Bandhan—(KNO)