In the initial 14 days of this year’s Amarnath Yatra, over 2,80,000 pilgrims have visited the revered cave shrine, with another batch of 4,669 Yatris departing for the Valley on Saturday.
The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), overseen by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, has managed the pilgrimage since it commenced on 29 June.
Insights:
A SASB official confirmed, “Since the Yatra’s inception this year, more than 2,80,000 devotees have participated.”
Saturday saw a fresh batch of 4,669 Yatris leaving Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in two separate escorted convoys.
Among them, 1,630 Yatris traveled in a convoy of 74 vehicles to the Baltal base camp in north Kashmir, departing Jammu at 3:05 AM.
The remaining 3,039 Yatris set off at 3:57 AM in a convoy of 109 vehicles to the Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp in south Kashmir.
Devotees believe that the natural ice stalagmite formation at the Amarnath cave shrine, situated at an elevation of 3,888 meters in the Kashmir Himalayas, represents the mythical powers of Lord Shiva.
Pilgrims can reach the cave shrine via two routes:
- The traditional 48-kilometer path from south Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which typically takes four to five days, or
- The shorter 14-kilometer route from north Kashmir’s Baltal, which can be completed in a single day
Additionally, on Saturday, another group of 4,434 Yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu in two escorted convoys.
The first convoy, comprising 1,721 pilgrims in 64 vehicles, departed at 3:00 AM for the Baltal base camp.
The second convoy, carrying 2,713 pilgrims in 101 vehicles, left at 3:35 AM for the Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp.
This year’s Amarnath Yatra is likely to conclude on 29 August, coinciding with the festivals of Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan, marking a 52-day pilgrimage season.
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