In a remarkable show of devotion, more than 4,00,000 pilgrims have undertaken the Amarnath Yatra in the past 24 days.
On Tuesday, another batch of 2,484 devotees set out from Jammu towards the sacred shrine in Kashmir.
According to officials from the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), which oversees the Yatra, over 12,000 pilgrims visited the shrine on Monday, marking the beginning of the auspicious Hindu month of Shravan.
“Today, an additional 2,484 Yatris departed from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu to the Valley in two escorted convoys,” the officials reported.
“The first convoy, carrying 770 Yatris in 34 vehicles, left at 3:25 AM for the Baltal base camp in North Kashmir. The second convoy, with 1,714 Yatris in 57 vehicles, departed at 4 AM for the Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp in South Kashmir.”
The cave shrine, known for its naturally occurring ice stalagmite, is revered by devotees as a symbol of Lord Shiva’s mythical powers.
The Amarnath cave shrine, perched at an altitude of 3,888 metres in the Kashmir Himalayas, however, features a renowned ice stalagmite structure that devotees believe symbolizes the divine presence of Lord Shiva.
The shrine is accessible via two primary routes:
- The traditional Pahalgam route in South Kashmir and
- The Baltal route in North Kashmir
The Pahalgam route spans 48 kilometers and typically takes pilgrims 4-5 days to reach the shrine.
In contrast, the Baltal route is shorter at 14 kilometers, allowing Yatris to complete their journey and return to the base camp within a day.
Meanwhile, this year’s Amarnath Yatra, which will conclude on 29 August, coincides with the Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan festivals, making it a particularly significant occasion for the pilgrims.
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