6,400 pilgrims leave Jammu camp for Amarnath Yatra
Jammu/Srinagar: Amid tight security, the 14th batch of 6,400 Amarnath Yatra pilgrims on Wednesday here left for twin base camps of the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.
The yatra, which was suspended from Jammu due to bad weather on Sunday, resumed on Monday. A flash flood triggered by a cloudburst near the cave shrine on Friday afternoon has led to the death of at least 16 people. Around 40 are still missing.
A total of 6,415 pilgrims left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here in a convoy of 258 vehicles amid heavy security of CRPF, the officials said.
Of these, 4,545 were men, 1,744 women, 43 children, 79 sadhus and four sadhvis, they said.
The officials said 2,428 pilgrims heading for Baltal were the first to leave the Bhagwati Nagar camp in 88 vehicles around 3.30 am, followed by the second convoy of 170 vehicles carrying 3,987 pilgrims for Pahalgam at 4.30 am.
So far, over 1.30 lakh pilgrims have offered their prayers at the cave shrine, housing the naturally formed ice-shivlingam, the officials said.
A total of 83,073 pilgrims have left from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for the Valley since June 29, the day the first batch of pilgrims was flagged off by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha.
The yatra is scheduled to end on August 11, on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
Meanwhile, over 1.28 lakh Yatris have so far performed the ongoing Amarnath Yatra.
Officials of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) that manages the affairs of the Yatra said that so far over 1.28 lakh pilgrims have performed the Yatra.
At least 16 people were killed in the flash flood while 15,000 were safely evacuated.
“Yatra has since been resumed from both Baltal and Pahalgam routes. Today another batch of 6,415 pilgrims left Bhagwati Nagar base camp for the Valley in two escorted convoys.
“Of these, 2428 are going to Baltal while 3,987 are going to Pahalgam,” officials said.
Yatris use either the shorter Baltal route or the longer traditional Pahalgam route to reach the cave shrine situated at 3888 metres above the sea level in Kashmir Himalayas.
Those using the Baltal route have to trek 14 kms to reach the cave shrine and they return to the base camp the same day after having Darshan.
Those using the traditional Pahalgam route have to trek 48 kms to reach the cave shrine.
Helicopter services are available for the pilgrims on both the routes.
The cave houses an ice stalagmite structure which wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon. Devotees believe that the ice stalagmite structure symbolises mythical powers of Lord Shiva. (with inputs from PTI)
