JAMMU, July 26: Over 11,000 devotees drawn from different parts of the country paid obeisance at the 3888 metre high Himalayan cave in South Kashmir’s district of Anantnag on the 26th day of yatra today.
Officials said that on the 26th day of darshan, 11,069 pilgrims from twin tracks of Baltal and Nunwan-Pahalgam paid obeisance to naturally formed Ice Shivlingam in the cave shrine.
Officials said among the 11,069 pilgrims who performed darshan at cave shrine today included 8,868 male, 1,979 female, 119, children, 101, Sadhus and two Sadhvis.
With this the total figure of pilgrims visiting the holy cave so far has reached 3,60, 138. Among them, majority of pilgrims have returned to their home states while rest are on the way.
Officials said that the pilgrims who performed darshan in cave shrine today also left for Baltal base camp and Panchtarni transit camp where from they will proceed for their onwards destinations early tomorrow morning.
Officials said the weather was cloudy but dry during the day however it rained cats and dogs later in the evening in entire yatra area. But the yatra proceeded smoothly from both the tracks.
A bridge near Kelnar got damaged but the Shrine Board got it repaired within hours, officials said, adding the yatra is proceeding smoothly and pilgrims are in high spirits.
Officials said 9,258 pilgrims were camping at Baltal base camp during the night while 7,434 left Baltal for their home states early this morning and 3,161 pilgrims left for darshan to holy cave from, there.
Officials said 3,243 pilgrims left the Chandanwari transit camp for holy cave early this morning while a group of Sadhus with musical instruments in their hands reciting bhajans and dancing to the tune of music were seen proceeding towards the cave shrine near Panchtarni.
Meanwhile, 24th batch of 2,372 pilgrims drawn from different parts of the country left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here for twin base camps of Nunwan-Pahalgam in South Kashmir district of Anatnag and Baltal in Central Kashmir district of Ganderbal under tight security arrangements early this morning in a cavalcade of 103 vehicles.
Among them, 1,701 pilgrims preferred the traditional and longest Nunwan -Pahalgam track while 671 opted for the shortest but tough terrain Baltal route. This is the smallest batch of the pilgrims in last 26 days of pilgrimage that left for holy cave from Jammu since the first batch was flagged off on June 30.
Today’s batch included 1,955 male, 375 female, six children, 51 Sadhus and three Sadhvis.
The 62 -day long yatra will culminate on Sawan Purnima coinciding with Raksha Bandhan festival on August 31.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
