Avtar Bhat
SRINAGAR/ JAMMU June 30: On day three of the annual Amarnath yatra today, over 16,000 pilgrims performed darshan of the icy Lingam in the holy cave.
According to an official spokesman, 16,159 pilgrims performed darshan in the holy cave situated at an height of 14000 feet in Lidder Valley of Anantnag district of South Kashmir.
With this the total number of pilgrims performing darshan in holy cave since the 55 days long Amarnath yatra started on June 28 has touched 35,672 as 19,513 pilgrims performed darshan in the holy cave during first two days.
Meanwhile, a fresh batch of more than 8,000 pilgrims left for holy Amarnath cave shrine from Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam base camps this morning.
The 55-day-long yatra, which started on June 28, was going on smoothly.
A yatra official said 5,381 yatris, including 1007 females and 24 Sadhus left Baltal base camp for the cave shrine from shortest route this morning.
He said another batch of 2,650 yatris left Nunwan Pahalgam base camp on traditional yatra route. They included 30 females and 171 Sadhus.
Those, who performed the pilgrimage during the first two days, have returned to Baltal base camp. Majority of them later left for their homes.
However, the authorities have maintained a strict vigil and no unregistered yatri from both Baltal track and traditional Nunwan-Pahalgam track are allowed to leave for darshan.
Sources said that two Senior police officers of SSP rank are camping at Gosani Padav at Pahalgam to check the yatris so that no unregistered yatri managed to enter the Nunwan Base Camp.
However rush of pilgrims is day by day increasing and Pahalgam as well as Baltal is agog with festivities and hustle and bustle, sources said adding that over 8000 pilgrims are camping at Pahalgam alone.
Meanwhile the fourth batch of 2,066 pilgrims today left for the holy Cave Shrine from ‘Yatri Niwas’ at Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu the- base camp in the Winter capital of the State.
“A batch comprising 1507 males, 399 females, 35 children and 125 sadhus this morning left for the Amarnath cave shrine from here in a convoy of 80 vehicles including 51 private and SRTC buses and 29 light motor vehicles,” official spokesperson here said.
He said the first bus left at around 0515 hrs and the last bus at 0616 hrs.
The entire cavalcade had crossed the Jawahar tunnel by the evening and were on their way to Pahalgam and Baltal till last reports came in.
Minister of Cooperatives Dr Manohar Lal today inaugurated the Baba Barfarni Sewa Samiti Langer at Chan Rorian in Kathua district. He was accompanied by MLC Subash Gupta.
The people have developed such a faith in Lord Shiva that Laxmi Dass, a woman from Behrampur in Orissa left for holy cave for 16th time today. While talking to this reporter she said that she had first time visited holy cave in 1989 as she had no issue and prayed there for a son. Later a son was born to her whom she named as Amarnath.
Later no child was born to her for about eight years and she decided to have pilgrimage of holy cave again in 1998. After the pilgrimage she gave birth to a daughter whom she named on the name of Mata Vaishno and since then she has been regularly visiting the holy cave and this year it is her 16th pilgrimage.
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