Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 7: On the 38th day of yatra, 2,954 pilgrims drawn from different parts of the country paid obeisance to naturally formed Ice Shivlingam in Himalayan cave today.
Officials said 2,954 pilgrims reached the holy cave from twin tracks of Baltal and Nunwan-Pahalgam today to perform darshan of Lord Shiva.
With this, the total number of pilgrims visiting the holy cave during last 38 days has reached 4,22,223.
A fresh batch of over 500 pilgrims left Jammu city today for the twin base camps in the Valley to join the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, officials said.
The 62-day annual pilgrimage to the 3,888-metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in the South Kashmir Himalayas commenced from the twin tracks — the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag and the shorter 14-km Baltal route in the Ganderbal — on July 1.
A total of 534 pilgrims, including 451 men and 67 women, left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here in a convoy of 46 vehicles amid tight security, the officials said.
This is the lowest number of pilgrims which left Jammu since the first batch of Yatra was flagged off on June 30 from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas.
While 354 pilgrims left for the Pahalgam base camp in a convoy of 14 vehicles, 180 devotees proceeded to the Baltal base camp in a convoy of 10 vehicles, they said.
The yatra will conclude on Shravan Purnima coinciding with Raksha Bandhan festival on August 31.