Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 9: The number of Amarnath pilgrims paying obeisance at holy cave is day by day decreasing and on the 39th day of pilgrimage today 361 yatris performed darshan of ice Lingam at holy cave situated at an altitude of 13,000 feet in deep Himalayas in South Kashmir district of Anantnag.
With this the total number of pilgrims paying obeisance at holy cave since the 48 day long yatra started on July 2 has touched 2,18,780.
According to an official spokesman, 119 pilgrims left for holy cave from Chandanwari transit camp this morning while 45 returned after darshan to Nunwan base camp by foot. He said five pilgrims left by Chopper from Pahalgam to holy cave while three returned by chopper to Pahalgam today.
He said 34 pilgrims are staying at Nunwan Base camp for night and 158 returned to Jammu from Pahalgam yesterday.
The spokesman said 180 pilgrims left via shortest track from Baltal base camp to holy cave early this morning while 180 pilgrims also reached Baltal base camp from Jammu this morning.
He said the weather on both the yatra tracks as well as holy cave was pleasant today.
Meanwhile 142 pilgrims left for two base camps of Baltal and Nunwan from Bhagawati Nagar Yatri Niwas today under tight security arrangements. These pilgrims after reaching Base camps late in the night will proceed for holy cave early tomorrow morning.
The spokesman said that the holy mace of Lord Shiva will leave for cave shrine from its abode Dashnami Akhara, Srinagar on August 13 to perform darshan and participate in traditional pooja on Sawan Purnima the day coinciding with Raksha Bandan on August 18. The holy mace led by Mahant Deepindra Giri its custodian will start the return journey on the same day evening.
After a night halt on its return at Panchtarni -the last transit camp on traditional Chandanwari track to cave shrine it will leave from Srinagar next day.
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