Excelsior Correspondent
— Excelsior/Sajjad Dar
JAMMU, July 13: With unabated rush of Shri Amarnathji pilgrims continuing, over 9000 devotees drawn from different parts of country paid their obeisance at holy cave of Lord Shiva in deep Himalayas on 15th day of darshan today.
This has taken the total number of pilgrims who performed darshan at holy cave since the 40 -day long annual yatra of Shri Amarnathji started on June 29 to 1,77,134.
According to an official spokesman the yatra is running smoothly and today 9,197 pilgrims performed darshan at holy cave.
He said pilgrims are in high spirits and the rush continues from both 45 km long traditional Chandanwari-Sheshnag track as well as shortest 14 km Baltal -Dumel track.
The spokesman said over 6000 pilgrims left for holy cave from twin tracks early this morning. Out of them 2787 pilgrims left Baltal, Sonamarag base camp in Central Kashmir district of Ganderbal for holy cave today while 4013 left from Nunwan-Pahalgam base camp.
He said the pilgrims camping at the halting stations of Sheshnag and Panchtarni also left for their onwards sojourn this morning.
He said that 3500 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas Jammu for the holy cave early this morning under tight security arrangements.
Amid chanting Bam Bam Bholey and Baba Barfani Ki Jai these yatris left in 153 vehicles. Till last reports came in all these yatris had reached their respective base camps.
The spokesman said there are over 3000 pilgrims at Nunwan and Pahalgam while over 2000 yatris are at Baltal and Sonamarg to leave for holy cave early tomorrow. Hundreds of yatris are also reaching Jammu for registration daily from different parts of country to leave for darshan of holy cave.
Due to early morning rains and landslide at Panthaal area near Ramban on National Highway the NH was blocked from Ramban to Udhampur at several places today. There was also a heavy jam at Jakhani Chowk on NH and the jam remained for two hours with the result yatra vehicles were also trapped in the jam.
Meanwhile a 44-year-old pilgrim from Maharashtra today died near the holy cave shrine of Amarnathji in South Kashmir, taking the death toll in the ongoing yatra to 19, officials said.
Govind Baburao Poraty, a resident of Nagpur, died at lower cave hospital due to cardiac arrest, the officials said.
They said the body of the deceased was brought back to Baltal base camp and handed over to his family for last rites.
The death toll in this year’s yatra now stands at 19, which includes seven pilgrims killed in the Anantnag terrorist attack on Monday night.
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