Avtar Bhat
SRINAGAR/JAMMU, July 15: The Amarnath Yatra has touched 2.50 lakh in last 18 days of darshan.
According to an official spokesman 11,685 pilgrims performed the darshan in holy cave of Swami Amarnath situated at an altitude of 3880 metres in deep Himalayas in South Kashmir district of Anantnag since the first day of darshan on June 28.
He said with this the total number of pilgrims visiting the holy cave during last 18 days has reached to 2,48,186. Till last evening 2,36, 501 pilgrims had performed darshan in the cave shrine, he added.
He said the yatra is proceeding smoothly. However one pilgrim identified as Gouri Anit was injured after fall from horse at Panchtarni today. She was from Maharashtra. She was shifted to Joint and Bones Hospital, Barzulla Srinagar for treatment, he added.
The spokesman said that majority of these yatris have returned to their home states while others are on their way. He said despite drizzling in the morning and cloudy weather enroute the cave shrine,11,685 pilgrims performed darshan of Ice Lingam in the holy cave today.
He said the helicopter service to the holy cave from Pahalgam remained suspended today due to bad weather. However, the copter service from Baltal plied normally despite the drizzling at Baltal in the morning hours, he added.
Spokesman, said that weather was clean at Pahalgam and Nunwan while it was cloudy at Sheshnag and Panchtarni which hampered the copter service to holy cave.
He said 3,903 pilgrims left Nunwan- Pahalgam base camp under tight security measures for holy cave from traditional Chandanwari track while 4,049 left from Baltal base camp via shortest track. Besides, 1,525 pilgrims left by copter from Baltal to holy cave, he added.
He said the pilgrims stationed at Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarni camps also started their journey for next destinations early this morning. While the pilgrims who left from Panchtarni and Baltal managed to perform darshan in cave shrine today and have started their return journey also, those who left from Chandanwari and Sheshnag will reach cave shrine tomorrow and day after tomorrow.
Meanwhile a fresh batch of 1,027 pilgrims left for holy cave from Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu base camp in a cavalcade of 43 vehicles under tight security measures early this morning. They included 710 male, 183 female, 9 children and 125 Sadhus. The cavalcade had crossed the Jawahar tunnel by the evening and where on their way to next destinations in Kashmir valley where from they will start their journey by foot to cave shrine tomorrow morning.
This is so far the lowest batch of pilgrims leaving Jammu base camp for holy cave since the first batch of yatra was flagged off from here on June 27, 2013.
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