Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 29: Undeterred by the morning downpour, over 7000 pilgrims drawn from different parts of the country paid obeisance to naturally formed Ice Shivlingam in 3888 metre high Himalayan cave in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district today.
Officials said 7,076 yatris from twin tracks of Baltal and Nunwan -Pahalgam performed darshan at holy cave by this evening despite the downpour during the morning. With this, a total number of 3,84,147 pilgrims from India and abroad have performed darshan at cave shrine in last 29 days.
Among them, 7,076 pilgrims who performed darshan today, 5,700 were male, 1,268 female, 59 children, 48 Sadhus and one Sadhvi, officials said.
Officials said that the weather remained overcast with clouds and it was drizzling up to afternoon but the yatra plied smoothly from both the tracks.
Officials said that one pilgrim identified as Kalpesh Zaveri, 53, who came from district Jam Nagar, Hazwai Chowk, Shethfali Gujarat was on his return journey from holy cave when he suddenly fell unconscious near Kali Mata track .
He was immediately shifted to nearby health centre where doctors declared him dead.
With this, the death toll in this year’s yatra has touched 42. The main cause of the deaths has been due to breathlessness and cardiac arrest, officials said.
Officials said 2,274 pilgrims were staying at Panchtarni transit camp during the last night while 2,111 were halting at Sheshnag for night.
Officials said that 1304 pilgrims had a night halt at base camp Nunwan while 1,234 left for holy cave from there. At Baltal base camp, 4,558 pilgrims were staying during last night while 5,123 pilgrims left from there for their home States and 2,458 yatris left for holy cave early this morning for darshan from Baltal, the officials added.
Officials said 2,801 yatris were staying at Chandanwari transit camp while 2,802 yatris left from there for holy cave early this morning.
Moreover, the chopper services also plied normally during the day carrying pilgrims to holy cave and back.
Meanwhile, 27th batch of 2,050 pilgrims left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here early this morning under tight security arrangements towards base camps of Nunwan-Pahalgam and Baltal in a cavalcade of 87 vehicles.
Among them, 1,442 pilgrims choose traditional Nunwan-Pahalgam track in South Kashmir district of Anantnag while 608 pilgrims opted for shortest but tough Baltal route in Central Kashmir ‘s Ganderbal district.
This is so far the lowest batch of pilgrims leaving from Jammu towards the holy cave since the first batch of Yatris was flagged off from here on June 30.
These pilgrims included 1,618 male, 357 female, 12 children, 54 Sadhus and nine Sadhvis, officials said.
It may be recalled that this year’s yatra is having special religious significance in view of falling of the two months of Shravan in Hindu calendar.
The 62, day yatra will culminate on Shravan Purnima coinciding with Raksha Bandhan festival falling on August 31 when holy mace led by its sole custodian, Mahant Dependra Giri Ji and Sadhus will reach to cave shrine from its abode Dashnami Akhara, Srinagar.
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