Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 6: While the Yatra remained suspended from twin tracks of Baltal and Nunwan- Pahalgam due to slippery track after overnight rainfall in yatra area, over 7,500 pilgrims paid obeisance at the Amarnath cave shrine today, taking the number of devotees who have had ‘darshan’ of the naturally formed ice Shivlingam so far to over 1.59 lakh.
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Officials said that the yatra was suspended to holy cave from twin tracks due to heavy overnight rainfall and slippery track near Railpathri. However, over 7500 pilgrims stationed at Panchtarni, the last camp via Chandanwari track to holy cave, performed darshan of Ice Shivlingam by this evening.
Officials said that some pilgrims who complained breathlessness were taken to Hospital near cave shrine and put on Oxygen. All these pilgrims are safe and sound now, they said.
The Amarnath Yatra began on June 29 from the twin tracks — the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal track in Ganderbal.
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The yatra was temporarily suspended this morning in the wake of heavy rainfall, but resumed later in the day, they said.
“On Saturday, 7,552 pilgrims performed the yatra and had darshan of Baba Bholenath on the eighth day of the annual yatra,” officials said.
They said 5,019 male pilgrims, 1,406 female pilgrims, 118 Sadhus and three Sadhvis were among those who paid obeisance at the cave shrine. Also, 869 security personnel, three transgender persons and 134 children performed the pilgrimage, they said.
With this, the number of pilgrims who have visited the 3,888-metre-high cave shrine in the South Kashmir Himalayas has now reached 1,59,498, officials added.
Deaths of two devotees — a Sevadar from Haryana and a pilgrim from Jharkhand — have been reported during this year’s yatra so far. Both of them suffered cardiac arrest on the Baltal route, according to the officials.
The 52-day pilgrimage will conclude on August 19. More than 4.5 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine last year.
Meanwhile a fresh batch of 5876 pilgrims left for twin tracks of Baltal in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district and Nunwan -Pahalgam in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district of South Kashmir from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas under tight security arrangements early this morning in a cavalcade of 245 light and heavy vehicles.
Among them, 2117 pilgrims preferred shortest Baltal track while 37 59 preferred the longest and traditional Nunwan-Chandanwari track.
These pilgrims had reached to their destinations by this evening where from they will leave for their onwards sojourn early tomorrow morning.
Meanwhile, there is heavy rush of pilgrims as thousands of yatris from different parts of country reached here today also for their yatra to holy cave.
Officials said over 4000 pilgrims are camping at Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas for night haltage to leave for twin base camps in Kashmir valley early tomorrow morning.
There is also huge rush of pilgrims at Saraswati Dham and Vaishnavi Dham where hundreds of pilgrims are seen waiting in long queues for their registration.
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