Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 12: Braving fast winds, drizzling and slippery tracks, 22,521 pilgrims drawn from different parts of country performed darshan in holy cave of Lord Shiva in South Kashmir district of Anantnag today.
This was stated by officials camping at Baltal and holy cave.
With this, the total number of pilgrims performing darshan at cave shrine in last 18 days since the yatra started on June 25 has touched 4,21,437. Over 3.98 lakh pilgrims had performed darshan in holy cave situated at a height of 3,888 meters till late last night.
The officials said four more Amarnath pilgrims have died today taking the death toll during the ongoing pilgrimage to 71.
They said Nirmala Tripathi, wife of Vidyadhar of UP died at holy cave this morning due to cardiac arrest. Another yatri identified as Shovna wife of Srikant Mahadev Acharya of Raigarh Maharashtra died at Panjtarni today due to heart attack.
Prem Dulari wife of Mukand Lal Yadav of UP died at Baltal due to heart attack, they said, adding one unidentified body of a Sadhu was found at Sheshnag today and he was shifted to Pahalgam for identification.
The officials said the weather remained cloudy for entire day and it was drizzling for some time during the day and later in the evening. The tracks remained slippery for the entire day. However the yatra proceeded smoothly, they added.
The officials said a fresh batch of 4600 pilgrims left Nunwan –Pahalgam base camp for holy cave via traditional Chandanwari track early this morning while 9070 left from Baltal via shortest 16 kilometre track.
The yatris who left via Baltal track after performing darshan in cave shrine started their return journey while those from Chandanwari track after a night haltage at Sheshnag and Panchtarni will perform darshan at holy cave tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.
The yatris camping on various camps enroute to holy cave also started their onwards sojourn this morning the officials said adding over 3.90 lakh pilgrims have returned so far.
Meanwhile, amid tight security, a fresh batch of 3,434 pilgrims today left for the Amarnath cave shrine. The pilgrims comprising 2,251 men, 840 women, 91 children and 252 ‘Sadhus’ left in a cavalcade of 104 vehicles from Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu at around 0500 hours for Amarnath.
With today’s batch, as many as 64,477 pilgrims have left Jammu for their onward journey to the cave shrine.
Meanwhile, all the 4.40 lakh registered pilgrims have been covered under Group Insurance by the Shrine Board with the New India Assurance Company. Besides 20,000 laborers and 13,000 horses also get the risk cover.
This was stated by Dr Daleep Pandita, Divisional Manager of the Company. He said in this regard a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has already been signed by the Company with SASB for Rs one lakh insurance cover to 4.40 lakh registered yatris.
The scheme will cover their death due to all types of accidents, be it a snake bite, drowning, electric shock, slip/ fall from hill or mountain or bad weather conditions besides in case of death in road accident in J&K during yatra , he added.
Dr Pandita said SASB has already paid premium amount to the Company for their various insurance covers covering yatris, laborers, animals, sheds, equipments, vehicles etc. The risk cover starts as soon as pilgrim enters the state at Lakhanpur and last till he exits from the State.
Besides the insurance cover of Rs one lakh, the yatri will get charges of Rs 2,000 for carrying dead body and education grant of Rs 5000 per dependent child of the insured deceased under the scheme, he added.
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