Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 22: Though there has been a considerable decrease in Amarnath pilgrims rush from Baltal track due to recent cloudbursts and closure of Srinagar -Baltal Highway for three days and its restoration for one way traffic, only 9,128 pilgrims paid obeisance at holy cave of Shri Amarnath on 21st day of yatra today.
According to an official spokesman, the rush of pilgrims has decreased via Baltal track as the Srinagar-Baltal Highway is open for one way traffic making it difficult for the yatris to come via this road for darshan. This has also been a cause of sudden decline in number of yatris paying obeisance at holy cave for last some days, he added.
However the rush of pilgrims continues from traditional Nunwan-Pahalgam track and thousands of pilgrims are reaching Pahalgam daily to leave for holy cave next day, the spokesman said.
He said the recent cloud bursts at various places on the cave shrine area and incessant rains has forced the yatris to prefer the Nunwan-Pahalgam track instead of Baltal track. Moreover the heavy rains and floods in various parts of country have also resulted into decrease in pilgrims rush, he added.
The spokesman said on the 21st day of darshan today 9,128 pilgrims paid obeisance at holy cave while 1621 pilgrims left from Baltal to cave shrine early this morning. Besides, 633 pilgrims left by chopper while 433 returned via chopper from holy cave to Baltal. This number is one third of the pilgrims who visited holy cave from Baltal track during normal course daily in first fortnight of the yatra, the spokesman added.
He said however there is no decline in yatris rush from Nunwan-Pahalgam via traditional Chandanwari track and 5938 pilgrims left for holy cave early this morning from Nunwan. The pilgrims having night stay at Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarni also left for holy cave early this morning for darshan, he added.
He said weather was cloudy during the day from both the tracks to holy cave but there was no drizzling and yatra proceeded smoothly.
Meanwhile a fresh batch of 769 pilgrims left the Jammu Yatri Niwas for holy cave under tight security arrangements early this morning in a cavalcade of 24 vehicles.
They included 575 male, 137 female, seven children and 49 Sadhus. They had crossed the Jawahar Tunnel by the evening and were on way to Nunwan Base camp where from they will leave for cave shrine in the morning.
This is the lowest number of pilgrims leaving for holy cave from Yatri Niwas here since the first batch left for Swami Amarnath Ji on July 1.
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