Yatra going on smoothly, about 2.91 lakh pilgrims pay obeisance

SRINAGAR :  Undeterred by cloudburst at Baltal base camp, which left three people dead and about a dozen injured yesterday, fresh batches of pilgrims left for holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, where about 2.90 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance since the commencement of the 59-day-long yatra from July 2.
A Yatra Control Room (YCR) official said 4,890 pilgrims had darshan of the Ice-Shivlingam yesterday. With this a total of 2,90, 943 yatris  had paid obeisance.
A large number of pilgrims, including women and children, remained stranded at Sumbal and Manigam transit camp due to closure of the road to Sonamarg and Baltal base camp following landslides, triggered by cloudbursts at four places. However, a number pilgrims covered the damaged portion of the road on foot to reach the Baltal base camp.
He said yatris, who arrived at Baltal base camp, were allowed to move towards the cave shrine early this morning. Despite rain and cloudy weather, pilgrims will have darshan of the Ice-Shivlingam this afternoon after covering the 16-km-long distance on foot from Baltal.
He said a fresh batch of pilgrims also left Nunwan Pahalgam base camp for the cave shrine early this morning. However, some of the pilgrims will have night stay at Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on traditional route.
He said pilgrims, who had night halt at Panjtarni also left for the cave shrine to have darshan today.
Similarly, the yatris, who stayed at Pisso top and Sheshang, also started their onward journey towards the cave shrine this morning. (AGENCIES)