SRINAGAR: Amarnath pilgrimage is progressing smoothly as fresh batches of yatris today left base camps for the holy cave in south Kashmir Himalayas, where over 2.51 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance so far.
The weather is cloudy today and it rained in some areas on both the tracks. However, the yatra is going on smoothly, a yatra official said.
He said fresh batches of pilgrims, though the number was very low, left base camps at Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam early this morning.
On the 30th day of the 40-day-long pilgrimage, which commenced on June 29, about 1,571 yatris visited the holy cave yesterday. With this a total of 2,51,326 yatris, including women and sadhus, from different parts of the country had darshan of the self-made ice-Shivalingam at the cave shrine so far.
Meanwhile, a fresh batch of pilgrims left Bagwati Nagar, Jammu base camp for Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam base camps under unprecedented security arrangements, he said The pilgrims, who had a night halt at Panjtarni, left for the cave shrine early this morning.
Many of them are now paying obeisance at the cave shrine since this morning after covering two km distance on foot.
A fresh batch of yatris also left Baltal base camp for the cave shrine early today.
The pilgrims are expected to reach the cave shrine situated at 14,000 feet in the afternoon after covering 14 km hilly terrain on foot.
Majority of the pilgrims, who preferred to reach the cave shrine from traditional Pahalgam track, are also returning via Baltal track.
Similarly, fresh batch of pilgrims, who had a night halt at Nunwan Pahalgam base camp, have left for Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on the traditional track.
Pilgrims, who had night halt at different halting stations on the traditional route, have also started their foot journey towards the cave shrine this morning. (AGENCIES)
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