Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 25: The 62 -day long Amarnath Ji yatra which started on July 1 is close to 3.5 lakh in last 25 days.
Today, 8,920 pilgrims from twin tracks of Baltal in Ganderbal district of Central Kashmir and Nunwan-Pahalgam in Anantnag district of South Kashmir paid obeisance to Ice Shiv Lingam at 3888 metre high Himalayan cave in Lidder Valley.
Officials said with this a total number of 3,49,069 pilgrims have visited the holy cave so far. They said the weather remained dry but cloudy in entire cave shrine area during the day and it rained for some time during late night hours at holy cave.
Officials said the yatra proceeded smoothly from both the tracks and pilgrims were enjoying the tracking by chanting Bum Bum Bole enroute.
Among the 8,920 pilgrims who performed darshan in the holy cave today included 7100 male, 1716 female, 32 children, 71 Sadhus and one Sadhvi.
Yatris visiting the holy cave for darshan were all praise for Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) for the cooperation and assistance rendered to them by the officials as well as security forces and police.
Priya Kulkarni, a pilgrim from Maharashtra who for the first time visited the holy cave said that the officials of Shrine Board as well as police and security forces provided them all support and help during the pilgrimage. “They assisted us in getting shelter when the weather turned bad on our way to cave shrine. The officials helped us in performing darshan without any difficulty for which our entire team is thankful to them”, she added.
She also wished to visit holy cave every year in future to have darshan of Bhole Baba whom she said is matter of great faith for her and her family. Priya, who chose to visit holy cave via traditional Nunwan-Pahalgam track said “Initially I thought I could not ascend the steep hills of Pissu Top and Mahagunas but I don’t know how I got courage and I felt totally comfortable while ascending these steep hills though the people feel lack of Oxygen at Mahaguns Top.”
“The courage I got in covering the entire tough and terrain route was due to blessings of Bhole Baba and I wish to visit every year for darshan in future”, she said.
Meanwhile, a fresh batch of 3025 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas for twin base camps of Nunwan-Pahalgam and Baltal early this morning under tight security arrangements in a cavalcade of 119 vehicles, officials said.
They said among them 1,865 pilgrims preferred the traditional and longest Nunwan-Pahalgam track while 1160 opted for the shortest but terrain Baltal route.
This was the 23rd batch which left from for holy cave today. They included 1535 male, 275 female, two children, 48 Sadhus and five Sadhvis.
It may be recalled that 37 pilgrims lost their lives during the ongoing yatra mostly due to breathlessness and cardiac arrest.
The 62 –day long pilgrimage will culminate on Shravan Purnima coinciding with Raksha Bandhan festival falling on August 31 when holy mace of Lord Shiva will reach the cave shrine from its abode Dashnami Akhara Srinagar for darshan.
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