Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 3: Amid chanting of Vedic hymns, special prayers were held on the occasion of Ekadashi on the bank of river Lidder at Pahalgam today by the devotees and Sadhus led by Mahant Deependra Giri custodian of holy mace of Lord Shiva who carrying the holy mace reached Pahalgam yesterday evening from Dashnami Akhara Srinagar.
The holy mace after staying for second night at Pahalgam will leave for Chandanwari the last motorable halting point towards holy cave tomorrow afternoon. The Chhari Mubarak before reaching Pahalgam yesterday evening performed the pujan at several places enroute.
Meanwhile on the 36th day of 40 day long annual yatra of Swami Amarnath Ji 813 pilgrims performed darshan at cave shrine situated at an altitude of 3880 meters in deep Himalayas in South Kashmir district of Anantnag taking the total number of pilgrims who paid obeisance in holy cave since the first day of darshan on June 29 to 2,57,589, an official spokesman said.
He said out of them majority of pilgrims have reached their home States while others are on way.
It may be recalled as the Amarnath yatra is on last leg with Chhari Mubarak reaching holy cave on Shrawan Purnima falling on August 7 with which the annual yatra will culminate, the number of pilgrims have considerably decreased over last one week.
The spokesman said over 200 pilgrims left for holy cave from twin base camps of Baltal Sonamarg in Central Kashmir district of Ganderbal and Nunwan, Pahalgam in South Kashmir district of Anantnag early this morning.
Out of them 122 pilgrims left via shortest 14 km Domel track from Baltal Base Camp while 116 left via Chandanwari-Sheshnag track from Nunwan Base Camp. In addition to this the pilgrims having night halt at Sheshnag and Panchtarni also left for their onwards sojourn in the morning, he added.
He said the yatra was proceeding smoothly from both the tracks.
A fresh batch of 205 pilgrims left for twin base camps of Nunwan and Baltal under tight security measures from Bhagwati Nagar Base Camp here early this morning in six vehicles.
The last batch of the pilgrims from Jammu to holy cave will leave on August 5 instead of August 6. A decision to this effect was taken by administration here today.
An official spokesman said that the last batch of yatra from Jammu to holy cave of Swami Amarnath will now leave on August 5 instead of August 6.
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