SRINAGAR : Amarnath Yatra crosses 3.50 lakh mark while fresh batches of pilgrims left Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam base camps this morning despite intermittent rain during the night and cloudy weather for the cave shrine at 13500 feet in south Kashmir Himalayas.
The weather is now pleasant and pilgrimage was going on smoothly, a Yatra Control Room (YCR) official told UNI.
He said during the 51st day of 59-day-long ongoing yatra, 358 pilgrims, including women, sadhus and children paid obeisance at the cave shrine. With this a total of 350078 yatris had paid obeisance and glimpse of the self made Ice-Shivlingam at the cave shrine. Despite melting of the Ice-Shivlingam, yatris continued to throng the shrine to pay obeisance.
There was intermittent rain during the night and now the weather is pleasant and yatra is going on smoothly though the sky is still cloudy, he said.
He said more than 161 pilgrims, including 24 women, a child and two sadhus left Baltal base camp for the holy cave early this morning. The pilgrims are scheduled to reach the cave shrine this afternoon after covering the 16-km-long track on foot, dandies and horse backs.
Meanwhile, pilgrims, who had night halt at cave shrine after paying obeisance yesterday, have also started their return journey to Baltal camp early this morning, he said adding about 30 yatris had reached the camp.
The official said more than 250 pilgrims, including 51 women and 50 sadhus left Nunwan Pahalgam base camp for the cave shrine this morning. However, some of them will have night halt at Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on the traditional track.
Meanwhile, pilgrims who had night halt at different halting stations on the traditional route have also started their onward journey towards the cave shrine early this morning. (AGENCIES)
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