The Amarnath Yatra, a revered annual pilgrimage among Hindus which commenced on July 3 this year, has been witnessing thousands of devotees visiting the holy cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir each day.
A batch of 7,579 pilgrims left for the Kashmir Valley on Wednesday, officials said, adding that since the commencement of the yatra, over 1.11 lakh pilgrims have had the ‘darshan’ of the Shivling inside the Amaranth cave shrine, IANS reported.
“Another batch of 7,579 yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in two escorted convoys for the Valley today. First escorted convoy of 133 vehicles carrying 3031 yatris left at 3.25 am for Baltal base camp while the second escorted convoy of 169 vehicles carrying 4548 yatris left at 3.40 am for Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp,” officials said.
In addition to the devotees coming to Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu, many are also reporting directly at Nunwan (Pahalgam) and Baltal for on-spot registration, according to the officials of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), which manages the affairs of the annual pilgrimage.
There are two routes to reach the cave shrine – the traditional route form Pahalgam, which is 46 kilometres long, and the shorter but steeper route from Baltal, which is 14 kilometres long. Apart from walking on foot, devotees can avail the services of ponies and palanquins (palkis). While helicopter services are usually available, they have been suspended this year for security reasons.
Authorities have provided a multi-tier cover to this year’s Amarnath Yatra, as it comes after the terror attack in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam, where 26 people were killed after being segregated on the basis of faith.
An additional 180 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been brought in to augment the existing strength of the Army, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the local police, IANS reported. All the transit camps en route to the two base camps and the entire route from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu to the cave shrine are secured by the security forces.
The 38-day-long yatra, which began on July 3, will end on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan festivals.
About Amarnath cave shrine
The Amarnath cave shrine, located approximately 13,000 feet above sea level, is an abode of Lord Shiva, who is enshrined in the form of an ice-lingam, which is naturally formed. It is believed that the ice-lingam waxes and waned according to the phases of the moon. Since it is situated at a high altitude, the cave is mostly covered with snow. The entrance to the shrine is only accessible for a limited period during summer or the Shravan month.
(With inputs from IANS)