Mubashir Aalam Wani
Jammu, Jul 09 : The 52-day Amarnath Yatra has seen a daily increase in the number of pilgrims, with more than 20,000 performing the pilgrimage since it began on June 29 from the twin tracks of Baltal-Sonamarg and Nunwan-Pahalgam.
Officials told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that 230,759 pilgrims have so far performed the Amarnath Yatra, with 23,743 yatris having performed darshan at the holy cave situated at an altitude of 3,888 meters in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
They said the 12th batch of 5,433 pilgrims, drawn from different parts of the country, left for the twin base camps of Nunwan-Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal-Sonamarg in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district in a cavalcade of 213 light and heavy vehicles under tight security measures from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas early Tuesday morning.
The batch included 4,203 men, 1,117 women, 18 children, 83 sadhus, and 12 sadhvis (female sadhus). Among them, 1,971 preferred the shorter Baltal track, while 3,462 opted for the longer and traditional Nunwan-Pahalgam track.
Officials said the pilgrims who reached the twin base camps of Baltal and Nunwan on Monday left for the holy cave early Tuesday morning, while the yatris who departed from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas this morning reached their respective base camps by the evening and will leave for the holy cave early Wednesday morning.
Extensive security arrangements have been made this year along the nearly 300 km Jammu-Srinagar highway, at the twin yatra routes, the two base camps, and the cave shrine to ensure a smooth and incident-free yatra.
Over 124 langars (community kitchens) have been set up along both routes, at the transit camps, and at the cave shrine. Over 7,000 sevadars (volunteers) are serving the yatris during this year’s Yatra. Helicopter services are also available for the yatris on both routes.
The 52-day pilgrimage will conclude on August 19. More than 4.5 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine last year.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited the Nunwan and Chandanwari base camps set up for the Amarnath Yatra and reviewed arrangements for the ongoing pilgrimage to the 3,880-meter-high cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas.
Visited Nunwan & Chandanwari base camps at Pahalgam today. Interacted with the pilgrims, service providers, doctors, sanitation workers, and administrative and security officials and took stock of the yatra arrangements. #ShriAmarnathJiYatra2024,” the Office of LG J&K posted on social media site X—(KNO)
