Jammu, Aug 4 (IANS): Over 4.90 lakh devotees had ‘darshan’ during the last 36 days of the ongoing Amarnath Yatra as a fresh batch of 1,112 pilgrims left Jammu for Kashmir on Sunday, said the officials of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB).
The batch of 1,112 devotees left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas at 3.25 a.m. in two escorted convoys for the Valley.
“Of these, the first convoy of 11 vehicles carrying 204 Yatris left for North Kashmir Baltal base camp while the second convoy of 39 vehicles carrying 908 pilgrims left for south Kashmir Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp”, officials said.
The road to Baltal base camp from Srinagar was blocked by a cloudburst on the Srinagar-Leh highway in Kaw Cherwan village of Ganderbal district in the morning.
Officials said debris clearance operation is underway and by the time the convoy of Yatris reaches the Ganderbal district, the highway to Baltal base camp and onwards to the Ladakh region would be restored.
The large number of security forces, including police and CAPFs, have been doing round-the-clock duties all along the over 350 Km-long route from Jammu to the two base camps to secure the passage for pilgrims.
In addition to this, security forces are deployed in sufficient numbers at the transit camps, base camps and at the cave shrine for the safety of the Yatris.
Locals are not far behind in ensuring that the Yatris are assisted to perform the mountainous journey with ease.
Locals provide ponies and also work as porters for the pilgrims often carrying the weak and infirm devotees on their backs to and from the cave shrine.
Officials of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) headed by Lt. Governor, Manoj Sinha have been managing the affairs of the Yatra with professional competence.
All this together, has ensured this year’s safe, smooth and hassle-free pilgrimage to the cave shrine through some of the most rugged and treacherous mountain terrain in the Himalayas.
The cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure that wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon. Devotees believe that this ice stalagmite structure symbolises the mythical powers of Lord Shiva.
The cave is situated at an altitude of 3,888 metres above sea level in the Kashmir Himalayas. Devotees approach the cave shrine either from the traditional South Kashmir Pahalgam route or the North Kashmir Baltal route.
The Pahalgam-Cave shrine axis is 48 Km long and takes Yatris 4-5 days to reach the shrine. The Baltal-Cave shrine axis is 14 Km long and takes one day for the pilgrims to have ‘darshan’ and return to the base camp.
Helicopter services are also available for the pilgrims both at Baltal on the North Kashmir route and at Chandanwari on the South Kashmir route.
This year’s Yatra will conclude after 52 days on August 19 coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan festivals.