Yatra inches close to 2L mark, 8734 pay obeisance on day 14

SRINAGAR: A total of 8,734 pilgrims paid obeisance at the naturally formed ice lingam in the cave shrine of Amarnath on Sunday, taking the total visitors this year to 1,82,712, even as the 13th batch of 7,993 pilgrims, the biggest so far, left Jammu for the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam in Kashmir.
This year’s pilgrimage is likely to cross 2 lakh mark on Monday or Tuesday, the fastest since 2015. It has taken 23 days to cross the mark in 2016, 18 in 2017 and 20 days in 2018.
The Amarnath Yatra resumed from Jammu on Sunday after a day-long suspension as a precautionary measure in view of a separatists-backed strike called on "Martyrs' Day" in the Kashmir valley.
Since its commencement on July 1, the pilgrimage was suspended from Jammu for the second time on Saturday owing to the strike called by separatist groups. On July 8, it was suspended as a precautionary measure in view of the third death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani.
“On the 14th day of the ongoing Shri Amarnathji Yatra, 8,734 yatris paid obeisance at the holy cave. Till date, 1,82,712 yatris have had the darshan of the Shivling," a spokesperson of the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board said.
With this, the number of pilgrims who have visited the shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas is inching close to 2 lakh mark, even as more than a month duration of the pilgrimage is left, they said.
The annual Amarnath pilgrimage commenced on July 1 and will conclude on August 15, coinciding with the festival of Raksha Bandhan.
Earlier on Sunday morning, the 13th batch of 7,993 pilgrims, the biggest so far, left Jammu for the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam in Kashmir, the officials said.
The pilgrims left in two convoys comprising 310 vehicles from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp under tight security arrangements early in the morning and were expected to reach their destinations in the valley later in the day, they added.
The officials said while 5,270 pilgrims opted for the traditional 36-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district, 2,723 would take the shorter 12-km Baltal track in Ganderbal district.
Over 1.75 lakh pilgrims have so far registered themselves for the 46-day long pilgrimage.
Multi-tier security arrangements are in place for a smooth and successful conduct of the pilgrimage. As many as 2.85 lakh pilgrims had paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine last year, while the figures were 3.52 lakh in 2015, 3.20 lakh in 2016 and 2.60 lakh in 2017.