Srinagar: The number of pilgrims who have paid obeisance at Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas during this year’s Yatra so far crossed the two lakh mark on Monday.
“As many as 24,879 pilgrims performed the Yatra on Monday and had darshan of Baba Bholenath on the seventh day of the annual Yatra,” the officials said.
They said the number of pilgrims who have been to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine has now reached 2,07,016.
The officials said 16,826 male pilgrims, 5,345 female pilgrims, 398 Sadhus and one Sadhvi were among those who paid obeisance at the cave shrine.
Over 2,000 security forces and 289 children also performed the pilgrimage.
The 52-day pilgrimage will conclude on August 19. More than 4.5 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine last year.
Early in the morning today, amid tight security arrangements, over 5,800 pilgrims departed from Jammu for the twin base camps in the south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.
Escorted by CRPF personnel, the 11th batch of 5,803 pilgrims left for the base camps of Baltal and Palagam in 218 vehicles around 3 am, according to the officials.
While 3,941 pilgrims took the 48-kilometre traditional Pahalgam route for their yatra, the rest took the shorter but steep 14-kilometre Baltal route, they said.
With this, a total of 62,265 pilgrims have departed the Jammu base camp for the valley since June 28 when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch.
