Srinagar: The number of pilgrims who paid obeisance at Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir crossed the 4.5 lakh mark on Saturday as more than 7,500 pilgrims had ‘darshan’ of the naturally formed ice lingam, officials said here.
“As many as 7,541 pilgrims performed the Yatra on Saturday and had ‘darshan’ of Baba Bholenath on the 29th 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 reached 4,51,881.
The 52-day pilgrimage will conclude on August 19. About 4.59 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine last year.
Meanwhile, more than 1,700 pilgrims left a base camp in Jammu for the Amarnath shrine in Kashmir amid tight security early on Saturday, officials said.
The 30th batch of pilgrims left Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar base camp at 3:25 am in a convoy of 63 vehicles under tight security, the officials said.
While 999 pilgrims will reach Pahalgam to undertake the pilgrimage through the traditional 48-kilometre route in Anantnag district, 772 have opted for the shorter but steeper 14-kilometre Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
