Amarnath Yatra: 4,669 more visit shrine, total crosses 2.80 lakh

Jammu: More than 280,000 devotees have visited the revered cave shrine Amarnath in the last 14 days, as a fresh group of 4,669 Yatris departed for the Valley on Saturday. Managed by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) under the leadership of Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the Yatra has seen over 280,000 participants since its commencement on June 29. “On Saturday, a batch of 4,669 Yatris departed from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in two escorted convoys,” officials stated. “Among them, 1,630 Yatris are traveling in a convoy of 74 vehicles towards the north Kashmir Baltal base camp, leaving Jammu at 3:05 AM. Another group of 3,039 Yatris departed at 3:57 AM in a convoy of 109 vehicles, heading for the south Kashmir Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp.”

The cave shrine, located at an elevation of 3,888 meters in the Kashmir Himalayas, houses an ice stalagmite structure that grows and diminishes with the lunar phases, believed by devotees to embody the mythical powers of Lord Shiva. Pilgrims approach the shrine via either the traditional south Kashmir Pahalgam route, spanning 48 kilometers and taking four to five days, or the north Kashmir Baltal route, covering 14 kilometers with a one-day round trip. This Saturday, 4,434 Yatris departed Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu in two escorted convoys. The first convoy, carrying 1,721 pilgrims in 64 vehicles, departed at 3 AM for the north Kashmir Baltal base camp. The second convoy, with 2,713 pilgrims in 101 vehicles, departed at 3:35 AM for the south Kashmir Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp. The Yatra, scheduled to conclude on August 29 coinciding with the Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan festivals, continues to draw devotees seeking blessings amid the majestic Himalayan terrain.