SRINAGAR: With over thirteen thousand people paying obeisance at the holy cave shrine on Tuesday, more than 54 thousand devotees have had ‘darshan’ of the naturally-formed ice-lingam in the cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas since the start of the annual pilgrimage four days ago.
The fifth batch of more than 6,500 Amarnath pilgrims left the Jammu city in the early hours of Tuesday and reached the twin base camps in Kashmir, even as CRPF Director General Sujoy Lal Thaosen accompanied some of them heading to the Baltal base camp in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district after reviewing security arrangements at the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here.
The 62-day annual pilgrimage to the 3,888-metre-high cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas commenced from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district on July 1.
On Tuesday, 13,597 people paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine, the officials said, adding in the first four days of the yatra, 54,714 devotees have had ‘darshan’ of the naturally-formed ice-lingam in the cave shrine.
The fifth batch of more than 6,500 Amarnath pilgrims left the Jammu city in the early hours of Tuesday for the twin base camps in Kashmir.
The yatra is progressing smoothly, with devotees from across the country thronging the base camps to have a glimpse of the naturally formed ice-shivlingam and offer their prayers.
A total of 6,597 pilgrims, including 1,429 women, 160 seers and 33 children, left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here for the valley in a convoy of 253 vehicles amid tight security arrangements in the early hours of Tuesday, officials said.
The officials said 4,475 pilgrims, headed for Pahalgam, left in a convoy of 160 vehicles for the valley at around 4.10 am, while another convoy of 93 vehicles carrying 2,122 pilgrims was the first to leave for the Baltal base camp at 3.40 am.
With this, a total of 24,162 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp for the valley since June 30, the day the first batch of pilgrims was flagged off by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
CRPF Director General Sujoy Lal Thaosen Tuesday accompanied a batch of pilgrims heading to the Baltal base camp for the Amarnath Yatra in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district after reviewing security arrangements at the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here.
“During visit to J&K @sthaosen, DG @crpfindia, reviewed the security arrangements made for the ongoing Sh Amarnath ji yatra . He visited Bhagwati Nagar yatriniwas (Jammu). He also interacted with the pilgrims and took their feedback,” the CRPF wrote on its official Twitter handle.
In another tweet, it said, “Continuing with his review of SANJY (ShriAmarnathji Yatra) security arrangements amidst his visit to Baltal, @sthaosen,DG @crpfindia, accompanied the up convoy from Bhagwati nagar.
“He saw firsthand the exchange of the convoy at Lamber, Banihal before proceeding ahead to Qazigund & Mirbazar camps (in south Kashmir),” it added.
Two people, however, have died so far in the pilgrimage of this year.
M Anapurna, a 67-year-old woman pilgrim from Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati, died at a hospital in Sonamarg on Monday, officials said, adding the cause of her death was not known yet.
An Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officer posted on Amarnath Yatra duty at Sonamarg in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir died before the commencement of the pilgrimage.
Cardiac arrest — triggered by lower oxygen concentration at high altitudes — is one of the most common causes of fatalities among Amarnath pilgrims and security forces posted there.
