Jammu & Kashmir : Despite rain in the holy cave shrine area, over 19,000 devotees had ‘darshan’ on the 12th day of the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, while another batch of 4,885 pilgrims left for Kashmir from Jammu on Thursday.
Braving the rain and chanting slogans of ‘Bum Bum Bhole,’ 19,631 Yatris had ‘darshan’ on Wednesday inside the holy cave shrine situated 3,888 meters above sea level in the Kashmir Himalayas.
Wednesday’s group of devotees included pilgrims from both the South Kashmir Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp and the North Kashmir Baltal base camp. Locals are providing essential support to the Yatris by offering ponies, porters, guides, and even carrying elderly Yatris on their backs over the treacherous, rain-slicked mountain track.
Authorities have deployed security personnel along both the 48 km-long Pahalgam route and the 14 km-long Baltal-Cave shrine axis.
Approximately 150 ‘langars’ (community kitchens) run by over 7,000 volunteers work round the clock to serve fresh, healthy food to the Yatris. Community kitchens have also been established at the transit camps of Manigam in North Kashmir’s Ganderbal district and Mir Bazaar in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), headed by J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, manages the affairs of the annual Yatra. In the 12 days since it started, over 2.50 lakh devotees have participated.
Out of the 4,885 pilgrims that left for Kashmir on Thursday, a total of 1,894 pilgrims in 86 vehicles departed at 3:05 a.m., while the second escorted convoy carrying 2,991 Yatris in 105 vehicles left at 3:52 a.m. The first convoy is headed to the Baltal base camp, while the second is going to the Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp.
Pilgrims use the nearly 300 km long Jammu-Srinagar national highway to reach the Valley. Due to the unobstructed passage provided by massive security arrangements, both pilgrim convoys reach the Valley by early afternoon each day.
For the safety of the Yatris, no pilgrim movement is allowed from the transit camps towards the two base camps after 5 p.m. each day. Since it started on June 29, Amarnath Yatra 2024 has been proceeding safely and peacefully.
The 52-day long Yatra will conclude on August 29, coinciding with the Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan festivals.
