Over 1.45 lakh devotees have undertaken the Amarnath Yatra in the first eight days, with another batch of 6,482 pilgrims leaving for the Kashmir Valley from Jammu on Friday.
According to officials, more than 1.45 lakh pilgrims have had ‘darshan’ at the holy cave shrine.
“Another batch of 6,482 Yatris left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in two escorted convoys for the Valley today. The first convoy, comprising 107 vehicles and carrying 2,353 Yatris, departed at 3:20 a.m. for the Baltal base camp. The second convoy, consisting of 161 vehicles and carrying 4,129 Yatris, left at 4:04 a.m. for the Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp,” officials said.
The Bhumi Pujan of the ‘Chhari Mubarak’ (Lord Shiva’s Holy Mace) was performed at Pahalgam on Thursday.
The Chhari Mubarak was brought to Pahalgam by a group of sadhus led by its sole custodian, Mahant Swami Deependra Giri, from its traditional seat at the Dashnami Akhara Building in Srinagar.
In Pahalgam, the Chhari Mubarak was first taken to the Gauri Shankar Temple, where the Bhumi Pujan was performed. It was then carried to the Martand Sun Temple, where another puja was held, followed by a ceremonial dip in the holy spring at the temple.
The Chhari Mubarak will reach the holy cave shrine on August 9, marking the official conclusion of this year’s Yatra.
In addition to those arriving at the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu, many pilgrims are also reporting directly at the Baltal and Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camps for on-the-spot registration.
Authorities have made extensive multi-tiered security arrangements for this year’s Amarnath Yatra, especially in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
To ensure safety, an additional 180 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed to strengthen the presence of the Army, BSF, CRPF, SSB, and local police.
All transit camps en route to the two base camps, as well as the entire stretch from Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu to the holy cave shrine, are under strict security coverage.
This year, the Yatra began on July 3 and will conclude after 38 days on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.
(With inputs from IANS)