Amarnath Yatra Sees Over Three Lakh Devotees in 16 Days

More than three lakh devotees have embarked on the Amarnath Yatra over the past 16 days. Despite facing intermittent rain and thundershowers, over 15,000 pilgrims managed to have 'Darshan' inside the holy cave on Sunday alone.

Early Monday morning, another batch of 4,875 Yatris departed from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu, divided into two escorted convoys. The first convoy, consisting of 1,918 pilgrims in 68 vehicles, left at 3:05 a.m. for the Baltal base camp in north Kashmir. The second convoy, with 2,957 Yatris in 94 vehicles, departed at 3:50 a.m. for the Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp in south Kashmir.

Both convoys reached the Valley by midday. To ensure safety, no Yatri-carrying vehicle is allowed beyond the transit camps at Manigam in Ganderbal district and Mir Bazaar in Anantnag district after 5 p.m.

The sacred Amarnath cave, located at an altitude of 3,888 meters in the Kashmir Himalayas, houses an ice stalagmite structure believed to represent Lord Shiva's mythical powers. Devotees reach the shrine via two routes: the traditional 48 km Pahalgam route, which takes 4-5 days, or the 14 km Baltal route, which allows a one-day round trip.

This year's Yatra, spanning 52 days, will conclude on August 29, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.

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