Excelsior correspondent
JAMMU, July 28: On the 30th day of the holy pilgrimage, 7,000 Yatris from different parts of the country today paid obeisances at the naturally formed ice Shivlingam in Shri Amarnath Ji cave, while a fresh batch of 1,677 Yatris left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here early this morning for the twin base camps of Nunwan-Pahalgam in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district and Baltal-Sonamarg in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district amid tight security in a convoy of 67 heavy and light vehicles.
Officials said 6,905 pilgrims from different parts of the country performed Darshan at the Himalayan cave at an altitude of 3,888 metres in Lidder Valley in South Kashmir through the twin tracks of Baltal and Chandanwari besides special helicopters on the 30th day of the pilgrimage that began tonight on June 29.
According to officials, a total of 4,58,786 pilgrims have visited the holy cave in the past 30 days, around 13,000 pilgrims more than last year when they visited the cave during their 62nd pilgrimage.
Among the 6,905 pilgrims who visited the holy cave today were 4,044 men, 1,655 women, 124 children, 145 sadhus, and three others besides 934 service providers and security personnel, officials said. They added that majority of the 458,000 pilgrims who visited the cave so far have returned to their home states while others are on their way.
Officials said that the pilgrims who performed darshan at the cave shrine tonight started their return journey to Baltal Base Camp and Panchtarni Haltage Camp via Nunwan Pahalgam trail. The pilgrims who started via Baltal will leave for their home states tomorrow morning. However, the pilgrims who started via Panchtarni trail will reach Pahalgam two days later.
Officials said the number of pilgrims has declined significantly and the number of Bhandars serving the pilgrims will also reduce now.
Of the 1,677 pilgrims who left for the holy cave from here, 1,343 were men, 228 women, two children and 83 Sadhus. Of them, 408 pilgrims preferred the shortest but terrain-laden Baltal route while 1,269 preferred the longest but traditional Nunwan-Chandanwari route, officials said.
This is the lowest number of people leaving Jammu for the holy cave in the last 31 days, officials said.
Officials said that all these pilgrims have reached their respective base camps this evening from where they will leave for darshan of the holy cave tomorrow morning. The pilgrims who have chosen the Baltal route will reach the holy cave tomorrow evening while those from Nunwan Chandanwari will arrive after three days by having overnight halts at Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarni respectively.
The 52-day holy pilgrimage of Swami Amarnath Ji will culminate on Sawan Purnima, which coincides with the Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan falling on August 19, after the sacred staff of Lord Shiva, led by his sole custodian Mahant Deependra Giri Ji, reaches the cave temple from his abode at Dashnami Akhara, Srinagar. Hundreds of Sadhus and devotees will traditionally take part in the Chhari Yatra from Srinagar to the cave temple.
After performing traditional Puja in a cave temple on the occasion of Sawan Purnima, the sacred staff returns to Panchtarni that same evening. From there, it proceeds to Pahalgam the next day.