More than 50,000 devotees from across India have visited the 3,888-metre high cave of Shri Amarnath Ji in the first three days of the annual pilgrimage, which started on 29 June, through the twin routes of Baltal and Nunwan-Pahalgam.
A new batch of pilgrims, meanwhile, has departed from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas Base camp in Jammu to begin the pilgrimage to pay obeisance to Barfani Baba. The group comprises a convoy of 261 vehicles, carrying 5,091 men, 1,102 women, 19 children. The group also includes 301 sadhus and 24 sadhvis.
At 3.05 am, 2,106 pilgrims set off by the Baltal route, while 4,431 departed for the Pahalgam base camp at 3.50 am. By evening, all the pilgrims had reached their respective base camps, from where they will proceed towards the holy cave under tight security the following morning.
Many philanthropist organisations have come together to organise over 125 free langars at the base camps to serve the devotees. To ensure the safety of the pilgrims, thousands of security personnel from police, Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and other paramilitary forces have been deployed along the route.
Aerial surveillance is also being carried out. An official said, “As many as 51,981 pilgrims have visited the holy cave shrine of Shri Amarnath Ji to have darshan of the naturally formed ice lingam since the pilgrimage began. Stringent security arrangements have been put in place for the smooth conduct of the yatra.”