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Number of pilgrims on Amarnath Yatra set to touch all-time high

The number of pilgrims joining this year's Amarnath Yatra has crossed the 70,000 mark, with 4,381 pilgrims leaving Jammu yesterday for the shrine in 208 vehicles.

With 14 more days to go for the close of the Yatra, the number of pilgrims visiting the holy cave shrine, situated at a height of 3,800 metres in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, may go much beyond the 100,000-mark, setting a new record.

An official spokesman said in Srinagar yesterday that with the latest batch of pilgrims, the total number of people joining the Yatra has gone upto 72,215. Of these, 56,889 pilgrims have already had darshan of the holy Shiv Lingam in the Amarnath cave.

As many as 44,090 pilgrims have returned home after performing the Yatra, reports from Pahalgam said. Some 10,791 pilgrims were at the base camp while 12,953 were at various halting places en route to the cave.

Meanwhile, Mahant Deepinder Giri of Dashnami Akhara, Srinagar, performed Charri Puja at the historic Shankaracharya temple yesterday, a religious ritual associated with the Yatra. Similar pujas will be performed at Sharik Bhawani temple at Hari Parbhat today.

UNI

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