The Amarnath Yatra, which began on July 3, has seen an unprecedented turnout, with over 3.42 lakh pilgrims completing their ‘Darshan’ at the holy cave shrine within the first 21 days. Officials anticipate that the total number of Yatris will surpass the expected 3.50 lakh mark today, Thursday, even with 17 days remaining until the Yatra concludes on August 9.
The continued peaceful and smooth conduct of the pilgrimage has encouraged this record-breaking participation. On Thursday, another 3,500 pilgrims departed from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu. An escorted convoy of 45 vehicles carrying 832 Yatris left for the Baltal base camp at 3:25 a.m., followed by a second convoy of 95 vehicles with 2,668 Yatris bound for the Pahalgam base camp at 4:01 a.m.
The ‘Chhari Mubarak’ (Lord Shiva’s Holy Abode) had its Bhumi Pujan at Pahalgam on July 10 and is currently at the Dashnami Akhara building. It will commence its final journey to the cave shrine from there on August 4, reaching the holy cave on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan, marking the official end of the Yatra.
