Jammu, July 15: More than three lakh devotees performed the annual Amarnath Yatra during the last 16 days since it started on June 29, said a Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) official.
Another batch of 4,875 Yatris departed from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu this morning in two escorted convoys and headed to the Valley, he added.
Despite intermittent rain and thundershowers along both Yatra routes, more than 15,000 enthusiastic pilgrims performed the holy yatra and had 'darshan' inside the cave on Sunday.
Officials reported that the first escorted convoy departed at 3:05 a.m., carrying 1,918 Yatris in 68 vehicles to the north Kashmir Baltal base camp. The second escorted convoy left at 3:50 a.m., transporting 2,957 Yatris in 94 vehicles to the south Kashmir Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp.
This year, the annual Yatra will conclude on August 29 coinciding with festivals of Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.
Notably, Yatris can choose between the 48-km traditional Pahalgam cave shrine route or the shorter 14-km Baltal cave shrine route for the Yatra. The journey along the Pahalgam route takes four days to reach the cave shrine, whereas those opting for the Baltal route can return to the base camp on the same day after having ‘darshan’ inside the cave shrine.
