Jammu, July 20: Around 375,000 devotees have participated in the ongoing Amarnath Yatra so far, with another group of 3,471 pilgrims departing for the Valley on Saturday.
Officials reported that since its commencement on June 29 this year, approximately 375,000 devotees have undertaken the Amarnath Yatra over the past 21 days. Despite intermittent rain and thundershowers, over 11,000 devotees had darshan inside the cave shrine on Friday.
"On Saturday, another convoy of 3,471 Yatris departed from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu for the Valley," stated an official. The first convoy, carrying 1,073 Yatris in 35 vehicles, departed at 3 am for the Baltal base camp. The second convoy left at 3:45 am with 2,398 pilgrims in 79 vehicles heading to the south Kashmir Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp.
The cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure believed to symbolize the mythical powers of Lord Shiva, which grows and diminishes with the moon's phases.