Jammu/Srinagar, Jul 07 (KNO): The annual Amarnath Yatra continued to witness an unprecedented surge in pilgrim turnout, with the total number of devotees performing darshan at the holy cave shrine crossing the 1.13 lakh mark within the first five days of the pilgrimage. Meanwhile, a record 8,815 pilgrims left Jammu on Tuesday in the sixth batch for the twin base camps.
Official figures available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) revealed that 28,035 pilgrims paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine on Tuesday, taking the total number of devotees who have undertaken the pilgrimage since its commencement on July 3 to 1,13,814.
According to the official data, 20,270 men, 7,053 women, 284 children, 136 sadhus, nine sadhvis, five transgender devotees and 278 security personnel performed darshan at the holy cave shrine on Tuesday.
The pilgrimage is witnessing one of its biggest rushes in recent years, with thousands of devotees arriving daily through both the traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
Meanwhile, a record 8,815 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu early Tuesday as part of the sixth batch of the yatra, officials said.
They said pilgrims departed under elaborate security arrangements in a convoy of 363 vehicles.
Of them, 3,989 pilgrims travelling in 181 vehicles left for the Baltal base camp at 3:35 am, while 4,826 pilgrims in 182 vehicles departed for the Nunwan base camp via the traditional Pahalgam route at 4:08 am.
The batch comprised 5,831 men, 2,193 women, 30 children, 598 sadhus, 131 sadhvis, one child sadhu and 31 foreign male pilgrims. The convoy included 172 buses, 58 medium motor vehicles (MMVs), 130 light motor vehicles (LMVs) and three two-wheelers.
Officials said the pilgrimage is progressing smoothly under multi-layered security arrangements, with extensive measures in place to ensure seamless movement of pilgrims, besides adequate medical care, accommodation and other essential facilities.
The 57-day annual pilgrimage began on July 3 and is scheduled to conclude on August 28, coinciding with Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan)—(KNO)