Pahalgam, Jul 06 (KNO): The annual Amarnath Yatra continued to witness a heavy influx of pilgrims, with 28,818 devotees paying obeisance at the holy cave shrine on the fourth day of the pilgrimage, taking the cumulative number of yatris who have performed darshan since the commencement of the Yatra on July 3 to 85,779, official figures said.
According to the official data accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the devotees who performed darshan on Sunday included 20,420 men, 7,554 women, 243 children, 249 sadhus, 32 sadhvis, nine transgender pilgrims and 311 security personnel.
With the steady flow of pilgrims, the cumulative number of devotees is expected to cross the one lakh mark on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, amid elaborate security arrangements, the fifth batch of 5,794 pilgrims, which left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu in the early hours of Monday, reached the twin base camps in Kashmir safely.
Official figures revealed that 2,304 pilgrims opted for the shorter Baltal route, while 3,490 chose the traditional Pahalgam route.
The Baltal-bound convoy departed at 3:10 am, while the Pahalgam-bound convoy left at 3:50 am under the escort of the Police, CRPF and other security agencies.
The convoy comprised 267 vehicles, including 126 buses, 32 medium motor vehicles (MMVs), 104 light motor vehicles (LMVs) and five two-wheelers.
The administration has put in place extensive security, medical and logistical arrangements along both routes, including round-the-clock monitoring, traffic regulation, emergency medical services and deployment of security personnel to ensure the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage.
Under the CRPF's "May I Help You" initiative, women personnel are assisting pilgrims along the Baltal route by providing guidance, information, security, accommodation support, language assistance, connectivity help and emergency medical aid.
CRPF DIG Sudhir Kumar said pilgrims from different parts of the country participate in the Yatra, and many face language barriers. "CRPF is like a mini India, and we have deployed women personnel from different states so that pilgrims can communicate in their own language and receive the assistance they need," he said.
Officials said the Yatra has been progressing peacefully so far, with thousands of devotees visiting the holy cave shrine daily amid favourable weather conditions and tight security arrangements. "All necessary measures remain in place to ensure the safety and convenience of pilgrims throughout the pilgrimage. Several foreign nationals have also undertaken the pilgrimage so far," an official said.
The 57-day Yatra commenced on July 3, from both Baltal based camp in Ganderbal and Nunwan base camps in Pahalgam—(KNO)