Srinagar, Jul 21 (KNO): The annual Amarnath Yatra continued on Monday with over 17,000 pilgrims paying obeisance at the holy cave shrine nestled in the Himalayas of South Kashmir.
With this, the cumulative figure of devotees, who have undertaken the pilgrimage since its commencement on July 3, has crossed 3.21 lakh, officials said.
Officials told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that a total of 17,016 pilgrims performed darshan at the sacred cave on Monday.
Among them were 12,757 men, 3,270 women, 150 children, 158 sadhus, 9 sadhvis, 3 transgender persons and 669 security personnel.
While the footfall at the shrine remained good, the number of pilgrims departing from Jammu—the starting point for most yatris—has shown a consistent downward trend over the past few days.
From 7,908 pilgrims on July 18, the number dropped to 6,365 on July 19, 4,388 on July 20, and 3,791 on July 21 — the lowest daily departure figure recorded so far during this year’s yatra.
Despite the decline, officials said that the pilgrimage is progressing smoothly and peacefully, with robust security and logistical arrangements in place across all transit and base locations.
On Monday morning, a fresh batch of 3,791 pilgrims left from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu under tight security cover for the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam, which serve as the two main routes to the cave shrine.
The group comprised 3,067 men, 522 women, 9 children, 192 sadhus and sadhvis, and 1 transgender pilgrim. The convoy was split into two: the Baltal-bound convoy carried 1,208 pilgrims in 52 vehicles, while the Pahalgam-bound convoy transported 2,583 pilgrims in 96 vehicles, officials said.
“Even though there is a slight decline in pilgrim turnout from Jammu, the overall yatra is proceeding without disruptions. All necessary facilities including shelter, food, medical assistance, and route security are fully operational,” an official said.
This year’s Amarnath Yatra, scheduled to conclude on August 9, is being conducted amid unprecedented security measures, including drone surveillance, RFID tracking for pilgrims and a multi-layered deployment of forces—(KNO)