JAMMU, July 11: On the ninth day of darshan today 18,000 pilgrims drawn from different parts of the country paid obeisance at Himalayan cave situated at the height of 3880 metres in South Kashmir district of Anantnag.According to officials, 18,010 pilgrims visited holy cave today from twin tracks of Baltal and Nunwan-Pahalgam under tight security measures.
With 18,010 pilgrims performing darshan today a total number of 1,63,726 Yatris have performed darshan at cave shrine during last nine days since the holy yatra started on July 3 from twin tracks.
Among the pilgrims who performed darshan today included 12,838 male, 4,343 female, 223 children, 141 Sadhoos, eight Sadhvis, two transgender and 455 security personnel.
Officials said that the Yatris are in a jubilant and cheerful mood and there is heavy rush at both base camps of Nunwan -Pahalgam and Baltal where thousands of pilgrims are staying for night halt.
Yatris are totally satisfied with the arrangements saying that they don’t face any problem while embarking on holy pilgrimage right from Jammu to cave shrine. The Government as well as Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has made elaborate arrangements for boarding and lodging of pilgrims enroute, said Reeta Kumari a pilgrim from MP. She said the yatris don’t face any problem as all facilities are available to them enroute.
Her another companion, Archana Yadav said that Yatris are feeling totally safe and secure here and the people of Valley are fully cooperating with pilgrims. The threat perception created after April 22 carnage at Pahalgam is not there as total peace prevails in Kashmir. Both Archana and Reeta also praised Langar people and Sewadars for their selfless service to pilgrims. They appealed the people across the counry to come in large numbers for the pilgrimage of Bhole Baba.
Meanwhile more than 6,400 pilgrims, accompanied by a multi-tier security escort, left for the twin base camps of cave shrine of Shri Amarnath on Friday, officials said.
Escorted by CRPF and police personnel, the 10th batch of 6,482 pilgrims, including 4,838 men, 1,387 women, 16 children, and 241 monks, left the Bhagwati Nagar camp here in 268 vehicles between 3:20 am and 4:04 am.
Officials said the first convoy, carrying 2,353 pilgrims in 107 vehicles, left for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The second convoy of 161 vehicles is carrying 4,129 pilgrims who are undertaking the journey via the 48-km traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district.
With this, a total of 69,270 pilgrims have departed from the Jammu base camp for the Valley since July 2, when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch.
More than 4 lakh people have registered online for the pilgrimage so far. Last year, over 5.10 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine, which houses a naturally formed ice lingam.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army has rolled out Operation SHIVA 2025, deploying more than 8,500 troops alongside advanced surveillance and combat technology.
Army said that a large-scale operation, launched in coordination with the civil administration and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), is designed to provide a multi-layered security grid along both the Baltal and Pahalgam routes.
They said that as part of the extensive deployment, a dedicated counter-UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) grid featuring over 50 C-UAS and EW (Electronic Warfare) systems has been positioned to counter drone-based threats. “Live surveillance via UAVs (drones) and PTZ camera feeds is actively monitoring yatra convoys and the holy cave. Engineer task forces have been mobilised for infrastructure tasks like bridge laying, track widening, and landslide mitigation,” they added.
The operation also includes over 150 doctors and paramedics, two Advanced Dressing Stations, nine Medical Aid Posts, a 100-bed hospital, and 26 oxygen booths backed by 2 lakh litres of oxygen, sources said, adding that Signal companies, EME technical detachments, and Bomb Detection & Disposal Squads have also been deployed.
