JAMMU, Aug 4: Over 4.90 lakh devotees had ‘darshan’ during the last 36 days of the ongoing Amarnath Yatra as a fresh batch of 1,112 pilgrims left Jammu for Kashmir on Sunday, said the officials of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB).The batch of 1,112 devotees left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas at 3.25 a.m. in two escorted convoys for the Valley.
“Of these, the first convoy of 11 vehicles carrying 204 Yatris left for North Kashmir Baltal base camp while the second convoy of 39 vehicles carrying 908 pilgrims left for south Kashmir Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp”, officials said.
The cave is situated at an altitude of 3,888 metres above sea level in the Kashmir Himalayas. Devotees approach the cave shrine either from the traditional South Kashmir Pahalgam route or the North Kashmir Baltal route.
The Pahalgam-Cave shrine axis is 48 Km long and takes Yatris 4-5 days to reach the shrine. The Baltal-Cave shrine axis is 14 Km long and takes one day for the pilgrims to have ‘darshan’ and return to the base camp.
Helicopter services are also available for the pilgrims both at Baltal on the North Kashmir route and at Chandanwari on the South Kashmir route.
This year’s Yatra will conclude after 52 days on August 19 coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan festivals.
