Amarnath Yatra Surpasses 1.59 Lakh Pilgrims Despite Weather Interruptions

Srinagar, 06-07-2024 : Over 7,500 pilgrims visited the Amarnath cave shrine on Saturday, bringing the total number of devotees who have had ‘darshan’ of the naturally formed ice lingam to over 1.59 lakh, according to officials. The Amarnath Yatra, which commenced on June 29, proceeds via two routes: the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam path in Anantnag and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal.

Despite being temporarily halted on Saturday morning due to heavy rainfall, the yatra resumed later in the day. “On Saturday, 7,552 pilgrims undertook the yatra and had darshan of Baba Bholenath on the eighth day of the annual pilgrimage,” officials stated. Among the pilgrims were 5,019 males, 1,406 females, 118 sadhus, and three sadhvis. Additionally, 869 security personnel, three transgender individuals, and 134 children participated in the pilgrimage.

As a result, the number of pilgrims who have visited the 3,800-metre-high cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas now totals 1,59,498, officials confirmed. Unfortunately, this year’s yatra has seen the deaths of two devotees: a sevadar from Haryana and a pilgrim from Jharkhand, both of whom suffered cardiac arrests on the Baltal route in June.

The 52-day pilgrimage is scheduled to conclude on August 19. Last year, more than 4.5 lakh pilgrims visited the cave shrine.