Srinagar, Jul 26: The Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra on Sunday crossed the landmark figure of four lakh pilgrims, with the annual pilgrimage resuming smoothly through the Baltal axis after the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was reopened following a landslide.
Official figures said 6,066 pilgrims performed darshan at the holy cave shrine till 1:00 pm on Sunday, taking the cumulative number of devotees who have paid obeisance since the commencement of the yatra on July 3 to 4,01,970. Earlier, by 12 noon, 4,642 pilgrims, including 3,253 men, 1,234 women, 76 children, five sadhus and 74 security personnel, had offered prayers at the cave shrine.
Meanwhile, a fresh batch of 4,474 pilgrims departed from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu for the Baltal base camp in the 19th convoy. The batch comprised 3,531 men, 785 women, 10 children, 96 sadhus, 51 sadhvis and one transgender pilgrim. The convoy, consisting of 166 vehicles, including 93 buses, 26 medium motor vehicles and 47 light motor vehicles, left Jammu at 2:42 am under a multi-layer security escort.
Officials said no convoy was allowed through the Pahalgam axis as restoration and maintenance work continued following damage caused by recent heavy rains. The administration has temporarily routed the yatra exclusively through the Baltal axis while repair work is carried out to ensure safe movement on the traditional Pahalgam route.
The administration said adequate arrangements have been made on the Baltal route to facilitate the safe and smooth movement of pilgrims. Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg appealed to all pilgrims and stakeholders to cooperate with the authorities and strictly follow advisories issued from time to time in the interest of safety and the uninterrupted conduct of the pilgrimage.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, in a post on X, hailed the yatra for crossing the four-lakh milestone and said that, by Lord Shiva’s divine grace, the holy Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra has crossed a remarkable milestone and more than 4 Lakh pilgrims have already completed the sacred journey. Till now, 4.14 Lakh devotees have received darshan. I bow with reverence to Baba Amarnath for this blessing and extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make this journey a truly divine experience for all.
The annual pilgrimage has continued under tight security and extensive logistical arrangements, with authorities monitoring weather conditions and road connectivity round the clock to ensure the smooth conduct of the remaining phases of the yatra.
