Over 28,000 pilgrims perform Darshan at Amarnath

Of these, 2321 left in a convoy of 118 vehicles for the north Kashmir Baltal base camp at 3.15 a.m. today.

Srinagar: Another batch of 6,461 Yatris left for Kashmir from here on Monday while 28,534 pilgrims performed the ongoing Amarnath Yatra during the last two days.

Officials said that 28,534 devotees had ‘darshan’ inside the cave shrine during the last two days. “Another batch of 6,461 Yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu today in two escorted convoys for the Valley.

Of these, 2321 left in a convoy of 118 vehicles for the north Kashmir Baltal base camp at 3.15 a.m. today. Another escorted convoy of 147 vehicles carried 4,140 Yatris at 4.10 a.m. to the south Kashmir Nunwan (Pahalgam) base,” officials said.

Yatris take either the 48 km long traditional Pahalgam-cave shrine route or the shorter 14 km long Baltal-cave shrine route to perform the Yatra. Those using the Pahalgam route take four days to reach the cave shrine while those taking the Baltal route reach back to the base camp the same day after having ‘darshan’.

The cave shrine situated 3888 metres above sea level houses an ice stalagmite structure that wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon.