Tuesday saw the departure of another group of 6,225 Yatris from Jammu bound towards the Valley.
As of Tuesday, July 18th, 6,225 pilgrims have left Jammu for the Valley as part of the current Amarnath Yatra.
Officials said that since the 2018 Amarnath Yatra began on July 1, more than 2.50 lakh people had completed the journey.
There was an escorted convoy of 6,225 Yatris that departed Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas this morning.
It has been reported that 3,714 people would be heading to the Pahalgam base camp and 2511 will be heading to the Baltal base camp in north Kashmir.
Three more pilgrims lost their lives on Monday, bringing the total number of fatalities on this Yatra to 30.
One of the three fatalities on Monday, officials said, was from the state of Uttar Pradesh, another was from the state of Rajasthan, and the third was from the state of Madhya Pradesh.
Two of the pilgrims passed away from natural causes, but investigators have not yet determined what killed the third.
Both the traditional Pahalgam route from south Kashmir and the alternative Baltal route from north Kashmir both demand strenuous uphill treks to reach the Himalayan cave shrine.
The conventional Pahalgam path takes three to four days to reach the cave shrine, whereas the Baltal route takes just one day. After experiencing ‘darshan’ within the cave shrine, pilgrims following the Baltal route return to base camp.
Both routes also have helicopter services for Yatris.
Devotees visit the cave sanctuary to pay homage to an ice stalagmite formation they say embodies Lord Shiva’s fabled powers.
The ice stalagmite formation grows and shrinks in accordance with the moon’s phases.
Beginning on July 1, this year’s Amarnath Yatra will continue until the end of the month of August, coinciding with the celebration of Shravan Purnima.
Free communal meals called ‘langars’ have been put up along both paths of the Yatra, and in order to safeguard the pilgrims from high altitude illness, officials have forbidden any junk food.
All bottled beverages, halwai products, fried meals, and tobacco goods are against limits.
