Over 1.45 Lakh Devotees Undertake Amarnath Yatra in First 8 Days
Over 1.45 lakh pilgrims have performed ‘darshan’ at the Amarnath holy cave shrine since the Yatra began on July 3. On Friday, a fresh batch of 6,482 pilgrims left Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in two escorted convoys for the Baltal and Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camps.
The sacred ‘Chhari Mubarak’ (Lord Shiva’s Holy Mace) reached Pahalgam on Thursday, led by its custodian Mahant Swami Deependra Giri. Bhumi Pujan was performed at the Gauri Shankar Temple, followed by rituals at the Martand Sun Temple and a holy dip.
The Chhari Mubarak will reach the shrine on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan, marking the Yatra’s end.
Authorities have deployed an additional 180 CAPF companies to boost security amid heightened concerns following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Multi-tiered security covers all transit camps and routes from Jammu to the shrine. Many pilgrims are also arriving directly at base camps for on-spot registration.
