Over 3 lakh devotees perform Amarnath Yatra in 16 days

July 15 (IANS) More than three lakh devotees performed the ongoing Amarnath Yatra during the last 16 days, as another batch of 4,875 Yatris left for the Valley on Monday, officials said. Despite intermittent rain and thundershowers along both the Yatra routes, more than 15,000 enthusiastic pilgrims had 'Darshan' inside the holy cave on Sunday. Officials said that another batch of 4,875 Yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu for the Valley on Monday in two escorted convoys. "First escorted convoy left at 3:05 a.m. carrying 1,918 Yatris in 68 vehicles for north Kashmir Baltal base camp. "Second escorted convoy left at 3:50 a.m. carrying 2,957 Yatris in 94 vehicles for south Kashmir Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp," officials added. Both escorted convoys reach the Valley by midday and no Yatri carrying vehicle is allowed beyond the two transit camps of Manigam in Ganderbal district and Mir Bazaar in Anantnag district to move towards the base camp after 5 p.m. The cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure that wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon. Devotees believe that this ice stalagmite structure symbolises the mythical powers of Lord Shiva. The cave is situated at an altitude of 3,888 metres above sea level in the Kashmir Himalayas. Devotees approach the cave shrine either from the traditional south Kashmir Pahalgam route or the north Kashmir Baltal route. The Pahalgam cave shrine axis is 48 km long and it takes Yatris 4-5 days to reach the shrine. The Baltal cave shrine axis is 14 km long and it takes one day for the pilgrims to have 'Darshan' and reach back to the base camp. On Monday, 4,434 Yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu in two escorted convoys for the Valley. The first escorted convoy carrying 1,721 pilgrims in 64 vehicles left at 3 a.m. for the north Kashmir Baltal base camp. The second escorted convoy carrying 2,713 pilgrims in 101 vehicles left at 3:35 a.m. for the south Kashmir Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp. This year's Yatra will conclude after 52 days on August 29 coinciding with festivals of Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan. --IANS sq/khz