Amarnath Yatra: 17,000 perform darshan, 3.21 lakh pilgrims visit cave shrine since July, 3

Srinagar: The annual Amarnath Yatra is currently underway, with over 17,000 pilgrims visiting the holy cave shrine in South Kashmir on Monday, bringing the total number of devotees since the pilgrimage began on July 3 to over 321,000.
Reports said that on Monday alone, 17,016 pilgrims performed darshan, including 12,757 men, 3,270 women, 150 children, 158 sadhus, 9 sadhvis, and 3 transgender individuals, along with 669 security personnel. Despite a strong turnout at the shrine, there has been a noticeable decline in the number of pilgrims departing from Jammu, the main starting point for the yatra. Daily departures have decreased from 7,908 on July 18 to a low of 3,791 on July 21. Nevertheless, officials report that the pilgrimage is proceeding smoothly and peacefully, supported by comprehensive security and logistical arrangements at all transit and base locations. On Monday morning, a new group of 3,791 pilgrims departed from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu, traveling to the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam. This group included 3,067 men, 522 women, 9 children, 192 sadhus and sadhvis, and 1 transgender pilgrim, with the convoy divided into two for transportation. The Amarnath Yatra, which is set to conclude on August 9, is being conducted under heightened security measures, including drone surveillance, RFID tracking for pilgrims, and a multi-layered deployment of security forces, ensuring that all necessary facilities such as shelter, food, medical assistance, and route security are fully operational.