Amarnath Yatra: Over 8,000 perform Darshan, tally crosses 3.60 lakh

Srinagar: On Friday (25th July) 8,181 pilgrims visited the Amarnath cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas, bringing the total number of visitors to 360,320 since the yatra began on July 3.
Reports said that the latest group included 6,326 men, 1,264 women, 84 children, 56 sadhus, 3 sadhvis, and 448 security personnel. The sacred ice Shivlingam at the shrine, situated at an altitude of 3,880 meters, continues to draw devotees from across India and abroad, although there has been a recent decline in daily pilgrim numbers. On the same day, the 23rd batch of 2,896 pilgrims departed from the Jammu base camp under strict security measures, with a convoy of 117 vehicles escorted by CRPF and police. The first group of 790 pilgrims took the Baltal route, while the second group of 2,106 opted for the traditional Pahalgam route. Despite favorable weather and well-organized arrangements, the overall footfall at the shrine and the number of departing pilgrims have gradually decreased. Officials attribute this decline to factors such as fatigue following a peak in attendance in earlier weeks and many registered pilgrims completing their darshan early. Nevertheless, authorities are committed to ensuring the safety and comfort of the remaining yatris as the pilgrimage is set to conclude on August 9.