Amarnath Yatra ends

Nearly 400,000 pilgrims pay obeisance to the naturally formed ice-Shivlingam this year

The 44-day-long Amarnath Yatra to the holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas ended on Sunday, with nearly 400,000 pilgrims paying obeisance to the naturally formed ice-Shivlingam this year.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra, Mahant Dipendra Giri and a group of sadhus, who carried the Chhari Mubarik, (holy mace of Lord Shiva) were among the first to have the darshan in the morning, a senior police officer said.

The yatra, which began on June 28 from the shorter Baltal route, was by and large peaceful with only aberration being clashes between local tentwallas and community kitchen operators at Baltal.

According to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, more than 370,000 pilgrims performed darshan of the ice-Shivlingam formed in the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine.

Police said 46 pilgrims died during this year's pilgrimage due to various causes, with cardiac arrest accounting for most of the deaths.

The deceased included 39 pilgrims, two Sadhus and five sevadars (volunteers). Four volunteers died in a fire incident inside a community kitchen.

"Chhari Mubarak", the holy mace of Lord Shiva, proceeded for the holy cave for Pujan from Panchtarani early in the morning to have the "Darshan".

Traditional rituals were performed and prayers were offered at the holy cave.

On August 12, after the "puja" and "visarjan" ceremonies at the bank of river Lidder in Pahalgam, "Chhari Mubarak" will return to its permanent abode at Dashnami Akhara here.