24,000 perform Amarnath Yatra in two days

Nearly 24,000 devotees performed the Yatra in last two days and another batch of 1,414 pilgrims left winter capital Jammu on Monday for the Valley.

"Another batch of 1,414 Yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas at 4.40 a.m. for the Valley in 38 buses and 17 light motor vehicles. The Yatris started the journey in a convoy escorted by the security forces," a senior police officer told IANS.

The weather office issues a daily weather bulletin for the Yatra.

Light rain on Sonamarg-Holy Cave and Pahalgam-Holy Cave sectors on Monday afternoon has been forecasted.

At the base camps of Nunwan(Pahalgam) and Baltal and along the Jammu-Srinagar route, the weather would remain cloudy during the day, the bulletin said.

Officials of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) that manages the affairs of the annual Yatra have said around 24,000 pilgrims have had "Darshan" of the ice Lingam inside the Cave Shrine during the last two days.

Situated at 3,888 metres above the sea level in Himalayas, the Cave Shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure beloved by devotees to symbolise the mythical powers of Lord Shiva.

A three-tire security cover manned by the army, the ITBP, the CRPF and the Jammu and Kashmir police has been put in place to secure the Yatra because of heightened militant activity in the Valley.

The 48-day Yatra started on July 2 and will conclude on August 17 coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan festivals.

--IANS

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