269 pilgrims leave for Amarnath yatra

A group of 269 pilgrims left for the holy Amarnath cave shrine from the base camps here, today, officials said.

The yatra, which commenced from the twin routes of Baltal in Ganderbal and Pahalgam in Anantnag district on June 28 has so far seen 2.76 lakh pilgrims pay their obeisance at the 3,880-metre high cave temple in south Kashmir, Himalayas.

However, the number of pilgrims undertaking the yatra has marked a sharp dip over the past week. The trend has been attributed to the early melting of the naturally formed ice-shivlingam at the sanctum sanatorium.

A police official said a fresh batch of 269 pilgrims left for Kashmir today, in the wee hours, from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in a fleet of 15 vehicles under tight security.

On the 43th day of the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, yesterday, 1,134 yatris paid obeisance at the holy cave, he said, adding that till date 2,76,259 Yatris had a darshan of the shivlingam at the holy cave.

The yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 26 coinciding with Raksha Bandhan festival.