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| At 4.94 lakh, Amarnath Yatra breaks all records | | Jai Bhole Shanker!! | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | July 20
Despite controversies, protests and demonstrations, the holy cave of Shri Amarnath Ji this year attracted a highest number of pilgrims from across the country breaking all previous records.
Due to a violent situation in Kashmir and subsequent tension which prevailed in the state including protests, demonstrations and curfews, it was feared that the pilgrims influx may decline. However, proving all estimates wrong, the spiritual attraction of the revered shrine is so high that all previous records of pilgrim influx were broken.
Official sources in the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board said that as many as 494,000 pilgrims from different parts of country have had drashans at the cave shrine till Saturday evening. This is the highest number of pilgrims visiting Shri Amarnath Shrine any year. The last highest record was in 2004.
Official sources confirmed that a record number of over 4.94 lakh pilgrims visited the 3,880-metre-high holy cave till last evening since the commencement of the yatra on June 17. This is the highest number of pilgrims who had visited the cave shrine housing the naturally formed ice Shivlingam in a single year, sources said.
In 2004, nearly 4.30 lakh pilgrims visit the cave shrine which was the highest in a decade. During the same year, the pilgrimage was extended for one month in addition to the traditional one-month period.
Prior to the eruption of militancy in the state, only a few hundred devotees, mostly sadhus, used to pay obeisance at the cave shrine. However, cave shrine came into limelight in the late 90s and more yatris flocked to join the annual pilgrimage after bans imposed by some militant groups, which later retracted following appeals from various political, separatists and other militant groups.
Meanwhile, the authorities on Sunday suspended the ongoing Amarnath Yatra after heavy rains along the two routes to the holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.
The yatra was suspended from both sides - traditional 46-km route from Pahalgam in Anantnag district and the shortest 12-km distance from Baltal in Ganderbal district - around 12.30 pm as heavy rains rendered the tracks slippery, official sources said.
Helicopter service to the shrine has also been suspended in view of the inclement weather, sources said adding that none of the yatris are stranded along the tracks and they are safe as all of them have reached halting station. |
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