Over 2.5 lakh perform darshan

July 11, 2011
By Avtar Bhat
SRINAGAR/JAMMU, July 10: Not withstanding the terrain, tracks and inclement weather conditions in the yatra area, the unprecedented influx of Amarnath pilgrims is continuing as thousands of pilgrims reached holy cave of Lord Shiva in deep Himalayas to perform the darshan of Ice Lingam daily.

According to a Yatra officer, 10,492 pilgrims left Nunwan-Chandanwari base camp for their onward sojourn while 10,794 yatris left via shortest Baltal track for holy cave early this morning. Besides thousands of pilgrims who had reached Sheshnag and Panchtarni late yesterday left for holy cave early this morning, he added.

He said that majority of pilgrims who had left from Baltal track and Panjtarni had performed darshan by late night while others were on their way. The pilgrims who had performed darshan in cave shrine yesterday were on their way to Baltal and Pahalgam, he added.

The spokesman said that 24,285 pilgrims performed darshan of Ice Shivlingam till late tonight while 2.25 lakh pilgrims had performed darshan in holy cave till yesterday. With this, the total number of pilgrims performing darshan of Ice lingam since the yatra started on June 29 has touched 2.50 lakh. This is the record number of pilgrims performing darshan of Swami Amarnathji in first 12 days of yatra, he added.

He said to meet any eventuality a three- tier security with the deployment of pare military forces has been put in place for the pilgrims.

According to R K Goyal, Chief Executive Officer Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) with improvement in overall weather conditions in the yatra area since yesterday morning, the movement of yatris along both the routes has been proceeding smoothly. Till last night 2.34 lakh pilgrims had completed their yatra, he added.

Mr Goyal said that as per the Meteorological Department’s weather forecast for next five days i .e from July 11 to July 15, the sky is likely to remain cloudy in Kashmir division.

A fresh batch of 3,690 pilgrims left the Yatri Niwas Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu for holy cave early this morning under tight security arrangements. The yatris comprising of 2421 male, 965 female, 107 children, 197 Sadhus left in a cavalcade of 119 vehicles. They had reached Nunwan Pahalgam in Anantnag district of South Kashmir and Manigam in Ganderbal district of Central Kashmir till last reports came in.

Meanwhile with the death of four more pilgrims one each from Gujarat, UP, Haryana and Jammu, a total of 39 yatris have died, mostly due to cardiac arrest, since the commencement of the 46-day-long pilgrimage from June 29. A local porter also died during the pilgrimage.

Official sources said a 57-year-old Dharmishtha Puja from Gujarat suffered a massive heart at Baltal base camp. However, he was immediately rushed to hospital where he was declared brought dead.

They said 65-year-old Krishna Devi from Doda district of Jammu region died near holy cave shrine due to cardiac arrest while Vindu Kumar, a 38-year-old resident of Haryana also died due to heart failure at Baltal base camp.

A 72-year-old Dileep Chandra Jogi from Barelli, Uttar Pradesh, suffered a massive heart attack at Sheshnag. He was taken to medical camp where he died.

The SASB has time and again appealed the intending yatris to undertake the pilgrims only when they feel fit to trek the distance from base camps to holy cave situated at 13500 feet above sea level. The Board has also appealed to them to carry all medicines, which they are otherwise taking daily.

The CRPF, which is deployed on both Baltal and Nunwan-Pahalgam tracks to facilitate yatris safe pilgrimage has also arranged the sugar free meals for the yatris. The yatris can now enjoy sugar free meals during the pilgrimage to holy Amarnath cave in the south Kashmir Himalyas, a CRPF spokesman said here this afternoon.

Prabhakar Tripathi said that 400 personnel of CRPF “Quick Action Team” (QAT ) would remain deployed at different points on both shortest Baltal and traditional Pahalgam routes to help the pilgrims in case of any emergency.

The CRPF has also, for the first time, set up separate medical camps at different halting stations for porters, labourers and pony wallas, exclusively for them.

He said Inspector General of CRPF had a detailed meeting with all langer wallas yesterday during which arrangements for yatris were discussed. It was felt that diabetic patients were facing problems during the pilgrimage in the absence of sugar free food.

Mr Tripathi said all langer walas assured that from today they will provide sugar free meals to pilgrims at all halting stations. This is for the first time in the history of yatra, that sugar free meals would be provided to diabetic patients, undertaking the pilgrimage, he said. He said QAT will help the pilgrims, also undertook any rescue operation in case of emergency.