New Delhi: The ongoing Amarnath Yatra is seeing a massive rush this year, with a record number of devotees heading towards the holy cave shrine. On Tuesday,
the largest batch of the season so far comprising 8,815 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu under tight, multi-layered security. Notably, the group also included 31 foreign nationals making the spiritual journey.
This massive turnout comes as the total number of devotees who have paid their respects at the 3,880-metre-high shrine crossed 93,000 in just the first four days. The 52-day pilgrimage, which kicked off on July 2, is scheduled to wrap up on August 28. Officials on the ground mentioned that they expect the total footfall to cross the one-lakh mark later on Tuesday evening, pointing to a massive surge in attendance this year.
Tuesday’s convoy was quite diverse, consisting of 5,831 men, 2,193 women, 31 children, 598 sadhus, and 131 sadhvis, alongside the foreign tourists. The group split up into two separate routes: 3,989 pilgrims in 181 vehicles chose the shorter Baltal route in Ganderbal district, while 4,826 devotees in 182 vehicles opted for the traditional Pahalgam track in Anantnag. In total, 363 vehicles rolled out of the camp in a single day.
With this latest departure, the total number of pilgrims who have left the Jammu base camp since July 2 has climbed to 34,829. Tuesday’s batch comfortably beat the previous single-day high of 6,721 pilgrims, which was recorded just two days prior on Sunday. For comparison, 5,794 devotees left on Monday, while 4,812 started their journey on July 4.
Administration issues advisory amid rush
The massive, unexpected rush, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has stepped in with an advisory. They are asking unregistered devotees to put off their travel plans for a bit, as all registration slots are completely booked out until July 9.
Official sources confirmed that checkpoints are strictly monitoring the routes. Only pilgrims with valid, pre-approved registrations are being cleared to enter the Kashmir valley. Anyone turning up without the proper paperwork will be held back at designated stops until new registration quotas open up.
