Over 1.80 lakh pilgrims perform Amarnath Yatra in 14 days

Srinagar

More than 1.80 lakh pilgrims have performed the Amarnath Yatra over the last two weeks, officials said as another batch of around 5,000 yatris left for the Himalayan shrine on Monday.

In the past 14 days since the pilgrimage started on July 1, a total of 1,82,712 devotees paid obeisance before the ice stalagmite structure inside the cave shrine.

A batch of 5,210 pilgrims left Jammu for the valley in two groups. One with 2,372 pilgrims were headed to the Baltal base camp while 2,838 to Pahalgam.

Situated at 3,888 metres above the sea-level in Kashmir Himalayas, the cave shrine houses the ice structure that symbolises mythical powers of Lord Shiva, according to the devotees.

The ice stalagmite waxes and wanes with the phases of the moon, it is believed. Pilgrims approach the shrine either from the 14-km Baltal trek or the 45-km Pahalgam trek.

Helicopter services are also available for pilgrims at both the base camps.

This year's Amarnath Yatra will end on August 15 coinciding with the Shravan Purnima festival.