Finance
The present Amarnath Yatra has been running peacefully since it began on June 29. On Wednesday morning, another batch of 2,907 pilgrims left Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas for the Valley in two protected convoys.
“First escorted convoy carrying 1,134 Yatris in 41 vehicles left for north Kashmir Baltal base camp while the second escorted convoy carrying 1,773 Yatris in 62 vehicles left for south Kashmir Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp. Both convoys left Jammu at 4.40 A.M. today”, officials said.
The cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure that wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon.
Devotees believe that this ice stalagmite symbolises mythical powers of Lord Shiva.
The cave is situated at an altitude of 3,888 metres above the sea-level in Kashmir Himalayas.
Devotees can visit the cave shrine via the traditional south Kashmir Pahalgam route or the north Kashmir Baltal way.
The Pahalgam-Cave shrine axis is 48 kilometers long, and it takes Yatris four to five days to visit the shrine.
The Baltal-Cave shrine axis is 14 kilometers long, and it takes one day for pilgrims to complete ‘darshan’ and return to the base camp.
