Srinagar, July 24 (FN Bureau) The Amarnath Yatra is all set to break the record of last year as 4.17 lakh pilgrims have so far paid obeisance at the cave shrine in Kashmir Himalayas, officials said. With nearly a month remaining in the pilgrimage, the authorities are expecting more number of pilgrims. Last year, 4.5 lakh pilgrims had visited the holy shrine and in 2022, the figure was 3.65 lakh. The 52-day Amarnath Yatra began on June 29 from the twin tracks of Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
The Yatra will end on August 19. The pilgrims pay obeisance at the cave shrine at an altitude of 3,888 m (12,756 ft) , which houses the naturally formed ice-lingam. On Wednesday, fresh batches of pilgrims proceed from the twin routes of Baltal and from Nunwan Pahalgam, chanting religious hymns amid unprecedented security and other arrangements. Officials said that the yatra is going on smoothly. The authorities have made elaborate arrangements on both the yatra routes including accommodation, health, food, water and other necessary day-to-day needs for the pilgrims.