JK: Three thousand amarnath pilgrims stranded

Srinagar, June 30: About 3000 yatris, who undertook a pilgrimage to holy Amarnath cave, ahead of official commencement of the two-month-long yatra, are stranded at different halting points on traditional Pahalgam route and cave shrine.

All the stranded pilgrims are safe and sound as there is enough stock of essential commodities besides accommodation at all halting points enroute to the holy cave.

Official sources told sources that about 2000 unregistered pilgrims are stranded at the holy cave shrine due to heavy rains since Thursday afternoon which made the Baltal and Pahalgam track slippery and dangerous.

These devotees had started flocking to the holy Amarnath cave shrine several days ahead of the official commencement of the pilgrimage which was scheduled to start today but was delayed by one day due to bad weather.

The pilgrims have been swarming to the holy cave on ponies, 'palkis', cots, choppers and by foot from both traditional Pahalgam and shorter Baltal routes.

Sources said the pilgrims, after having darshan of the ice- Shivalingam, could not track down to Baltal after a portion of the track from Railpatheri to Braripatheri was damaged. The damaged portion has since been repaired, sources said, adding that journey on the track was still dangerous.

Incessant rains forced the devotees to take shelter at camps set up by the security forces, the shrine board and the state government near the Amarnath cave, they added.

Sources said about one thousand yatris are stranded at different halting points on traditional Pahalgam route. However, about two hundred stranded pilgrims at Panjtherni were allowed to move ahead today after some improvement in the weather condition. There was no stranded pilgrims at Sheshnag, the sources added. Deccan Aviation Limited and Himalayan Heli Services have been operating daily chopper services for the pilgrims from Srinagar and Baltal for the past several days now.

The sources also said that the helicopter services could not be operated in view of the bad weather since yesterday.

Thousands of pilgrim flocked to the holy cave shrine to have a glimpse of the ice 'Shivalingam', which has shrunk dramatically over the past few days and may disappear soon due to rising temperature.

The yatris have started the yatra before its official start to catch a glimpse of the ice Shivalingam (the phallic symbol of Lord Shiva), which would not last too long as per the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB).

However, there was much joy and enthusiasm among the devotees and the authorities who thanked weather Gods for the heavy downpour which has brought down the temperature in the area significantly.

Both the devotees and the authorities expressed hope that the 'ice-lingam' may survive for slightly longer period now.

The ice 'Shivalingam' (the phallic symbol of Lord Shiva) was twelve-and-a-half feet in height and eight feet in circumference at the holy cave shrine in the first week of the month. It has now ''dramatically'' reduced to one-tenth of its size due to increasing temperature in the shrine vicinity.

UNI