9000 pilgrims leave for Amanath yatra from Pahalgam-Baltal

Srinagar, Jun 17 (UNI) About 9000 pilgrims today left for holy Amarnath cave shrine from traditional Pahalgam and shortest Baltal routes while one yatri died due to heart attack.

About 37 companies, including two Mahala companies, have been deployed in the Kashmir Valley and on yatra routes to thwart any militant attempt.

Official sources said though the formal two-month-long yatra would commence from tomorrow, 6335 pilgrims, including 1700 women, 600 children and 65 sadhus left from shortest Baltal route this morning for the cave.

They said majority of them had reached near the shrine and some of them had darshan of the ice-lingam, which was fully formed.

The Sources said the ice-ling is about nine feet now.

They said another 2560 yatris from different parts of the country left Nunwan base camp for Amarnath cave through traditional Pahalgam route.

The pilgrims included 667 women, 154 children and 12 sadhus, they said.

The Sources said adequate security force personnel had been deployed on both yatra routes, besides all halting station.

As many as 37 companeis of Central Reserve Police force (CRPF), including two women companies, had been deployed for security of the pilgrims at both base camps and routes.

This was in addition to security forces already deployed for the counter-insurgency operations on the yatra route areas.

Meanwhile, a savadar of Om Shrisahib Kirpa Seva Mandal Kher Singh, son of Durga Singh, resident of Rajpore Dehradun died due to heart attack at Brarimarg en route the shrine.

UNI BAS YSS SW VC1755