Another batch of 5,273 pilgrims left Jammu on Wednesday toperform the ongoing Amarnath Yatra.
Since the Yatra started this year on July 1, over 1.2 lakhpilgrims had Darshan inside the holy Cave shrine situated 3,888 metres abovethe sea-level in Kashmir Himalayas.
The Cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure thatsymbolises mythical powers of Lord Shiva according to the devotees.
The structure waxes and wanes with the phases of the moon.
Police said here today: “Another batch of 5,273 Yatrisleft Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas today morning in two escorted convoys for theValley.
“Of these, 1,777 are going to Baltal base camp while3,496 are going to Pahalgam base camp”.
One Amarnath pilgrim was injured on Tuesday in Digdolstretch of Jammu-Srinagar highway when a vehicle carrying Yatris was hit by ashooting stone.
Due to shooting stones and landslides triggered by heavyrain in Ramban-Ramsoo area of the highway, movement of convoys carrying Yatristo the Valley remained suspended for nearly three hours on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Swami Dipendra Giri, custodian of ‘ChhariMubarak’ (Lord Shiva’s mace) has announced that the Chhari Mubarak will becarried to the holy cave in a procession of Sadhus on August 5.
Permanent abode of the ‘Chhari Mubarak’ is the AmareshwarTemple, Dashnami Akhara in Srinagar city.
Giri said: “After performing Chhari-Pujan at DashnamiAkhara on the occasion of �Nag-Panchami’ on August 5, the holy mace will becarried to the Shri Amarnathji Shrine for �Darshan’ on Shravan Purnima onAugust 15.
“Before reaching the Cave Shrine, the holy mace willhave night halts at Pahalgam, Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarni”.
This year’s 45-day-long Amarnath Yatra will end on August 15coinciding with the Shravan Purnima festival.