With nine days to go before it ends, the annual Amarnath Yatra on Thursday crossed the 4 lakh visitors mark. This, despite the yatra seeing withdrawals and cancellations in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
“The record number of darshans and arrival of devotees from across the country and the globe is a testament to India’s unity and its resolve to overcome the challenges. I am truly thankful to the devotees, who have shown immense faith and strengthened our priceless spiritual heritage,” Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said.
In June, the administration had said that this year’s yatra numbers were “directly impacted” by the Pahalgam attack, before which, the L-G said, over 2.36 lakh yatris had registered for the pilgrimage.
“This year, before April 22, registration numbers were significant. After the unfortunate incident of April 22, registrations saw a decline, but are picking up again. We are reaching out to those who had registered before April 22, and this number will increase,” Sinha had said.
The yatra began on July 3 and will continue till August 9. The ending typically coincides with Raksha Bandhan. Last year, the yatra recorded the highest footfall in 12 years with over five lakh devotees visiting the holy cave in 2024, as per official records.
With security concerns high this year, the presence of officers of the J&K Police, as well as the number of companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), was increased for the yatra.
Due to heavy rainfall and some damage along the track, the pilgrimage was also halted twice, for a day each. Concerns were also raised due to the early melting of the ice shivling due to intense heat in the Valley this summer.
