Srinagar, Jul 4: Over 20,000 pilgrims have had darshan of the naturally formed ice ‘Shivling’ in the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas during the first two days of the pilgrimage, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Friday.
The LG said there is an atmosphere of celebration and enthusiasm across the entire Union Territory for the annual Amarnath Yatra.
“Till now, according to the information, over 20,000 devotees of Baba have had darshan,” Sinha told reporters after inaugurating the Yatri Niwas Complex at the Baltal base camp in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
“Baba’s devotees are coming here from various corners of the country, and the people of J-K are welcoming them with open hearts. The J-K government and the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) have improved the facilities for the yatris,” he added.
Sinha said some yatris, who have registered for future dates, have arrived ahead of schedule.
“I request them to wait patiently. No one will be asked to leave, but priority will be given to those who have registrations for July 4 or 5,” he said.
The Yatri Niwas will accommodate 800 pilgrims and also include a registration and security block. “Providing safe and adequate accommodation for all devotees is our top priority,” the LG said.
He also interacted with service providers and devotees at the base camp.
“Pilgrims are feeling blessed and excited to be part of this journey of faith and tradition,” Sinha said.
Earlier, Manoj Sinha inaugurated the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board’s Yatri Niwas Complex at Baltal, Ganderbal for pilgrims of Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra.
The facility, developed by ONGC under its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, will accommodate 800 pilgrims and also consist of a registration and security block.
He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, for their kind support to the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board.
He also thanked the ONGC for taking up the work for establishing Yatri Niwas at Sidhra Jammu, Baltal, Nunwan, and Bijbehara for Rs 240 crore under Corporate Social Responsibility.