Jammu, July 17, 2013: There has been a decline in number of Amarnath pilgrims this year.In the first 19 days last year 4.45 lakh pilgrims performed darshans, while this year in first 18 days only 2.50 lakh have performed darshans. The dip in Yatris is due to Uttrakhand tragedy, strictness by Shri Amarnath Shrine Board by allowing only registered Yatris to undertake Yatra and compulsory health certificates.The duration of Amarnath Yatra which begun on June 28 is for 55 days. After the enthusiasm of Yatris in the first fortnight, there has been decline in number of Yatris since then.

In the initial period on an average 2000 yartris leave Bhagwati Nagar Base Camp everyday. Now for the past couple of days there has been a fall in number of pilgrims leaving for the cave shrine from here. Yesterday the smallest batch of 1027 pilgrims left from Bhagwati Nagar Base Camp.
 
Meanwhile another batch of 1211 pilgrims on Tuesday left the Jammu base camp for their onward journey to the cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir.
 
A convoy of 36 vehicles, carrying a batch of 1,027 devotees, left the Yatri Niwas Bhagwati Nagar at around 4.45 AM to pay obeisance at the holy cave shrine in the Kashmir Valley, police said.
 
The 20th batch includes 881 men, 222 women, 18 children apart from 90 priests, they added.With today's batch, a total of 39,575 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp for their onward journey.
 
Meanwhile a fresh batch of 6,405 pilgrims left for Amarnath Cave Shrine from both Baltal and Pahalgam bases camps today morning.
 
Police sources informed that 2695 Yatirs comprising of 2261 males, 433 females and a lone Sadhu left Baltal base camp for Holy Cave this morning.

Police sources also informed that another batch of 3710 Yatris comprising of 2997 males and 609 females and 104 Sadhus left Pahalgam base camp on traditional Yatra route.A total of 1170 Yatris also left for holy cave using Chopper services today.

Source: Hindustan Times, DT. July 17, 2013.