200 000 pilrims expected at Kashmir site

Around 200,000 devotees are set to undertake the arduous pilgrimage to the Hindu cave shrine of Amarnath in Jammu and Kashmir that begins Wednesday. Situated at 11,000 feet above sea level in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, the cave houses a ‘lingam’, or stalagmite structure that is seen as an icon of Lord Shiva, one of the Hindu Trinity. The annual pilgrimage will unfold over a two-month period. Around 200,000 pilgrims from different parts of the country have already registered their names for this year’s journey. The north Kashmir route passes through Baltal on the foothills of the Zozilla Pass in Ganderbal district. The uphill 12-km trek from Baltal is treacherous passing through some of the highest Himalayan glaciers and narrow ravines.
They hope to catch a glimpse of the ice structure inside the cave that reaches its maximum height on the night of Shravan Purnima in August when the final prayer is offered inside the cave, concluding the pilgrimage.