 "Amarnath Yatra: Rain lashes Baltal that serves as pilgrims' camping ground")
Baltal in Ganderbal district, which falls on the route of the Amarnath Yatra witnessed rains on Friday, the seventh day of the annual pilgrimage to the holy shrine cave located in the Kashmir Himalayas.
Conducted by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, the Amarnath Yatra has two routes through Pahalgam and via Baltal. Baltal serves as the camping ground for pilgrims in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir.
As per the Srinagar Meterological Department, Pahalgam recorded a maximum temperature of 20.3 degrees Celsius on July 5.
Meanwhile, another batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims left from Pantha Chowk Yatra base camp in Srinagar under heightened security measures.The Yatris were singing devotional songs and hymns.
They are heading along the Baltal and Pahalgam routes to start their journey to the 3880-metre-high cave shrine in south Kashmir.
This year, the Yatra is taking place in the shadow of recent terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
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The annual pilgrimage (Amarnath Yatra) is conducted by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board.
At the Srinagar Base Camp, a Yatri, Jagveer Sisodia, expressed gratitude to the local administration for providing them with facilities.
"I am heading to Pahalgam. We have been provided with good facilities upon reaching here. Langar, (a communal meal) facility is also good. I pray for the smooth conduct of the yatra. Lot of gratitude to the Army soldiers," he told ANI.
Another pilgrim, Nikhil Sisodia, who came from Indore, told ANI, "I am going to pay obeisance. I have come here for the first time. The food and accommodation facilities here are up to the mark."
"Security has been deployed (to ensure smooth conduct of the Yatra). I will pray for something good," he added.
This year, the yatra started on June 29 and will end on August 19, lasting 52 days.The devotees of Lord Shiva undertake the arduous annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine located in the Kashmir Himalayas in July-August.
The administration is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the safety and well-being of the pilgrims, amidst heightened security concerns and the challenging terrain of the route.