Amarnath yatra: 51,000 pilgrims pay obeisance in 3 days

Jammu: Over 23,000 pilgrims on Monday paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, taking the total number of pilgrims past 51,000 mark in just three days.
"As many as 23,437 pilgrims had 'darshan' of the ice 'lingam' in the Amarnath cave on Monday," officials said here.
The officials said 16,459 male pilgrims, 5,092 female pilgrims, 232 sadhus and two sadhvis were among those who paid obeisance at the cave shrine.
Over 1,402 security forces, 242 children and four transgender people also performed the pilgrimage.
The total number of pilgrims who visited the cave shrine in the first three days has now crossed the 51,000 mark.
Earlier, a fresh batch of pilgrims left for the Amarnath shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas from here on Monday.
The fourth batch of 6,461 pilgrims left in 265 vehicles for the twin base camps of Baltal and Palagam at 3.15 am and were escorted by security vehicles, they said.
While 4,140 pilgrims took the 48-km traditional Pahalgam route for their yatra, 2,321 pilgrims took the shorter but steep 14-km Baltal route, they said.
The 52-day-long yatra began from June 29 and will conclude on August 19.