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Barring inclement weather killing over a dozen pilgrims in flash-floods triggered by a cloudburst last month, the annual Amarnath Yatra passed off peacefully, though only over 3 lakh visited the Holy Cave against the expected six to eight lakh pilgrims this year.
The authorities are breathing easy as massive security arrangements apparently helped avert any militant strike on pilgrims.
The “Chhari Mubarak” Silver mace reached the holy cave shrine of Lord Shiva in Kashmir Himalayas for final pooja, coinciding with the Raksha Bandhan, marking the formal end of this year's Amarnath Yatra on Thursday.
The 43-day-long annual Amarnath Yatra commenced physically from June 30 after two years of Covid-19 restrictions.
On July 8, a cloudburst struck near the cave shrine causing flash floods at tented accommodation of pilgrims killing 15 yatris and injuring 55 others besides washing away a major portion of the track.
It was a hectic time for the security forces and other agencies that launched a massive rescue operation and built alternative routes working day and night for several days to make the yatra resume smoothly.
The authorities had to suspend the yatra for three days from the shortest route Baltal and for four days from the traditional Pahalgam route after the cloudburst.
The last such crisis was in 1996, when over 260 pilgrims died severe cold, exhaustion and exposure As rain lashed the mountains enroute to Amarnath cave from August 22 to 24.
As many as 47 pilgrims —14 from shortest route of Baltal and 33 from traditional Pahalgam route also died of different ailments and cardiac arrest caused due to high altitude climate conditions during the 43-day-long pilgrimage.
Thirty-seven Amarnath Yatra pilgrims including five women were injured in a road accident at Qazigund on Srinagar-Jammu National highway on July 14.
Of the 3, 03,502 yatris who visited the cave, including 32,892 in 5,902 sorties were taken to the Himalayan shrine from the Baltal route in Ganderbal district by helicopters. The services were also made available from the traditional Pahalgam route.
As many as 53 pilgrims have been killed in 36 terror attacks on the annual Amarnath yatra in the last 32 years.
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