Srinagar, June 24 (IANS) As many as 50,000 pilgrims have visited the holy Amarnath cave shrine since June 15 when the pilgrimage officially began and with the weather improving in the valley, authorities have decided to allow over 10,000 pilgrims daily from Baltal base camp, officials said Wednesday.
“We have been allowing over 10,000 yatris (pilgrims) to visit the holy cave daily from the north Kashmir Baltal base camp since the last two days as the weather along the 14-km long track from the base camp to the cave shrine has improved remarkably now,” a senior police officer told IANS here.

The official also said nearly 50,000 pilgrims had visited the cave shrine since June 15 when the pilgrimage officially began.

As per reports, the snow clearance operations on the traditional south Kashmir Pahalgam route have also been completed and the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) is likely to decide on the opening of the south Kashmir route shortly.

The pilgrims have to trek along the 34-km route from Pahalgam via Chandanwari, Panchtarni and Sheshnag to the cave from the Nunwan base camp.

The journey takes four days to complete.

Many pilgrims who have already reached the south Kashmir base camp Wednesday staged a demonstration in Pahalgam demanding that the route to the cave shrine be opened.