Ahead of the culmination of annual Amarnath pilgrimage on Raksha Bandhan on August 18, Shri Amaranth Shrine Board authorities have released final statistics claiming this year the yatra recorded little over 2.2 lakh pilgrims despite worsening law and order situation in different parts of Kashmir Valley.
According to shrine board date "On the 47th day of Shri Amarnathji Yatra, 104 Yatris paid obeisance at the Holy Cave. Till date 2,20,399 Yatris had darshan at the Holy Cave".
This is so far the lowest number of pilgrims to have visited the cave shrine since 2004.
Ironically, the yatra concluded a few days after Hizbul Mujahideen Commander and poster boy, Burhan Wani was killed in Kokernag area of Anantnag district on July 8.
The number of pilgrims started declining as different parts of Kashmir valley witnessed a cycle of violence and it is still going on unabated.
According to the board, since August 2 the yatra was recording less than 1000 pilgrims and in the last week, the pilgrims undertaking the yatra barely crossed the 500 mark.
Earlier the yatra always crossed benchmark of 3 lakh pilgrims. At the height of Amarnath land row in 2008, the yatra recorded more than 5 lakh pilgrims and maintained a healthy trend since then. This year the prevailing law and order situation resulted in sudden decline in the number of pilgrims.
Heavy Losses
Even pilgrims who had registered with an advance booking failed to turn up fearing for their lives. The tourism, hospitality and transport sectors which thrive on annual pilgrimage suffered heavy losses due to declining number of pilgrims.
According to shrine board date "On the 47th day of Shri Amarnathji Yatra, 104 Yatris paid obeisance at the Holy Cave. Till date 2,20,399 Yatris had darshan at the Holy Cave".
This is so far the lowest number of pilgrims to have visited the cave shrine since 2004.
Ironically, the yatra concluded a few days after Hizbul Mujahideen Commander and poster boy, Burhan Wani was killed in Kokernag area of Anantnag district on July 8.
The number of pilgrims started declining as different parts of Kashmir valley witnessed a cycle of violence and it is still going on unabated.
According to the board, since August 2 the yatra was recording less than 1000 pilgrims and in the last week, the pilgrims undertaking the yatra barely crossed the 500 mark.
Earlier the yatra always crossed benchmark of 3 lakh pilgrims. At the height of Amarnath land row in 2008, the yatra recorded more than 5 lakh pilgrims and maintained a healthy trend since then. This year the prevailing law and order situation resulted in sudden decline in the number of pilgrims.
Heavy Losses
Even pilgrims who had registered with an advance booking failed to turn up fearing for their lives. The tourism, hospitality and transport sectors which thrive on annual pilgrimage suffered heavy losses due to declining number of pilgrims.