Amarnath yatra crosses 5 lakh record mark

Braving grenade attacks, land row and anti-shrine board agitation, Amarnath pilgrims have created a record with over 5 lakh devotees paying obeisance at the cave shrine.

Braving grenade attacks, land row and anti-shrine board agitation in Kashmir valley, Amarnath pilgrims have created a record with over 5 lakh devotees paying obeisance at the cave shrine.

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"The highest number of 5 lakh tourists have visited Amarnath cave shrine in Lidder valley in south Kashmir Himalayas despite land row and violent agitations in valley," police officials, monitoring yatra, said.

Amarnath pilgrimage have created a record - all time high pilgrim arrival at cave shrine as per the figures compiled by the police, which monitors yatra from Lakhanpur (Kathua) in Jammu region to Amarnath via Baltal and Pahalgam routes, reveal that as many as 5,03,978 devotees have paid their obeisance to ice lingum of lord Shiva till Tuesday morning.

"Despite grenade attacks, land row, violent anti-shrine board agitation and attacks on pilgrims in valley, yatra continued with courage thereby setting a record," they said.

As many as 3.25 lakh pilgrims visited the cave shrine last year and 4.02 lakh in 2006.