Pilgrimage to Amarnath: A Spiritual Journey in the Himalayas

Over 21,000 devotees visited the ice Shivling at Amarnath on the fourth day of the pilgrimage. A total of 69,484 pilgrims have visited so far, but the death toll stands at three, including a recent cardiac arrest victim from Uttar Pradesh, Rakesh Kumar Soni.

On Sunday, more than 21,000 devotees made the journey to the sacred ice Shivling inside the Amarnath cave shrine, situated at a height of 3,880 meters in the Himalayas of south Kashmir. Sunday's pilgrimage saw a total attendance of 21,512 pilgrims, according to officials.

The group comprised 15,758 males, 4,723 females, 300 children, 129 sadhus, 17 sadhvis, three transgenders, and 582 security personnel. Over the initial four days of the 38-day yatra, the number of visitors to the shrine has surged to 69,484.

Despite the spiritual significance of the pilgrimage, it has not been without incidents. The number of fatalities has reached three, as a pilgrim from Uttar Pradesh, Rakesh Kumar Soni, succumbed to a cardiac arrest. Soni, aged 49, encountered health issues at Baltal and was later declared dead upon arrival at a hospital in Srinagar.

(With inputs from agencies.)