Over 18,000 pilgrims performed the ongoing Amarnath Yatra on its fifth day on Wednesday while another batch of 6,554 pilgrims left Jammu for the Valley on Thursday.

Officials said over 18,000 pilgrims paid obeisance inside the holy cave on Wednesday as the annual Amarnath Yatra is proceeding smoothly from both south Kashmir Pahalgam and north Kashmir Baltal routes. “Another batch of 6,554 pilgrims left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu today (Thursday) for the Valley in an escorted convoy. There are 5,053 males, 1,375 females, 25 children, 95 Sadhus and 6 Sadhvis in today’s batch of Yatris,” officials said.

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Pilgrims approach the Himalayan cave shrine either from the traditional south Kashmir’s Pahalgam route which involves an uphill trek of 43 km from Pahalgam base camp or from the north Kashmir’s Baltal base camp which involves 13 km uphill trek. Those using the traditional Pahalgam route take 3-4 days to reach the cave shrine while those using the Baltal route return to the base camp the same day after having the ‘darshan’ inside the cave shrine situated 3,888 metres above the sea-level.

Helicopter services are also available for pilgrims on both routes.

The cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure that devotees believe symbolises mythical powers of Lord Shiva. The ice stalagmite structure wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon.

This year’s 62-day-long Amarnath Yatra started on July 1 and will end on August 31 coinciding with the Shravan Purnima festival. To protect the pilgrims from high altitude sickness, authorities have banned all junk food at the free community kitchens or ‘langars’ that have been set up along both the routes of the yatra.

The banned items include all bottled drinks, Halwai items, fried foods and tobacco-based products.