New Delhi, July 24 : In a remarkable fusion of faith and global spirituality, nine young devotees from six different countries ' including the US, Germany, and Canada ' undertook the sacred Amarnath Yatra, embracing the challenging Himalayan pilgrimage with devotion and wonder.

The Department of Information & Public Relations, Jammu and Kashmir, shared the news on social media platform 'X,' stating: "9 young foreign devotees from 6 countries, including the US and Germany, undertook the sacred #ShriAmarnathJiYatra via the Baltal route ' a beautiful blend of global faith and spiritual harmony in the Himalayas".

One young devotee from Canada described her spiritual experience as overwhelming and transformative.

"I am here in Kashmir, experiencing its rich biodiversity and spiritual energy. The moment I stepped into the Amarnath cave, I was in tears ' there was a deep sense of peace. The entire world is connected through the energies of Shiv-Shakti. This cave is special ' it's where Lord Shiv revealed the secret of immortality to Parvati. The trek was tough but absolutely worth it. I urge everyone, regardless of where they are from, to come and experience this once in a lifetime,' he said.

Another pilgrim echoed the sentiment, adding: "It was a truly wonderful experience. We felt safe, supported, and spiritually uplifted. We will definitely return."

Since this year's Amarnath Yatra started on July 3, more than 3.42 lakh Yatris have had 'Darshan' so far, while a fresh batch of 3,500 pilgrims started their journey from Jammu towards the two base camps.

Officials said that more than 3.42 lakh Yatris have performed the ongoing Amarnath Yatra during the last 21 days as the huge rush of pilgrims continues unabated.

"The officially expected figure of 3.50 lakh Yatris performing the Yatra this year is likely to be crossed on Thursday only, while 17 days are still left for the conclusion of this year's Yatra."

"The Yatra has been going on peacefully, smoothly, and this has encouraged the devotees to come in record numbers. As more than 3.42 lakh had Darshan in the last 21 days, we had another batch of 3,500 Yatris, who left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu for the Valley on Thursday."

"Of these, the first escorted convoy of 45 vehicles carrying 832 Yatris left for Baltal base camp at 3:25 a.m. while the second convoy of 95 vehicles carrying 2,668 Yatris to Pahalgam base camp left at 4:01 a.m.," an official said.

The Bhumi Pujan of 'Chhari Mubarak' (Lord Shiva's Holy Abode) was performed at Pahalgam on July 10.

The Chhari Mubarak was then taken back to its seat at the Dashnami Akhara building.

It will start its final journey towards the cave shrine from Dashnami Akhara temple in Srinagar on August 4 and will reach the holy cave shrine on August 9, marking the official conclusion of the Yatra.

Authorities have made extensive multi-tier security arrangements for this year's Amarnath Yatra, as this takes place after the cowardly attack of April 22 in which Pakistan-backed terrorists killed 26 civilians after segregating them based on faith in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam.

/IANS