Srinagar, July 10 : Over 1.60 lakh devotees had 'darshan' inside the holy cave shrine during the ongoing Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra (SANJY-2026) as another batch of 8,796 pilgrims left the Valley from Jammu on Friday.

Officials said that since this yearâ??s Yatra started on July 3, more than 1.60 Yatris had darshan while the ninth batch left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas for the Valley this morning.

Of these 3,350 yatris left Jammu in one escorted convoy for Baltal base camp at 2.42 a.m., while the second escorted convoy carrying 5,346 pilgrims left for Nunwan base camp at 3.24 a.m.

Among the yatris, there are 6426 males, 2042 females, 228 Sadhus, 10 children, 33 foreign males and one transgender yatri.

A total of 354 vehicles were deployed for the convoy, including 175 buses, 70 medium motor vehicles (MMVs), 106 light motor vehicles (LMVs), and three two-wheelers. Of these, 173 vehicles were assigned to the Baltal route and 181 vehicles to the Pahalgam route.

Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha visited the Pantha Chowk Yatri camp on the outskirts of Srinagar city on Thursday. Sinha said, "The figures from the past week reveal that this year's Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra has witnessed a greater number of devotees compared to last year. This surge is not only a blessing for our spiritual heritage but also a positive sign for tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, giving fresh momentum to the local economy."

"I want the rich handicrafts and handloom products of Jammu and Kashmir to travel across the country, and this unique heritage should find a place in every devotee's home. This will honour our artisans, and it will also strengthen the spirit of the One District One Product campaign, weaving together faith, culture and prosperity," the Lieutenant Governor said.

He lauded the coordinated efforts of the District Administration, all line departments, Shrine Board, police, security forces and other stakeholders. He emphasised the need to maintain close coordination and vigilance in ensuring effective crowd management, a hassle-free registration process and dissemination of timely information updates to pilgrims throughout the pilgrimage.

He also directed strict legal action against those found to be involved in fraudulent registration practices.

Four local teachers were suspended from service and taken into police custody after an FIR was lodged against them for fraudulent registration of Yatris at Manigam transit camp in Ganderbal district.

These involved teachers have allegedly collected large sums of money for fake registration. Vigilance has been enhanced at every transit camp and at the two base camps to ensure that the practice adopted by the four teachers at Manigam transit camp was a one-off incident taking place during the ongoing and previous Yatras.

Devotees trek to the 3880-metre-high cave shrine in the Kashmir Himalayas either from the longer traditional Pahalgam route or from the shorter Baltal route.

Those using the Pahalgam route take four days to reach the cave shrine, while those using the Baltal route return to the base camp the same day after having darshan.

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

SANJY-2026 will conclude after 56 days on August 28, coinciding with the Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan festivals.

/IANS