<p>The milestone was achieved on the ninth day of the pilgrimage on Friday night. The two-month-long pilgrimage to the cave shrine, located at a height of 13,500 feet above sea level, commenced July 1.<br /><br />A naturally made ice stalagmite known as "Shivlingam", an icon of Hindu Lord Shiva, is the major attraction for the devotees from across the country.<br /><br />"Yes, the yatra (pilgrimage) has crossed the 100,000 mark. Till 6 p.m. Friday evening the figure was 99,151, but overnight it crossed the 100,000 mark," an official of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board told IANS.<br /><br />Apart from 85 companies (nearly 10,000 men) of the Central Reserve Police Force, 3,000 Border Security Force personnel and soldiers have been deployed for the safety of the pilgrims.<br /><br />There are two routes to the shrine from Jammu: the traditional route via Pahalgam - and a shorter and steeper one via Baltal. <br /><br />"This time pilgrims have preferred the traditional route. Around 56,000 pilgrims used the Pahalgam route, as compared to 45,000 who used the Baltal route," the official said. <br /><br />"It was a delight to be there (shrine). The locals (Kashmiri Muslims) were nice and welcoming," said Sunny Gupta, a young devotee after returning from the pilgrimage. <br />Fifteen people have died in the Kashmir Valley since June 11 in clashes between protesters and security forces.</p>
<p>The milestone was achieved on the ninth day of the pilgrimage on Friday night. The two-month-long pilgrimage to the cave shrine, located at a height of 13,500 feet above sea level, commenced July 1.<br /><br />A naturally made ice stalagmite known as "Shivlingam", an icon of Hindu Lord Shiva, is the major attraction for the devotees from across the country.<br /><br />"Yes, the yatra (pilgrimage) has crossed the 100,000 mark. Till 6 p.m. Friday evening the figure was 99,151, but overnight it crossed the 100,000 mark," an official of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board told IANS.<br /><br />Apart from 85 companies (nearly 10,000 men) of the Central Reserve Police Force, 3,000 Border Security Force personnel and soldiers have been deployed for the safety of the pilgrims.<br /><br />There are two routes to the shrine from Jammu: the traditional route via Pahalgam - and a shorter and steeper one via Baltal. <br /><br />"This time pilgrims have preferred the traditional route. Around 56,000 pilgrims used the Pahalgam route, as compared to 45,000 who used the Baltal route," the official said. <br /><br />"It was a delight to be there (shrine). The locals (Kashmiri Muslims) were nice and welcoming," said Sunny Gupta, a young devotee after returning from the pilgrimage. <br />Fifteen people have died in the Kashmir Valley since June 11 in clashes between protesters and security forces.</p>