Srinagar, Jul 5 (PTI) Over 21,000 pilgrims had darshan of the naturally formed ice Shivling inside the Amarnath shrine on the third day of the annual pilgrimage, officials said.

A total of 21,109 pilgrims paid obeisance at the 3,800-metre high holy cave shrine on the Himalayas in south Kashmir on Saturday, they said.

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The pilgrims included 16,159 males, 3,921 females, 226 children, 250 sadhus, 29 sadhvis, three transgenders and 521 security forces, the officials said.

The total number of pilgrims who visited the cave shrine in the first three days of the 38-day yatra has risen to 47,972, they added.

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)