Srinagar, July 23 - Over 350,000 people have visited the Amarnath cave shrine in the Kashmir valley since the two-month-long pilgrimage began June 5.

'So far more than 350,000 pilgrims have performed the yatra. It has been going on smoothly,' an official of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) that manages the shrine said Thursday.

Pilgrims from both the Baltal base camp in north Kashmir and the Pahalgam base camp in south Kashmir are daily proceeding to the shrine, assisted by hundreds of local Muslims who give people headed to the shrine a ride on their ponies and even carry the sick and infirm.

The Himalayan cave houses an ice stalagmite structure reverentially known as the Shivalingam, which the Hindu devotees believe symbolises Lord Shiva.

A helicopter service to ferry pilgrims from Pahalgam to Panchtarni was started Wednesday, while a similar service is already available to those who use the Baltal route in north Kashmir.

'The arrangements made by the authorities are quite good, but the best part of the yatra is the help and assistance provided to us by the local Muslims,' said Rajesh Kumar, 46, who belongs to Hissar (Haryana).