STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: A fresh batch of over 1,200 pilgrims on Friday early morning left from the Jammu base camp for the Amarnath cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas amid tight security, officials said.
This year’s yatra has already crossed the 4.5 lakh-mark of last year, with over 4.75 lakh pilgrims so far paying obeisance at the naturally-formed ice lingam at the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine, the officials said.
The 36th batch of 1,221 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp at 3.28 am in a convoy of 54 vehicles escorted by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and police, they said. While 826 pilgrims will reach Pahalgam to undertake the annual pilgrimage through the traditional 48-km route in Anantnag district, 395 have opted for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The 52-day-long yatra commenced on June 29 and is scheduled to conclude on August 19.
