JAMMU: officials said, the 22nd batch of 3,898 pilgrims Amid tight security left the base camp for the Amarnath Yatra here on Monday for the twin base camps of the cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas.Since the annual pilgrimage from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in Anantnag and Baltal in Ganderbal districts began on July 1, more than 3.25 lakh people have so far paid homage at the cave shrine located at a height of 3,888 metres. 3,898 pilgrims in all—2,898 men, 898 women, 90 sages, and 12 kids—left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in this city early this morning in a convoy of 149 vehicles under the strict supervision of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), according to the officials. They claimed that a first convoy of 1,292 pilgrims travelling to Baltal in 50 cars left the Bhagwati Nagar camp first, followed by a second convoy of 2,606 pilgrims travelling to Pahalgam in 99 vehicles.Since June 29, when Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch of pilgrims, more than 1.2 lakh people have already departed the Bhagwati Nagar camp for the Amarnath Yatra.
