JAMMU: A fresh batch of 3,113 pilgrims, including 707 women, left a base camp here early on Sunday to join the annual Amarnath pilgrimage in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said. The 52-day yatra commenced from the twin routes of Pahalgam in Anantnag and Baltal in Ganderbal districts on June 29. So far, nearly 3.9 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine, housing the naturally formed ice-shivlingam. The 24th batch of pilgrims, which also included 87 sadhus and 15 sadhvis, left Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar base camp in a convoy of 123 vehicles around 2.55 am, amid tight security arrangements, the officials said. While 1,960 pilgrims will take the 48-km traditional Pahalgam route for their yatra, 1,153 pilgrims have opted for the shorter but steep 14-km Baltal route, the officials said. The yatra will culminate on ‘Shravan Purnima’, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan on August 19. Last year, over 4.5 lakh pilgrims offered prayers at the shrine.
