Over 5,800 pilgrims leave Jammu for Amarnath Yatra

Jammu: A fresh batch of over 5,400 pilgrims left Jammu city on Tuesday for the twin base camps in Kashmir to join the annual Amarnath Yatra, officials said.

According to officials, the number of pilgrims who have paid obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine reached 2,07,016 on Monday evening.

The twelfth batch comprising 5,433 pilgrims, including 1,117 women and 18 children, left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp at 3.13 am in 213 vehicles escorted by security personnel, they said.

While 3,462 pilgrims in 124 vehicles took the 48-km traditional Pahalgam route, the other group of 1,971 devotees in 89 vehicles chose the short but steep 14-km Baltal route, officials said.

With this, 67,698 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp for the valley since June 28 when Lt Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch.

The 52-day yatra formally began on June 29 from twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam in Kashmir and will conclude on August 19.

More than 4.5 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine last year.