7,282 pilgrims leave for Amarnath shrine from Jammu

Jammu Amid tight security, the sixth batch of over 7,200 pilgrims left from here on Monday for the twin base camps of 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.

A total of 7,282 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here in a convoy of 332 vehicles amid heavy security of CRPF, the officials said.

Of these, 5,866 are males, 1,206 females, 22 children, 179 Sadhus and 9 Sadhvis, they said.

They said 2,901 pilgrims heading for Baltal were the first to leave in 150 vehicles around 3.40 am followed by the second convoy of 182 vehicles carrying 4,381 pilgrims for Pahalgam.

The annual 43-day yatra commenced on June 30 from the twin base camps -- traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag and 14-km shorter Baltal in central Kashmir's Ganderbal.

Till today, over 52,000 pilgrims had offered their prayers at the cave shrine, housing the naturally formed ice-Shivlingam, the officials said.

The Yatra is scheduled to end on August 11 on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.