1,821 pilgrims leave from Jammu base camp, 56,000 pay obeisance at Amarnath

JAMMU/SRINAGAR : A fresh batch of 1,821 pilgrims today left for the holy Amarnath cave shrine from the Bhagwati Nagar located Yatri Niwas base camp here.
“A sixth batch of 1,821 Amarnath pilgrims this early morning left the base camp in a convoy of 53 vehicles for the cave shrine,” police spokesman here said.
They said that the batch included 1,262 male, 359 females and 200 sadhus left the base camp in 34 buses and 15 LMVs.
Meanwhile, fresh batches of yatris left Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam base camps for the holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, where 56,000 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the self made Ice-Shivlingam since the commencement of 49-day-long pilgrimage from July 2.
The yatra was progressing smoothly and the weather was pleasant, a yatra official said.
He said as many as 15,923 pilgrims had paid obeisance at the cave shrine till last evening.
However, this morning, a large number of yatris had darshan at the cave shrine, situated at 13000 feet above sea level.
A fresh batch of pilgrims, including women and sadhus, left Baltal base camp for the cave shrine early this morning.
The pilgrims are likely to reach the cave shrine this afternoon after covering the 14-km-long hilly terrain on foot.
However, the total number of pilgrims undertaking the pilgrimage through shortest Baltal route will be known only after 1100 hrs, after the gates closes.
Meanwhile, pilgrims who had paid obeisance yesterday and early this morning have also started their return journey through Baltal track.
A fresh batch of pilgrims also left Nunwan Pahalgam base camp for Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on the traditional route. Meanwhile, pilgrims who had night halt at Chandanwari and other halting stations on the traditional track, have also started their onward journey towards the cave shrine early this morning.
He said till last night, 55,918 pilgrims had darshan since July 2 from both Baltal and Pahalgam tracks. Majority of the pilgrims have returned to base camps after yatra. However, some of them had since returned to their homes while others stayed in Kashmir to visit tourist places. (agencies)